The Berlin Wife’s Choice- Storyline and Book Review

The Berlin Wife’s Choice is the second book in Marion Kummerow’s Berlin Wife Series, with the first being The Berlin Wife. The story continues from the first book and covers the timeline from 1938 to the early years of the Second World War. With Hitler coming to power, although the country sees prosperity, it is certainly not a good time for the Jews and their families.

The story spans the lives of Edith, a Christian woman, and the wife of a wealthy businessman, Julian, who happens to be a Jew, and Helga, again a Christian, married to her college sweetheart, Heinrich, a person with a modest background who is also a Jew. Edith and Helga are college friends who had lost touch with each other. A chance meeting brings them together, and they eventually become close friends. The prevailing situation in the country and similar circumstances strengthen their bond.

The story in the second book moves much more slowly and covers fewer historical landmark events than the first book. It also spans a shorter time frame. It is mainly a narrative of all the experiences Jews had from the time Hitler came to power in Germany. There are fewer jobs for them; they can’t live in housing societies where Aaryans live, can’t buy their rations from ‘regular’ shops, are paid less for the same amount of work, and are bullied and beaten by the SS men. As the anti-Semitic sentiments rise, they become outcasts in the society which once offered them respect. They are treated with contempt and disrespect by fellow citizens, who were once their friends, neighbours and colleagues. Like many other Jewish families, the travails of Ediths and Helga’s families also seem never-ending. 

Julian, who is nearing his sixties now, is forced into manual labour, Edith manages a household with two more Jewish families, Helga does odd jobs to make ends meet, her son David works as a mechanic and gets paid much less than his non-Jewish colleagues, Heinrich is off and on between jobs and often gets beaten up and humiliated. Overall, the situation has taken the turn for worse.

Finally, Julian agrees to leave Germany. The first book narrates how Julian, a wealthy and powerful person, never imagined he would be treated like any commoner. But, now, Julian realizes he was wrong and underestimated what Hitler and his men could do. With this realization coming so late, the path isn’t as easy anymore as it was a few years ago. Julian can get help from his sister Adriana, who lives in London, to send them an affidavit that could help them leave Germany. But, with Great Britain and Germany at war and a non-existent British Consulate, Julian has to find contacts in the USA to connect with his sister to get things moving. In addition, the paperwork, heavy payments, and fines have emptied their coffers. With almost all their wealth exhausted, the duo knows that there is nothing left to lose in Germany. A warning from Edith’s brother, Joseph, who works for the SS, that the worst is yet to come brings urgency to the situation, and the duo must act quickly to make an exit plan. 

While Edith and Julian still can afford to make a plan like that, Helga and her family, with no wealth or connections, have no such options. Helga’s son, David, attempts to move to Palestine, where a new country, Israel, will be formed. But luck is not on his side, and he is forced to stay back to face the everyday humiliation and mortification, much to his dislike. 

After many months, the paperwork for Julian and Edith’s exit from Germany to Switzerland is done. With a heavy heart, Edith says goodbye to her friend Helga, promising to make all efforts to help them exit, too. With hopes in their heart and a wish for a brighter, better future, Julian and Edith catch the train and start their journey from Berlin to the south of Germany, from where they plan to enter Switzerland. Are they able to exit? Do things go as per the plan? All that gets revealed in the third book in the series. 

The Berlin Wife’s Choice is certainly quite an interesting read. It is not as fast-paced as the first book. Although the story is still tied to historical events, the focus is more on the lives of Edith and Helga, the two strong women who support their Jewish husbands, standing by their side and not leaving them despite the dire circumstances. It is a story about their choices, resilience, and courage during such trying times. 

Learn about other exciting books here.

I always read my books on Kindle. That way, I can carry all my books wherever I go 🙂

By the way, after our short holiday in Munich and visit to the Dachau Concentration camp, I was quite excited to read a book about the Second World War. And I am glad I picked the books in this series.

• Instagram
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Goodreads