City of Women

A friend recommended this book and I found it most interesting. It's a historic novel about Berlin during the war. The main character is very interesting and she mingles among many different people, that deal with the war in their own way.
It's very well written. Once I started the book,it was difficult to stop reading. Human Beings are very frightening in the way they behave towards one another.

The slow transformation of an ordinary German hausfrau in WWII Berlin into a woman who keeps one step ahead of the Gestapo in her quest to do the right thing. Along the lines of "there is no such thing as a small decision," what starts with the simple question, "Are you alright?" ends with a total transformation of self, city and world.

I really enjoyed reading this book and I was intrigued from the very first page. I liked the development of the characters and the gradual revealing of the multiple layers of the characters. The setting of Berlin during the Second World War was very compelling; the author successfully conveyed an atmosphere permeated with the threat of bombings, the nuisance of propaganda and the fear & resentment of denunciation. Amidst all the bitterness, weariness and war fatigue stands a demure German wife who becomes a decisive & determined heroine. However, being a native German-speaker, I would have rather had the editor do a more diligent job in fact-checking certain German language expressions which appear throughout the book.

Through several well developed characters Gillham, the writer of this book, provides domr credible answer.. Sigfried, a well development fictional character, attempts to help a young woman escape danger. By so doing she puts herself in danger. As the story develops, we discover that ordinary human beings are capable of extraordinary acts, but not most of the time. Thie question of evil in our times, the question of trust when those we depend on telling truth actually lie instead must be considered honestly, It is crucial in these times of dogma, pretense, and excuses for public policy that is harmful to the majority of people living now all over the world.

"City of Women," a quasi-WWII spy/suspense story, features strong female roles and a time and place (Berlin, during the RAF bombings) not often seen. A intricate plot is supported by knowledgeable detail, but is weakened by instances of awkward, almost stogie, dialogue. This is a cut above the average for this genre but doesn't rise to the gold standard of Alan Furst's best.

This was a great read. Historical fiction at its finest. Sooooo glad I didn't have to live through WWII from the perspective of a German, but enjoyed reading about what it might have been like from a fictional character's perspective.

Having read novels about WWII from the Allied perspective, I found this book's focus on the German side very interesting. Protagonist Sigrid is very real in her human failings and passions. This story put a very fine light into the feelings and behaviors of its characters.
I recommend this book to readers looking for a well-told story.

This is a well written and researched novel. So very important that we think of what happened to German women left in Berlin the besieged as WWII took a turn. This is a noble witness to the courage of women who defy the state at great risk.

This book was a realistic view into Nazi Germany. The book put
the reader right into the war and it's ugly reality. I did find reading about the people and their different roles interesting. It is hard to put yourself into their position, but you can with this book. Worth the time to read and learn.

City of Women presents an authentic picture of what life was like in Berlin in 1943, and for me, this was the best part of the book. I did not, however, find the characters well drawn and the motivations for the actions were elusive at best. It was not until about two-thirds of the way through the book that the action takes on urgency and made compelling reading. It did not make for a spirited discussion in my book club.

I would give it a 5 ? rating, although so many people were involved in the horrors of WWII, I cannot in good conscience say this is a masterpiece. It is very moving and thought provoking and caused a dilemma within me as I was reading and internalizing my feelings.

This was an interesting atmospheric tale of life in Berlin during World War 2. You begin to realize that Hitler has been using up all the country's men and there are mostly women left to carry on. It starts out rather surprising and ends with an exciting bang. I would highly recommend it especially for someone interested in WWII.

I love the setting, the war torn city, shredded by allied bombing.. Within it, people manage to live out their lives with a pretense of normalcy. The characters are credible, the story lines believable, and the whole ensemble draws you into the story.
I liked it and will look forward for more from this author.

Interesting view of Berlin during WWII. It's an astonishing read as you get to emotionally assess a charged moral issue during that period in Germany, drives you to ask the question: what would you do in that situation?

I loved the premise of this book (originally). I thought I would read more about the characters in the book, the women in particular, but I didn't and I felt a little disconnected. It was slow at times and the ending was a bit of a let down. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it either.

What human beings become during war time is relevant in today's world. This author challenges readers to understand that freedom can be removed quickly, and the choices individually and collectively define survival. We must remember our history and learn from it.

This book had an interesting premise, but in the end came up short. Descriptions of hardship and deprivation in war-time Berlin were good. The sense of danger and suspicion of almost everybody was done well also. What didn't work for me was a protaganist involved in high-minded and very dangerous protection of holocaust victims who was simultaneously involved in gratuitous sex while her husband was fighting on the Eastern front. If one sordid affair conducted in the back of a movie theater wasn't enough, there was the casual sex with the crippled vet across the hall. To a very limited extent these trysts were a device to support a plot dealing with the difficulties of harboring fugitive Jews, providing false identification, etc., but it could have been accomplished with different methods for character development without making the reader feel dirty.

Thought this book was very well written. I like historical fiction and this book kept me more than entertained. I found myself tensing many times waiting for disaster only to get a reprieve. The author weaves a strong story.
People liking historical fiction, stories of the 2nd world war, will enjoy this book.

The book suffers from too many German words that are not explained. The reader has to guess in the context of the ongoing story.There is also insufficient character development amongst the main characters. The ruthlessness of the NAZIs in dea;ling with their prople is very muted. Just as many political figures, Catholics, Protestants, and other non-Jews were killed as were Jews. More balance required. The sex scenes were cryptic and lacking in credibility. Imagine having sex in a theatre seat. Stretches credibility.
In general, a well done effort

I love the perspective this story brings to a segment of the war we have never heard about before--the German women left behind when their husbands and sons went to war and they were left to deal with food and clothing shortages and frequent bombing runs by the Allies. While its hard to think about the Germans with empathy, surely we can relate to the struggles and human needs and emotional conflicts that affect all people, in this case the civilians who are living with choices and decisions made by people in power.

A novelist can certainly take liberties in creating their reality. But the premise for this novel is so preposterous, the book is simply, shriekingly unbelievable. I don't believe this novelist has a clue about women's history in Germany in World War II. The only element of mystery to me, is how this book can have sold so well.

A novelist can certainly take liberties in creating their reality. But the premise for this novel is so preposterous, the book is simply, shriekingly unbelievable. I don't believe this novelist has a clue about women's history in Germany in World War II. The only element of mystery to me, is how this book can have sold so well.

I just finished reading this book that I bought today and read it in one sitting. I have read many books on WWII and life in Berlin during that time but none from this standpoint. The author brings up the age old question, what would you do? This is an excellent book and I recommend it to anyone interested in this time in history.

This book began slowly for me, because its heroine seemed so ordinary. However, as the book went on she changed. And I believe that's the joy of this book. Mr. Gillham is exploring the impact of extraordinary times on ordinary people. It seemed to me a book of hope.

A sensitively written story that conveys the dilemmas and blindnesses of a population embedded in Hitler's war. As one feels with good books, it is a true loss to close the book after the last word, as one is gathered up in the intrigue and dark circumstances of the time. Can't wait for the author's next book.

Yes, I enjoyed reading this book. I would recommend it for a good read . The story, based on WWII life in Germany is one that everyone deserves to know about, The sacrifices made and what Humnitarians did to aid other's.nnA piece if history many might not know about,n

This story allows you to look inside and imagine what you would do when faced with life and death. What is right and what is wrong? Are there lines we will cross when we see injustice or do we turn our head and look away.

Berlin, as Russia began winning the war. No romanticized spy novel, but one depicting real humans thrashing through everyday life amidst the violence and sickness of the Nazis and one women's matter of fact choices.

This book describes what it was (could have been?) like in Berlin during WWII, describing the best and worst of human nature in ways I could not have imagined. It teaches us not to be too smug in our righteousness as it explores the limits of humanity. I highly recommend it.

An incredibly gripping and haunting novel. I can't imagine anyone reading this book and not being moved. I thought about this book long after it was over and would highly recommend it to anyone - especially those who enjoy historical fiction.

As a lover of history and especially World War II, I found the book fascinating as it told the story from a regular German woman's perspective. She seemed so non-political in the beginning. She originally got drawn in to escape a boring marriage with a wild affair and just by chance got involved in the movement to help Jewish people escape the Holocaust. I kept thinking in a situation like that, what would I do? There were lots of surprises as people were not the way you originally perceived them. Would read more books by this author.

I enjoyed reading this WWII tale which took place in Berlin. The book held my interest and gave me different insight into the role of German women during a terrible but very real war. I would recommend to those who enjoy fictionalized historical events.

What a beautiful and painful novel! Poin of view is from the average citizens of Berlin as they struggled with wartime tragedies. Many rose to the heroic, while others fell short in their humanity. Written with strength, compassion displaying much pain.

An excellent eye opener from a different perspective of the WW11 Berlin. This novel elicted sympathy from me towards the ordinary citizens thrust into an unwanted war and government.Shows that many of the populace was disgusted by the Reich government.
A page turner!

Well crafted story which examines the complexity of motives that effect people under extraordinary stresses, the age old conflict between what is "right" and what is "wrong" and what is both or neither. I couldn't put it down and have already recommended it to several people.

I was gripped by the authors style; story and character development. Throughout I wondered 'what would I have been capable of doing.' I'm Jewish, so I've pondered this for many years. This story is heart-wrenching, and I suspect was the true story of two many people.

Having lived during the time of this story, I could put myself in the scenes. It's a wonderful, heart-warming, heart-breaking, and well-written novel. I passed on my hard copy to a friend who also raved about it. It just must be made into a movie.

I just purchased two Kindles one for myself and the other for my wife.
The first book that i purchased for my Kindle was "City Of Women".
"City Of Women"is an excellent book, and once you start to read it,it`s very hard to put down.

Alan Myers,Wheeling,IL.

Suzanne Bertish does a magnificent job of reading this intriguing story of the women who are left in Berlin after all the men are off to the front. It is a good companion read to "The Garden of Beasts" by Erik Larsen. Phyllis from Michigan

Gillham puts forth an excellent novel from the perspective of some of the women in Berlin, and the fear and repression they experienced during WWII. The characters are well-drawn, and the often heart-pounding plot moves right along.

Steamier than I expected and not sure why the sex was necessary. All in all interesting points of view of women who were left behind in German cities during WWII. I felt the main character was a little cold/stiff. Not a difficult read.