04/01/2014
Gr 9 Up—Gretchen Muller has been raised with the ideals of the National Socialist Party. Blonde, blue-eyed, and beautiful, she has become a favorite of her Uncle Dolf, who is none other than Adolf Hitler. Her father, who served with Hitler during World War I, gave his life to protect him during the Beer Hall Putsch. Although she is grateful to her Uncle and the Party, she is not blind to their policies and punishments. Living in a dysfunctional family, Gretchen has endured the torments and twisted pranks of her malicious brother while her mother turns a blind eye. As the Nazis are on the verge of gaining power in Germany, the teen is contacted by a Jewish reporter, Daniel Cohen. His investigation into the Party has led him to information about her father's death that will change her life forever. Blankman's debut is beautifully written, full of suspense and intrigue. The well-developed characters drive the novel, while the murder-mystery plot is full of vivid historical details. Gretchen's journey of self-discovery unearths certain truths about her family, Hitler, and the Party and demonstrates that it is sometimes easier to accept a lie than the truth. Her relationship with Daniel, though not the main focus, is genuine and memorable. Readers will certainly enjoy this haunting and captivating work. An author's note provides historical information while setting the stage for a sequel.—Donna Rosenblum, Floral Park Memorial High School, NY
★ 02/03/2014
Gretchen Müller has grown up in 1920s Germany believing her father sacrificed his life to shield “Uncle Dolf” from a fusillade of police bullets during Hitler’s failed 1923 attempt to overthrow the government. Because of her father’s martyrdom, Gretchen’s family has enjoyed favored status among the Nazis; she is now Hitler’s “favorite pet,” and her (terrifying) older brother works as one of his thuggish Brownshirts. Then Gretchen meets Daniel Cohen, a young reporter who has evidence that her father was not a Nazi hero, but a murder victim. Gretchen refuses to believe it, but as she undertakes her own investigation, she realizes that many things she had accepted as truth are lies. Debut novelist Blankman’s account of life in Munich prior to Hitler’s 1933 elevation to the chancellorship is completely engrossing. In an afterword, she separates fact from the fictional characters she created; a three-page bibliography is appended. Concocting a murder mystery featuring one of history’s most well-known figures is risky, and some scenes test the limits of plausibility. But Blankman creates riveting tension for her heroine and pulls readers through with an irresistible subplot featuring forbidden love. Ages 13–up. Agent: Tracey Adams, Adams Literary. (Apr.)
I’m in awed envy of the daring with which Anne Blankman plunges into her difficult and sensitive subject matter. It’s terrifying and incredible to think how much of this story is true.” — Elizabeth Wein, award-winning author of CODE NAME VERITY
“PRISONER OF NIGHT AND FOG seamlessly blends the fascinating, terrifying facts of Hitler’s rise to power with a gripping murder mystery. Gretchen is a brave and believable protagonist, and readers will become engrossed in her struggle to uncover the truth. I can’t wait for the sequel.” — Michelle Cooper, award-winning author of the Montmaray Journals series
“A nail-biting visit to Adolf Hitler’s inner circle in the early days of the Nazi party’s rise to power.” — Jennifer Armstrong, author of In My Hands: Memories of a Holocaust Rescuer (with Irene Gut Opdyke)
“Completely engrossing” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“An interesting perspective on a well-trod era.” — Kirkus Reviews
“Haunting and captivating” — School Library Journal
“A winning gamble” — Booklist
I’m in awed envy of the daring with which Anne Blankman plunges into her difficult and sensitive subject matter. It’s terrifying and incredible to think how much of this story is true.
A nail-biting visit to Adolf Hitler’s inner circle in the early days of the Nazi party’s rise to power.
A winning gamble
PRISONER OF NIGHT AND FOG seamlessly blends the fascinating, terrifying facts of Hitler’s rise to power with a gripping murder mystery. Gretchen is a brave and believable protagonist, and readers will become engrossed in her struggle to uncover the truth. I can’t wait for the sequel.
A winning gamble
It’s rare for a story to hold equal appeal and emotional resonance for listeners of all ages, but Blankman’s story, combined with Heather Wilds's intense narration, does so in dramatic fashion. Growing up in 1930s Munich, Gretchen Muller clings to the teachings of her honorary Uncle Adolf, whose power has always protected her family. Then, a chance encounter with a Jewish reporter makes her question everything she believes and forces her on a quest for the truth. Wilds’s German accents, adopted for the story’s dialogue, are distracting amid the British-accented narrative. But she excels at differentiating characters of different ages, genders, and backgrounds. B.E.K. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine
It’s rare for a story to hold equal appeal and emotional resonance for listeners of all ages, but Blankman’s story, combined with Heather Wilds's intense narration, does so in dramatic fashion. Growing up in 1930s Munich, Gretchen Muller clings to the teachings of her honorary Uncle Adolf, whose power has always protected her family. Then, a chance encounter with a Jewish reporter makes her question everything she believes and forces her on a quest for the truth. Wilds’s German accents, adopted for the story’s dialogue, are distracting amid the British-accented narrative. But she excels at differentiating characters of different ages, genders, and backgrounds. B.E.K. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine
2014-03-03
In 1930s Munich, a young German girl learns to question her learned hatred for Jewish people. Seventeen-year-old Gretchen Müller has grown up knowing Adolf Hitler as "Uncle Dolf," the great National Socialist leader whose life her father had died saving in 1923. This bedrock truth is challenged when a Jewish reporter named Daniel Cohen reaches out to her suggesting that her father actually had been murdered by a fellow National Socialist party member. Together, they work to unravel the mystery of why her father was killed. Gretchen finds herself doubting everything she has been taught to hate and fear about Jews and ultimately must decide where her honor and loyalty lie. In her debut, Blankman weaves into Gretchen's story the details of Hitler's historically documented rise to power (and psychopathic nature), and her fictional characters talk and live among some of Nazi Germany's most notorious figures. At times, the dialogue is unwieldy, and the historical details consume the narrative, which may cause some readers to become bored by slower sections of the story (though a sexually charged scene with Hitler himself will open their eyes wide). Here's hoping the author will find a better balance between description and action in the proposed sequel, as the relationship between Gretchen and Daniel is what sets this apart. An interesting perspective on a well-trod era. (author's note, bibliography) (Historical fiction. 13-17)