The School For German Brides is a novel that takes place during the rise of the Third Reich during World War II. The story follows two young girls, one is German Jewish and the other is German. Tilde, the former, is the face of her mother’s clothing store and Hanna, the latter, has just moved in with her aunt and uncle after her mother’s death. For a few months, everything seemed to be going as well as it could. That was until Hanna is forced to get engaged to an SS captain and Tilde’s new husband leaves her after finding out that his family was taken and split between two concentration camps. Desperate to find a way to save them, he runs out of the safety of Tilde’s apartment, leaving his wife and unborn baby behind, most likely to never see them again. Meanwhile, Hanna has just returned from her short-lived escape back to her childhood home, forced to come back to Berlin by her father. Later on, things get worse as Tilde is forced to go into hiding near a place where Hanna attends school. Together, Hanna and a mutual friend Klara aid Tilde and even help her with her newly born baby. The book was very slow to start but got more interesting as it progressed. There was an increase in tenseness that became more prevalent as more events were revealed. It was different to view two perspectives of two almost opposite people witnessing the same events. The lives of the two main characters contrast and yet being out of place in the society they lived in was something that unified them and gave reason to their cooperation. Furthermore, the references made to actually history tied well, giving the book a firm connection to what the world was like in 1938-39 for some people. Overall, I would recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys history and is looking for a new perspective to read about. There is much to learn from the stories held within these pages. Although the novel was off to a rocky start, it definitely finished strong and was worth the time. If anything, make sure to read this book with an open mind and not make assumptions about anyone when it ends.
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