Review
Needless to say, there is a plethora of WWII novels available, and every time I see a new one on the shelves I wonder what could be left to cover and how an author could possibly make yet another book on the subject seem fresh. In
City of Women, first time novelist David Gillham remarkably manages to do just that in this very fine work of historical fiction. He combines compelling characters and vivid descriptions of war-torn Berlin into a fast-paced plot that comes across as a surprisingly compelling and original story.
City of Women centers on the life of Frau Sigrid Schröder, an unremarkable soldier's wife left to keep the home fires burning as her husband heads off to war. Readers experience the atmosphere of a war-torn city through her eyes, first as she goes through her daily routine in the bombed-out city (work, shopping, coming home to her peevish...
Beyond the Book
Berlin, Germany's capital city, was home to more than four million citizens at the start of WWII.
Between 1940 and 1945, the city was the target of 363 air raids, with an estimated 20,000 civilians killed during the period. The most significant and organized series of raids occurred from November 1943 to March 1944.
The controversial mission was led by Sir Arthur "Bomber" Harris, the Commander-in-Chief of Britain's Bomber Command, the branch of the Royal Air Force...
