City of Women by David R. Gillham

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.