Whatever It Takes
To Save Her Husband by Ellie Midwood is a powerful and heart-wrenching historical tale that I read in just two sittings, pausing only to sleep. There are factual details and historical figures included and woven into the narrative.
The story follows Max and Aurelia Laub through the 1930’s and into World War II as we see how the events in Hitler’s Germany shape them. Max Laub is listed as Jewish but his mother converted to Catholicism when he was young, so ‘Jewish’ is just a label imposed on him by the regime.
The Laub’s were film-makers, determined to tell the world what was happening inside Germany. Aurelia spotted the truth from the burning of the Reichstag. “It was as if the fire was consuming not just the building but the very ideals they had fought for – the hope of a democratic Germany, the promises of freedom, and the future they had envisioned.” Max denied what was happening before his eyes until it was too late.
As the Nazis tightened their grip, Berliners felt the change. “The very atmosphere had shifted; what had once been a city of freedom and expression was beginning to feel like a place of surveillance and intimidation.” All the democratic politicians had gone and “there’s no one to fight for us ordinary folk.”
Aurelia was determined to tell the world the truth but had to do so covertly as her brother was high up in the Nazi party and had the ear of Hitler.
As the reader is immersed in the action, we fear for both Max and Aurelia. Will they ever see the end of the war?
The wars of the pair look very different. Max is incarcerated in the camps for much of the war. His bravery is commendable, as is his loyalty to those around him. He does not lose his humanity. “In the times of darkness… the smallest spark of empathy, love, friendship, sacrifice or kindness is considered resistance. We aren’t powerless… Even here (Theresianstadt), we can make a difference.”
Aurelia believed it was important to survive in order to tell the world. “She was not just a witness, she was a voice for those who couldn’t speak.” Aurelia took the ‘official’ photos as well as ones that were smuggled out of Nazi Germany. It was important as “hope lives in the stories we tell… Keep spreading the light even in the darkest of times.”
This is a story of immense bravery, a will to survive and to do whatever it takes to free her husband.
It is a story of survival at a time of great evil.
It is a story that needs to be told in memory of the six million innocents whose voices were silenced.
To Save Her Husband is a powerful tale.
I received a free copy from the publishers. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.
JULIA WILSON
Buy link: https://geni.us/B0FB4581KNsocial
“Max.” Aurelia went to her husband, and took his face in her hands. “You need to leave. You are the one in danger. I am not. I have my brother; the soldiers won’t touch me. You go and I’ll stay.”
Berlin, 1933: As Aurelia grasps her husband Max’s sleeve so as not to be separated in the crowd of torch-bearing people, a shiver slides down her spine. She sees wild-faced people all around her, their hands waving leaflets full of hateful slogans, and knows deep in her heart that she and her husband are no longer safe in the city they’ve always called home.
Up on the stage, she sees her brother Wilhelm, resplendent in his uniform, a cold smile playing across his lips as he throws books onto a pyre. Max’s hand trembles in hers. It feels like the end of their freedom.
Later, as she and Max stand terrified on a train platform, Aurelia knows that Max, her fragile lifeline in a world full of danger, must flee Germany. As a Jewish film director, he has attracted the wrong kind of attention…
The only way to protect him is for Aurelia to strike a terrible bargain with the brother she hates. But as she and Max are forced apart, a chill wraps itself around Aurelia’s heart as the reality of their situation strikes her. She will do anything to save her husband, but she cannot bring herself to help the evil regime. She is willing to break the promise she has made her brother and sacrifice herself. But what will that mean for Max, the man she has always loved?
A haunting and gripping story of love, strength and sacrifice during the dark days of World War Two. Fans of The Nightingale and The Alice Network will be totally hooked on this page-turner from bestselling author Ellie Midwood.
About the author
Ellie Midwood is a USA Today bestselling and award-winning historical fiction author, whose works have been translated into 20 languages. She owes her interest in the history of the Second World War to her grandfather, Junior Sergeant in the 2nd Guards Tank Army of the First Belorussian Front, who began telling her about his experiences on the frontline when she was a young girl. Growing up, her interest in history only deepened and transformed from reading about the war to writing about it. After obtaining her BA in Linguistics, Ellie decided to make writing her full-time career and began working on her first full-length historical novel, “The Girl from Berlin.” Ellie is continuously enriching her library with new research material and feeds her passion for WWII and Holocaust history by collecting rare memorabilia and documents.
In her free time, Ellie is a health-obsessed yoga enthusiast, neat freak, adventurer, Nazi Germany history expert, polyglot, philosopher, a proud Jew, and a doggie mama. Ellie lives in New York with her husband and their three dogs.
Jess Readett
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