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    City of Women
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    City of Women
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    City of Women
    Audiobook13 hours

    City of Women

    Written by David R. Gillham

    Narrated by Suzanne Bertish

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    It is 1943 - the height of the Second World War. With the men taken by the army, Berlin has become a city of women. And while her husband fights on the Eastern Front, Sigrid Schröder is, for all intents and purposes, the model soldier's wife: She goes to work every day, does as much with her rations as she can, and dutifully cares for her meddling mother-in-law, all the while ignoring the horrific immoralities of the regime.

    But behind this façade is an entirely different Sigrid, a woman who dreams of her former Jewish lover, who is now lost in the chaos of the war.

    Sigrid's tedious existence is turned upside down when she finds herself hiding a mother and her two young daughters - whom she believes might be her lover's family - and she must make terrifying choices that could cost her everything.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateAug 7, 2012
    ISBN9781101579572
    Unavailable
    City of Women

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    Reviews for City of Women

    4/5

    322 ratings79 reviews

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    • 4/5
      I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway winner. I loved this book. I was in Berlin in July and have recently read a few fiction books during WWII. They have been from different perspectives and this one is about the women who are left behind in Berlin during the war. The main character is Sigrid whose husband is off to war and she is stuck home with a mean mother-in-law who is a member of the party and a mundane job. She befriends Ericha, who is supposed to help a woman in Sigrid's building take care of her children. But Ericha helps smuggle Jews and other people out of Berlin. Sigrid gets sucked into helping and also has a love affair with Egon who is a Jew.

      The characters are very rich and developed. I worried about what would happen with every turn, would the gestapo find them. Can they get the Jews out of Berlin. We know Jews were being helped and hidden in different safe houses. Who knows if Berlin had a lot of sex happening during the war. I think it could have happened because they needed to escape the war. The Berliners were also being misled to what was happening with the war.

      What a beautiful book and I could see it as a movie. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can't wait to share it with friends and family. I would recommended and have already recommended it to several people.
    • 4/5
      This book was rich in history and vivid in emotions. A story of bravery, suspense, love, lust, and tragedy. My heart was torn and teased while turning the pages. One minute I was consumed with anger and the next my body was hot with seduction.

      Its a bit of a love story, but the major plot is about helping the jews seek freedom. Sigrid places her life on the line for others and falls into the trap of temptation. Her husband is a soldier at the front and she is left home to drown in her own thoughts. When she meets a man in the cinema her life takes a wild turn. Secrets are hidden and sexual escapades are exposed. Mix a wounded soldier husband, a spit fire guy, a strong willed teen, a snotty mother in law and you get pages full of intrigue, passion, and unexpected outcomes.

      I really found the story to be interesting and the words to be unraveling. There were a few parts that were meh, but overall I thought it was a great story.

      I recommend it to all readers that like their books historical and sexy with a bit of suspense.
    • 4/5
      This is the story of Berlin during WWII. I will tell you that there are many players in this book and there is a lot that is going on throughout the book, but that is what makes it so dang good.

      Sigrid Schroeder is the wife of a German Soldier and lives with her mother in law in an apartment in Berlin. Before she knows it she is involved in hiding and moving Jews out of Berlin.

      Throughout the entire book, you are never sure who you can trust and who you can't. Just when you think that you have it all figured out and the latest group of Jews are going to be moved to safety the rug is ripped out from under you. What you thought you knew is garbage!

      This book is full of suspense and I thought that it was so well done and absolutely, totally believable. I found myself transported to 1940's Germany and many times hyperventilating or holding my breath with the situations that we find Sigrid getting herself into.

      Are you interested in suspense stories? Are you interested in WWII? Then I would say that this is the book for you. Give it a try and you will not be disappointed.
    • 3/5
      At first I found the novel a bit turgid, with its characters uniformly unlikeable & unconvincing. However, midway through the book, I became more engaged & ultimately "enjoyed" what is not at all a happy story, set as it is in Berlin late in World War II when the myths are crumbling & all too brutal reality gets harder & harder to ignore. The female protagonist ultimately must choose to engage with that reality.
    • 4/5
      Kite Runner in wartime Berlin.
    • 3/5
      1943, in the height of World War II. With the men taken by the army, Berlin has become a city of women. While her husband fights on the Eastern Front, Sigrid Schroder is the model soldier's wife. She goes to work every day, does as much with her rations as she can, and cares for her meddling mother-in-law, all while ignoring the horrific immoralities of the regime. But behind the facade is an entirely different Sigrid. She dreams of her former Jewish lover, who is lost in the chaos of the war. (summary from ISBN 1611761271)The setting for this novel is Berlin during WWII. For the most part, the book is depressing and dark. The characters are full of despair and fear. The story is true to reality, but very hard to slog through.
    • 5/5
      The book's title indicates what Berlin was like during WWII....women waiting for their soldiers to return home, women enduring the air raids, women keeping an eye out for traitors and those not following the German edicts at that time, and women going to work. Sigrid lived with her mother-in-law and hated every moment. She worked in the day and kept people on their toes at all times, but always made friends. Her favorite place to meet people for clandestine reasons or even legitimate reasons was in the movie theater. You will follow Sigrid through her daily routines as well as her covert actions of smuggling and other secret activities. You will also be fearing what her decisions would be in different situations.....situations involving fellow citizens, situations where she would be meeting a lover, or situations where she was helping hide Jewish people. I liked Sigrid and could see why she despised living with her mother-in-law. She was a very strong woman and knew who she could trust and who was actually trying to trick her to see if she was being loyal to Hitler. Her decisions were the basis of the book and what made the book quite gripping.The book was beautifully written with wonderful detail and great descriptions of what life was like in Berlin at that time in history. The German names were a bit difficult to keep track of, and it took a few pages to get into the storyline, but you could figure out what was going on and will become completely absorbed in the book because of the author's magnificent writing. This is a compelling novel that will have you putting yourself into the story and also one that will be making you nervous for the characters as they endured the life they lived and definitely will be making you fear the outcomes of their unethical or illegal deeds. You will become immersed in the story and the characters simply because of the eloquent writing style of the author and its riveting content. Even though it takes a few pages to get involved with the characters and the story, it is a book you won't want to miss. The cover itself is enough to draw you in. The genuine feel of the era is magnificently relayed to the reader and takes you along page by page into Berlin and into the lives and terrors of Berlin's citizens. 5/5 I received this book free of charge from the publisher at the BEA in New York City in June of 2012 in exchange for an honest review.
    • 4/5
      Only for the most serious reader of World War two fiction!The writer in an afterward asks the question "what wouldyou have done?" I have often said that most people imaginethemselves more brave than they really are and would havebeen hiding Anne Frank in their attic.In 1943 Berlin Segrid appears to what would be described as a goodGerman housfrau.Her husband is fighting on the eastern front and she is home living withhis battle axe mother faithfully going to work at a government patentoffice everyday. She has no friends except a woman from work thatshe sneaks an occasional cigarette with.(smoking for woman is frownedupon by the Reich).Segrid is not so ideal a German woman because she met a man in thecinema previously and has been having an affair with him. He is a Jewavoiding the authorities he tells her.One night while she has indulged in an escape from her MIL she goesagain to the cinema. Suddenly the girl who is an au pair for the family upstairsin her building sits down next to her and requests a huge favor becauseas Ericha says "she can tell Segrid will say yes". She tells the Gestapoman that Ericha has been with her all along at the movies. From thispoint on even though she fights it at first Segrid is drawn into a circle ofGermans who are helping "U-Boats",Jews are under the radar hiding from theGestapo.There are many twists in turns in this story involving a cast of characterswith varied motives and who are not what they seem to be.The author did a fantastic job of conveying the under the surface senseof darkness and gloom that penetrated the into the lives of the citizensof Germany at this time. On some subliminal level they all sense thatGermany has already lost the war regardless of the constant news to thecontrary.The story does end on a hopeful note for some of the characters BUThaving the benefit of hindsight we know there are two more bloody,awfulyears of the war ahead so anything could happen.
    • 4/5
      story of a german woman during WW 2 who has an affair with a Jew and her growing involvement in resistance and helping save jews.
    • 5/5
      Excellent book. The only issue is the historical facts. There has been a trend lately of books that show Germans saving Jews and protesting the war but this is not accurate. But a very good read and somewhat unpredictable.
    • 4/5
      Gritty description of life in Germany during W W II. Memorable characters and brutal action yet humane and endearing.
    • 5/5
      Excellent novel about Berlin during WWII with a German Frau who finds herself enmeshed in moving "u-boats" or Jews and those fleeing from the Reich.
    • 3/5
      I think I liked it, if it weren't for that annoying, distracting present tense and the repetitive use of the adjective "thick!" I mean c'mon, how can everything be thick and what does it eventually mean anyway?

      I cannot, however, completely knock Gillham's writing skills. There were numerous bits of prose that I highlighted for its creativity. But they were pretty much used up in the first chapter like bait. Then everything became thick and otherwise redundant in description.

      That said, the plot is excellent with parts that I sped read in excitement, then reread or thought through to make sure I got its twists and implications. I would've given it 4 stars if I liked the story better. It was difficult for me to appreciate all the German terms and that period disturbs me. But it was worth reading for the thought provoking portrayal of women, which is the only reason I did read it. What I appreciated most was the conflict between those Berliners who believed in the Party and those who had sense to know it was insane. This story could've delved much deeper into those characters in order to truly be a better historical novel. That's complicated tho and would've turned this book into a literary epic rather than the airport novel it is.

      I noticed some readers complained about the necessity of all the sex. Perhaps not, but it does not detract from the story. I'd say it lends to a particularly well-planned, ironic twist on page 352. You'll see.

      The 3rd act was gripping in which the growth of the heroine amidst various betrayals is inspiring. If you like period stories with leading, heroic women I recommend this story.
    • 4/5
      I found this to be an interesting story of a German woman during the war who has to make difficult decisions. She lives her life taking many risks both from a personal perspective and ethical. Living during this time must have been terrible and it was a great story to read from a woman's point of view who was faced with many moral deliberations. I cheered for her all the way through!
    • 4/5
      Sigrid, a cynical Berliner with husband fighting in Russia, is living a lock-step gray life. Apolitical, struggling to remain oblivious to the atrocities of the Nazis, living with her critical mother-in-law, she escapes to the balcony of a nearby movie theater whenever possible. There, in the darkness allegorical to her existence, life assails her. First, she is picked up by a handsome stranger who turns out to be Jewish. Next, she agrees to serve as an alibi for a young woman who works in her apartment building. As Sigrid is drawn into these two lives, she has to confront her passivity and make difficult decisions. A thoughtful yet well-paced book well worth reading.
    • 5/5
      Set in Berlin during WWII, we follow a woman, wife of a soldier she doesn't love, daughter-in-law to a bitter old woman, sometimes lover of several men, drift through the distruction and dispair around her. She's not always sure of what she wants to do, but she knows life has to have more than the war is giving her.
    • 4/5
      The time is 1943, Berlin and I thought, here's another book about the Germans in World War Two. It seems like I've read a few of these lately so I was prepared to not like this book. Added to that is the fact the the author is an American male writing about women in 1943 Berlin. The book starts out with Sigrid, a married woman with a husband in the war. There is a lot of sex. Another reason for me to not like this book. The sex sets up the rest of the story. Could have done with less detail but the sex does become less as the story progresses. This story sucked me in, it's tense with some twists and it pulled me along on a very thrilling read. I ended up loving this story, even crying. This is a well written story and the narrator was easy to listen to with her German accent.
    • 3/5
      This story is set in Berlin during the last portion of World War 2. I found it to be dark and somber,and oppressive, as I am sure life must have been for most Berliners. The city is filled with women because, naturally, most of the men were off fighting the war. The story is mostly based on the life of one woman in particular, who is dissatisifed with her life (and was prior to the war). She lives with her bitter mother-in-law, and in their building there are a mixture of women left to fend for themselves during the war years. She met and fell in love with a man (not her husband)who turned out to be Jewish. They parted ways, and yet he comes back into her life again. She meets and befriends a young woman who is hired help for a family living in her building. Through an odd friendship with this young woman, Sigrid learns of the vast underground system used to try and transport Jewish people to safety. Before she knows it she is entrenched in this underground. The ending surprised me; in some ways it was a little too neat and tidy, and in others it was not what I expected.
    • 3/5
      I received this book through a Goodreads giveaway. I didn't know much about this book prior to reading it, but as I began I was intrigued by a narrative about Berlin during World War II from the point of view of an average German woman. I have read many books detailing the atrocities of the Holocaust and one of the questions those books always left me with was "why didn't anybody stop this" and "didn't anybody notice?"

      From this story, it would appear that the answer was, yes, people did notice, but in order to do anything about the deportation of Jewish people to concentration camps it was necessary to have a great deal of courage. This courage was not only in the actual act of helping Jewish people to hide, but even the courage simply to step outside of what was expected and required of you as a good German. In this story, at the beginning, Sigrid is a good German, who works as a typist at the patent office and lives with her mother-in-law while her husband is off fighting in the east. I really enjoyed following her awakening of consciousness as she first forces herself to take notice of the horrors going on around her and then to take action to combat those horrors. I also found it interesting that Sigrid takes some not completely moral actions in her personal life that are stark contrasts to the actions she is taking to help others.

      The reason that I only gave this book a three star rating rather than higher, despite really enjoying many parts of the story, was that at times I feel like the book suffered a bit from "Forrest Gump Syndrome". It seems that the author, in his urgency to ensure that many parts of the Germans' experience during this time period is explored, causes things to happen to Sigrid and those around her that seem too unbelievable. I would, however, recommend that anyone interested in the WW II time period read this book.
    • 4/5
      I received this book as a First Reads giveaway from Good Reads. Berlin, and its women, are made tangible as Allied bombs tear the city, and its citizens, asunder. The story focuses on Sigrid, a soldier's wife, who finds passion, empathy and fortitude among the chaos and horrors of the Nazi regime. David Gillham's debut novel makes us ask, "What would I do?" and the answer for Sigrid, at least, is neither black nor white, but somewhere in the grey, war-torn, City of Women.
    • 4/5
      Very interesting perspective of the women remaining in Berlin during WWII, the challenges they balance with survival, how they choose to support (or not) the war and what their personal sacrifices are along the way. Tis book will leave an impression.
    • 5/5
      Great story, probably true many times over. Feels very accurate to a woman's view and experience during WWI Germany.
    • 4/5
      This is not an easy read, it's disturbing, as one might suspect a book set in Nazi Germany would be. But it's a gret story with interesting characters, and once I got into it I couldn't put it down. Some incongruities, as others have pointed out, like the man's belt being big enough to wrap around the suitcase, the scenes in the theater, and the last one in the bomb shelter, but these didn't really bother me until later.
    • 4/5
      An incredibly powerful narrative about the power and conviction of women to save the Jews in war torn Germany. Not for the faint of heart but a must read for women who believe in our strength and passion.
    • 4/5
      1940s Berlin comes vividly to life in this war-torn novel. Sigrid Schroder, who may appear to be the typical German housewife, starts to break free from the daily routine of wartime life and begins to question the violence she sees around her. She becomes embroiled with a group attempting to smuggle Jews and other escapees out of Germany, a dangerous task that puts Sigrid and many of those around her at risk. A good novel, highlighting a lesser-known aspect of the Second World War, and a good piece of historical fiction.
    • 4/5
      Every time I read about "Hitler's War" I am amazed by the people and the choices they make and I wonder, what would I have done? How would I have handled my life in war……The story starts out a little slow and this is not a fun or light read, this is gut wrenching and thought provoking & it took me a while to get into it but once I did I needed to know more.Sigrid is a good German Girl. World war 2 is coming to an end, her husband as with most of the men in Berlin are dead or off fighting and she is left alone in a city of women.she is living with her nasty mother in law and the only thing to do to escape the hell of war is go to the theatre. It is there that she is reluctantly drawn in to helping the Jews and eventually falling in love with one of them. This is a book about questions and choices, how and why we make them and the consequences that can follow us for a lifetime. P.S. I love the cover art of this book...:)
    • 5/5
      The audio is fantastic!
    • 4/5
      Perfect book to read on your BVG commute.
    • 4/5
      Very good writing.WWII novel of Berlin where married aryan woman falls in love with Jewish man. At the same time she inadvertently becomes involved in hiding Jews. This book has more sex scenes than I need to read and the love between Sigurd and Econ seems more like lust, but it’s another facet of WWII and reads well.
    • 2/5
      Sigrid’s husband is far away at the war and she’s living very bored life with boring job and living with her mother-in-law. But then she meets Egon at the cinema and they became lovers. She also befriends young girl named Ericha who has ties with underground movement that helps Jews.

      I had read lots of great reviews about this and I was quite excited to start this but unfortunately this just wasn’t for me.

      The first half started very slowly, I couldn’t connect with the characters and I didn’t like either Sigrid or Egon.
      We have many, and I mean many, sex scenes and I’m not sure if her adulterous relationships were supposed to make me like her but it didn’t. And while she seems so in love with her Jewish lover, she also has sex with her neighbor’s brother.
      I didn’t quite understand how she even became to have any feelings for Egon because besides sex they don’t actually talk very much. Or when Sigrid tries to talk and get to know him, he just shuts off. He never tells her anything about him or his past and she just takes it all.

      And also what kind of intelligent person would have sex with a Jew in a crowded cinema at the times like that? I mean you could end up in prison or whatever for that but apparently you just can’t help that… And when we do learn more about Egon’s dealings it definitely didn’t make me like him any more.

      I liked the second part more and the parts where Sigrid was helping the Jews and her relationship with Ericha. But otherwise this just fell flat for me.