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Historical fiction not only for young readers
Four people, four fates crossing somewhere in East Prussia during the last days of World War II. Each of them carrying a minor or major secret with them… Forced to unite, they’re facing one of the biggest maritime ship disasters of WWII, the sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff in the Baltic Sea. Despite the heavy topic, the book is easy to read. It’s written in simple language without a single unnecessary word. The chapters are short and changing between four perspectives that are still easy to distinguish. They’re mostly ending with a cliffhanger that keeps the reading flow up all the time. The plot itself is fictional, but the book keeps very close to the real historical events. The backstorys of the four POVs are nevertheless super authentic and represent the single stories of so so so many people. The end was the most beautiful not-so-happy happy ending I‘ve ever read. The story hit me right in the heart, maybe because my own family’s roots are also connected with East Prussia. This might have been my most emotional read of 2023!
May 7, 2024
Historical fiction not only for young readers
Four people, four fates crossing somewhere in East Prussia during the last days of World War II. Each of them carrying a minor or major secret with them… Forced to unite, they’re facing one of the biggest maritime ship disasters of WWII, the sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff in the Baltic Sea. Despite the heavy topic, the book is easy to read. It’s written in simple language without a single unnecessary word. The chapters are short and changing between four perspectives that are still easy to distinguish. They’re mostly ending with a cliffhanger that keeps the reading flow up all the time. The plot itself is fictional, but the book keeps very close to the real historical events. The backstorys of the four POVs are nevertheless super authentic and represent the single stories of so so so many people. The end was the most beautiful not-so-happy happy ending I‘ve ever read. The story hit me right in the heart, maybe because my own family’s roots are also connected with East Prussia. This might have been my most emotional read of 2023!
May 7, 2024
