The Taster

by V.S. Alexander

Overview

Amid the turbulence of World War II, a young German woman finds a precarious haven closer to the source of danger than she ever imagined—one that will propel her through the extremes of privilege and terror under Hitler’s dictatorship . . .
 
In early 1943, Magda Ritter’s parents send her to relatives in Bavaria, hoping to keep her safe from the Allied bombs strafing Berlin. Young German women are expected to do their duty—working for the Reich or marrying to produce strong, healthy children. After an interview with the civil service, Magda is assigned to the Berghof, Hitler’s mountain retreat. Only after weeks of training does she learn her assignment: she will be one of several young women tasting the Führer’s food, offering herself in sacrifice to keep him from being poisoned.
 
Perched high in the Bavarian Alps, the Berghof seems worlds away from the realities of battle. Though terrified at first, Magda gradually becomes used to her dangerous occupation—though she knows better than to voice her misgivings about the war. But her love for a conspirator within the SS, and her growing awareness of the Reich’s atrocities, draw Magda into a plot that will test her wits and loyalty in a quest for safety, freedom, and ultimately, vengeance. 

Vividly written and ambitious in scope, The Taster examines the harrowing moral dilemmas of war in an emotional story filled with acts of extraordinary courage.
 
Praise for V.S. Alexander’s The Magdalen Girls
 
“Fans of Barbara Davis and Ashley Hay will enjoy this tenderhearted story of sinner, saints, and redemption.”
—Booklist
 
“Alexander has clearly done his homework. Chilling in its realism, his work depicts the improprieties long abandoned by the Catholic Church and only recently acknowledged. Fans of the book and film Philomena will want to read this.” —Library Journal

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781496712271
Publisher:	Kensington
Publication date:	01/30/2018
Pages:	336
Sales rank:	136,138
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.20(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

V.S. Alexander is an ardent student of history with a strong interest in music and the visual arts. Some of V.S.’s writing influences include Shirley Jackson, Oscar Wilde, Daphne du Maurier, or any work by the exquisite Brontë sisters. V.S. lives in Florida and is at work on a third historical novel for Kensington.

Editorial Reviews

03/05/2018
Alexander’s uneven novel depicts Hitler’s final years from the perspective of one of his servants. In 1943, 25-year-old Magda Ritter is sent from Berlin to escape the Allied bombardment. She goes to live with her uncle and aunt in Berchtesgaden, where her uncle uses his connections to get Magda a government interview. Within a few weeks, Magda is driven to Hitler’s Alpine retreat and only then learns that she will be one of the women who will taste his food to test it for poisons. Magda begins the novel as a fairly naïve young woman, but SS Capt. Karl Weber, whom she comes to love, reveals evidence of Nazi atrocities to her, instilling in her a hatred of Hitler. While Karl takes part in plots against Hitler, Magda does not. Her disgust with Hitler and her love for Karl (who, as a Nazi officer, feels inappropriately positioned as a romantic hero) never really translate to compelling emotional stakes, giving the story an anemic feeling. Alexander (The Magdalen Girls) has placed his fictional protagonist in a pivotal historical position but fails to make the most of it. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly

An absorbing, well-researched story that brings to life an extraordinary period in history, told from within the inner circle of one of the twentieth-century’s most notorious characters.” —Gill Paul, USA Today bestselling author of The Secret Wife
 
“Alexander tells the thrilling stories of Magda’s rise through the upper echelon of Nazi loyalists, the intrigue and rumors swirling around the German war effort, and the downfall of the party, in 1945. He does not glorify Hitler and the horrors of the Nazis but marries history and fiction in an attempt to humanize the citizens swept up in the turbulence of the times. This haunting and engrossing novel will appeal to fans of Anthony Doerr and Kristin Hannah.” —Booklist
 
“Alexander’s intimate writing style gives readers openings to wonder about what tough decisions they would have made in Magda’s situation. The ‘taster’s’ story adds to a body of nuanced World War II fiction such as Elizabeth Wein’s Code Name Verity, Anthony Doerr’s All the Light We Cannot See, and Tatiana de Rosnay’s Sarah’s Key. Book clubs and historical fiction fans will love discussing this and will eagerly await more from Alexander.” —Library Journal
 
“Alexander sweeps readers into a different WWII novel, exploring the inner circle at Hitler’s mountain retreat through the eyes of a German girl. This well-researched novel allows readers an intimate glimpse into Hitler’s mental state, Eva Braun’s place in his life, and his war strategies. Alexander deliberately changes what could be a tense portrait of the era into a calm picture of the bucolic lifestyle of the retreat. Yet, readers still feel the tension between the Nazis, the ordinary German people, and the resistance, as one woman is caught in a mora dilemma with only her courage to keep her alive. Certainly, this book is an interesting reimagining of a key moment in history.” —RT Book Reviews, 4 Stars
 
“A totally gripping and credible imagining of how a young German woman was affected by the building chaos and cruelty during the late stages of Hitler’s rule. It gains its power through the very special perspective of its main character, who is also the narrator…Through her, Mr. Alexander creates an impressive and engaging novel that humanizes historical events and provides the rich texture of a life meeting momentous challenges in momentous times. The Taster has a few similarities with his earlier The Magdalen Girls. Both involve a community of women living in severely confined situations. Both offer an unusually complex, nuanced rendering of a young woman’s personality (unusual, that is, for a male writer). And both demonstrate a great talent for blending recovered fact with vivid imagination.” —Florida Weekly

From the Publisher

2017-10-31
A young German woman is recruited for an unusual position on Hitler's staff.In 1943, alarmed by increasing Allied air raids on Berlin, Magda Ritter's parents send her to Berchtesgaden, a remote Bavarian Alpine town. When she arrives, Magda's uncle Willy, a staunch Nazi, wangles her a position at The Berghof, Adolf Hitler's nearby mountain citadel. After a grueling interview process, during which Magda must downplay her lack of Nazi sympathies, she is hired, but she's startled to learn that her duties will involve tasting Hitler's meals to ensure that he's not being poisoned. Her training includes learning to recognize the characteristics of various poisons, including the almond scent of cyanide. She falls in love with Karl, a handsome SS officer, who, she learns with mixed relief and alarm, is plotting against Hitler. Karl shows her photographic proof of Nazi crimes, of which Magda, like most ordinary Germans, or so she believes, was completely unaware. Magda's roommate, Ursula, is also part of the resistance, and, when a poisoning plot against Hitler goes awry, Ursula drinks the cyanide-laced tea intended for the Führer. Karl and Magda escape suspicion. In fact, the Führer takes a special interest in the young couple, whom he views as ideal Aryan breeding stock. Their nuptials are hosted by Hitler and his mistress, Eva Braun, and shortly thereafter, the newlyweds are transferred to Wolf's Lair, Hitler's forest hideout. As war rages on and defeat appears imminent, Magda's fate will depend on the success of her continuing masquerade as a loyal Hitler retainer. For such a fraught story, the pacing is curiously episodic and static. Magda's hatred of Hitler—who on his occasional appearances is characterized as, at worst, self-deluded—is less than convincing, particularly while she enjoys the privileges her proximity to him confers.The last days of the Reich have never seemed so quotidian.

Kirkus Reviews