Publishers Weekly
02/24/2020
Scott’s magnetic debut follows one woman’s quest for survival amid the devastation of post-WWII Germany. Clara Falkenberg, the former heiress to the Falkenberg Iron Works in Essen, Germany, has been living under an assumed name in the 18 months since the war ended. Having fled Essen during the war out of fear of reprisal from the Nazis for sneaking extra rations to foreign workers transported by the Nazis from the Soviet Union and Poland to work for them, Clara now sets out in search of an old friend back in Essen. On her way, she is detained and interrogated by British Capt. Thomas Fenshaw about the workers who starved to death. Clara escapes and soon meets black marketeer Jakob Relling, who agrees to help Clara find Elisa. As Jakob uses his connections to gather information, Fenshaw, knowing Jakob is in contact with Clara, offers him extra rations in exchange for information about her whereabouts, and Jakob is forced to decide between betraying a well-connected woman he might benefit from, and providing for his family in the moment. Scott’s narrative is embellished with realistic depictions of rubble-filled German cities, scavenging residents, and moral questions about Clara’s family ties to the Nazi regime. Fans of WWII fiction will be intrigued by Scott’s exploration of how war changes the moral compass of its victims. (Apr.)
Booklist
The novel delivers interesting discussions on guilt, redemption, and the actions of ordinary people in extraordinary times.
Sarah Blake
The kind of novel we need now more than ever...The German Heiress achieves what the best historical fiction can, asking us to see the past, and then pushing us to see ourselves in that past, demanding: Who would you have been then? What would you have done? Unflinching and absorbing, The German Heiress does not let you look away.
Alex Marwood
"I loved [The German Heiress]. It’s a special novel that opens one's mind to aspects of history we on the "winning" side have given little thought to, and a moving story of courage and everyday heroism rising to meet unbearable challenges."
Melanie Dobson
"Scott transports readers back to Germany in the aftermath of this war, showing both the heartbreak and heroism of a once powerful businesswoman known as the Iron Fraulein. Clara Falkenberg’s confusion and compassion, the courage and corruption of those she loved—all of it resonated deeply and led me to ask, what would I have done if I were forced into her tragic position? It’s impossible to know, of course, but this remarkable novel made me dig even deeper, longing to be resilient like Clara in the face of evil...a story that will stick with you for a lifetime!"
Jessica Shattuck
Meticulously researched and plotted like a noir thriller, The German Heiress tells a different story of WWII— of characters grappling with their own guilt and driven by the question of what they could have done to change the past.
Susan Meissner
"Anika Scott's finely drawn characters in The German Heiress bring to life not only the struggle to rise from the ashes of war, but also the depth of resolve often required to gain redemption. Illuminating and beautifully rendered."
Liz Trenow
What a great debut! I loved this book, especially since it looks at the aftermath of war from a rare perspective: the appalling suffering that Germans faced in their devastated cities after 1945, and the guilt of those who’d followed the Nazi rules. It still haunts me, days after finishing it.
David Gillham
Anika Scott’s riveting novel, The German Heiress, compellingly explores the nature of innocence and guilt, and the human desire for redemption. A terrific book with historical detail skillfully woven into the fabric of the story. An absolute must-read for all fans of World War II fiction!”
Devin Murphy
Anika Scott’s epic novel offers a captivating tour through the reckoning years that followed WWII when clarifying identities, unearthing truths, and facing judgements was the only way to rebuild a life. The novel’s heroine, Clara, marches along the razor’s edge between the leviathan of the past and a future full of mine shafts. I will never forget her unending struggle to rise above the dark lineage thrust upon her and her battle to stay connected to the deep binds of love, responsibility, and compassion.
Sara Ackerman
While reading, I felt as though I was walking through the rubble of Essen and shivering in the bitter cold right alongside Clara Falkenberg. In this haunting and atmospheric novel, Anika Scott delivers a nuanced and emotional look at the often un-talked about side of WWII––the devastation of German towns and cities and the weight of conscience on those who remain. The German Heiress is a powerful reminder that no one gets out unscathed.
Booklist
The novel delivers interesting discussions on guilt, redemption, and the actions of ordinary people in extraordinary times.
