Daughter of the Dawn (Margarete's Journey #4) by Marion Kummerow
Genre: Historical fiction, WW2, Wartime fiction, Holocaust
Read: 7th October 2022
Published: 13th October 2022
★★★★ 4.5 stars
DESCRIPTION:
1944, Germany: The war is still raging, as a young woman named Margarete hides from the Nazis in plain sight. With each day that passes, she takes more risks. But will one of those risks ultimately take her to the most evil place on earth?
After a bombing led to her identity being mistaken, Margarete Rosenbaum has been living disguised as one of the Nazis themselves, for almost the entire war.
But secretly—aided by Stefan, a resistance fighter she’s becoming impossibly drawn to—she is trying to liberate the Jewish workers sent to work on the land she’s inherited, and to sabotage the work of the factory she’s meant to be in charge of.
She knows that every day she is risking her life. But she also knows what she has to do. Because it could be her on the other side of the barbed wire fence. And for every person she saves from the Nazis, it’s worth it.
Until she is discovered. And to protect the people she had been helping, she knows she must accept her fate. Even when they send her to the very place she’s hoped to save her prisoners from: Auschwitz… Where no one comes out alive. As the war moves towards its brutal end, will she survive to see Stefan again?
A totally heartbreaking story about courage, love and betrayal, perfect for fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, Beneath a Scarlet Sky and All the Light We Cannot See.
MY THOUGHTS:
I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for Marion Kummerow's page-turning finale DAUGHTER OF THE DAWN.
What a wonderfully triumphant finale to Margarete's journey and a most fitting end to this often heartbreaking series. I have read all four books beginning with the poignant "A Light in the Window" which began Margarete's journey in subterfuge. This entire series details a most unusual story of Nazi resistance beginning in Berlin through Paris and ending in northern Germany. Having read the previous three books, I had wondered where the story would take us come the end of the war. And I am so glad to have been a part of this wonderful journey.
Margarete Rosenbaum lives in subterfuge and secrecy as wealthy heiress Annegret Huber, daughter of a Nazi officer killed alongside his wife and daughter in a raid in Berlin. The same in which Margarete survived. It was at this time she saw the opportunity to replace Annegret's papers with her own, thus being the demise of the Jewish servant girl. Margarete has lived as Annegret for a number of years, her true identity known to only a few trusted confidantes.
Now she lives on the Huber estate Gut Plaun overseeing a munitions factory where she employees hundreds of Jewish prisoners and the training of horses for the Wehrmacht. But it's 1944 and the German army is feeling the pinch of the Allies that have pushed them back since the Normandy landings and now they scrambling to throw anything at the Allies in the hope of making it out alive. Because one thing is for sure - Germany won't be winning this war.
Margarete, as Fraulein Annegret, has established herself as a respected employer amongst the prisoners but finds herself in hot water when an SS officer Katze summons her to his offices quicksmart. The end result is bribery for his acquiescence and silence. But is the price too high for her to pay? She confides in her estate manager and trusted friend Oliver and Stefan, a fisherman and holder of her heart. To ignore Katze's offer would mean collapse of their well-tuned operation.
But then when the money dries up, Margarete must acquire more with the sale of some jewels to keep them alive. But a chance meeting with an old friend sees her betrayed, even despite Stefan's warnings. Having survived the war this far only to find herself in a concentration camp just as the war is coming to an end? How could she be so stupid as to let her guard down? What about all those back at Gut Plaun whose survival is dependent on her? Can Margarete still make it through and survive the war? As she marches towards Auschwitz, the one place she has done everything to avoid, it becomes clear that no one is safe.
DAUGHTER OF THE DAWN is the fourth and final installment bringing Margarete's journey to an end. But will it be a happy one? While life was uncertain during the Nazi regime, many sacrificed so much in their quest to do what they feel is right. Some got their happy ending, others did not.
This book is a fitting end to a wonderful and unique series that I have enjoyed being a part of. It was well-researched, well plotted and wonderfully written. I cannot say much more for fear of giving too much away, but this riveting tale highlights the characters' strengths, fears, joys and sorrows throughout the acts of betrayal they have faced with courage and resilience.
Overall, a triumphant finale to Margarete's journey bringing with it a happy ending for some, if not others.
I would like to thank #MarionKummerow, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #DaughterOfTheDawn in exchange for an honest review.
MEET THE AUTHOR:
Inspired by the true story about her grandparents, who belonged to the German resistance and fought against the Nazi regime, she started writing historical fiction, set during World War II. Her books are filled with raw emotions, fierce loyalty and resilience. She loves to put her characters through the mangle, making them reach deep within to find the strength to face moral dilemma, take difficult decisions or fight for what is right. And she never forgets to include humor and undying love in her books, because ultimately love is what makes the world go round.
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