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Book Summary and Reviews of The Girls of the Glimmer Factory by Jennifer Coburn

The Girls of the Glimmer Factory by Jennifer Coburn

The Girls of the Glimmer Factory

A Novel

by Jennifer Coburn

  • Critics' Consensus (7):
  • Readers' Rating (1):
  • Published:
  • Jan 2025, 480 pages
  • Rate this book

About this book

Book Summary

From the author of Cradles of the Reich comes a poignant and inspiring tale of resistance, friendship, and the dangers of propaganda, based on the real story of Theresienstadt, for fans of The Forest of Vanishing Stars and The German Wife.

Hannah longs for the days when she used to be free, but now, she is a Jewish prisoner at Theresienstadt, a model ghetto where the Nazis plan to make a propaganda film to convince the world that the Jewish people are living well in the camps. But Hannah will do anything to show the world the truth. Along with other young resistance members, they vow to disrupt the filming and derail the increasingly frequent deportations to death camps in the east.

Hilde is a true believer in the Nazi cause, working in the Reich Ministry of Enlightenment and Propaganda. Though they're losing the war, Hilde hasn't lost faith. She can't stop the Allied bombings, but she can help the party create a documentary that will renew confidence in Hitler's plans for Jewish containment. When the filming of Hitler Gives a City to the Jews faces production problems due to resistance, Hilde finds herself in a position to finally make a name for herself. And when she recognizes Hannah, an old childhood friend, she knows she can use their friendship to get the film back on track.

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What book or books are you reading this week? (01/30/2025)
The Girls of the Glimmer Factory by Jennifer Coburn The Propaganda Girls by Lisa Rogak Also Here by Brooke Randel
-Cindy_R


What are you reading this week? (11/14/2024)
Finished two great books - LAST TWILIGHT IN PARIS by Pam Jenoff and THE GIRLS OF THE GLIMMER FACTORY by Jennifer Coburn. Haven't started anything new yet, but getting ready to read NOTHING EVER HAPPENS HERE by Seraphine Nova Glass.
-Elizabeth

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Reviews

Media Reviews

"An unvarnished portrait of ugliness, bravery, and banal self-interest." —Kirkus Reviews

"Jennifer Coburn, an exceptional writer, has crafted a suspenseful and captivating historical fiction novel. The protagonists' character development is excellent; and her plot, dialogue, and use of tension and release is masterful…a thrilling novel about a terrible time in history." — New York Journal of Books

"In The Girls of the Glimmer Factory, Jennifer Coburn illuminates a tale of once-friends caught on opposite sides of the war against the backdrop of the Theresienstadt concentration camp. Vividly researched and memorably written, this book offers an original and unflinching look at loyalty, choices, consequences and redemption." —Pam Jenoff, New York Times bestselling author of Codename Sapphire

"A gripping, powerful read. A valuable lesson for our own times." —Heather Morris, New York Times bestselling author of The Tattooist of Auschwitz

"A haunting page-turner of a story about friendship, bravery, and resistance, The Girls of the Glimmer Factory brilliantly illustrates the need to combat propaganda as it threatens to gloss over evils. Written in shimmering prose, this deeply-researched, must-read historical novel is acutely relevant to our present day." —Jennifer Rosner, author of Once We Were Home and The Yellow Bird Sings

"The Girls of the Glimmer Factory is an incredibly well-researched story of two former friends on different sides of Nazi oppression during WWII. A powerful piece of literature that highlights what prisoners of Theresienstadt endured and the insidious nature of Nazi propaganda. Jennifer Coburn has done it again with this gripping historical fiction that readers will love!" —Madeline Martin, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Bookshop of London

This information about The Girls of the Glimmer Factory was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.

Reader Reviews

Write your own reviewwrite your own review

Elizabeth@Silver's Reviews

Elizabeth@Silver's Reviews - Well researched and heartbreaking
We meet Hilde and Hannah.

Hilde's husband was killed in the war and is now working for a film crew who will be making a propaganda film about Theresienstadt - a Nazi camp that spouts a wonderful, peaceful city for the Jewish people and where they are treated well.

In reality, it is a Ghetto, a work camp, and a prison that was a a stopover before being sent to death camps.

Hannah is a prisoner in Theresienstadt and tries to thwart the efforts of the Germans since she is living in squalor, working for nothing, and eating watered down soup for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

When Hilde arrives, she sees her friend Hannah.

Will friendship win out to thwart the fake news about the camp or will the Nazi’s lies and deception win?

Hannah was a very likable character whereas Hilde was not. Hilde was self centered - Hannah suffered a lot and had compassion.

The Girls of the Glimmer Factory brings to light the horrors of this misrepresented camp but focuses on courage, friendships, and the will to live. 5/5

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

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Author Information

Jennifer Coburn Author Biography

Jennifer Coburn is the author of Cradles of the Reich, a historical novel about three very different women living at a Nazi Lebensborn breeding home at the start of World War ll.

She has also published a mother-daughter travel memoir, We'll Always Have Paris, as well as six contemporary women's novels. Additionally, Jennifer has contributed to five literary anthologies, including A Paris All Your Own.

Jennifer lives in San Diego with her husband, William. Their daughter, Katie is currently in graduate school. When Jennifer is not going down historical research rabbit holes, she volunteers with So Say We All, a live storytelling organization, where she is a performer, producer, and performance coach. She is also an active volunteer with Reality Changers, a nonprofit that supports low...

... Full Biography
Link to Jennifer Coburn's Website

Other books by Jennifer Coburn at BookBrowse
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