Description
Before everything changed, young Hannah Rosenthal lived a charmed life. But now, in 1939, the streets of Berlin are draped with red, white, and black flags; her family's fine possessions are hauled away; and they are no longer welcome in the places that once felt like home. Hannah and her best friend, Leo Martin, make a pact: whatever the future has in store for them, they'll meet it together. Hope appears in the form of the SS St. Louis , a transatlantic liner offering Jews safe passage out of Germany. After a frantic search to obtain visas, the Rosenthals and the Martins depart on the luxurious ship bound for Havana. Life on board the St. Louis is like a surreal holiday for the refugees, with masquerade balls, exquisite meals, and polite, respectful service. But soon ominous rumors from Cuba undermine the passengers' fragile sense of safety. From one day to the next, impossible choices are offered, unthinkable sacrifices are made, and the ship that once was their salvation seems likely to become their doom. Seven decades later in New York City, on her twelfth birthday, Anna Rosen receives a strange package from an unknown relative in Cuba, her great-aunt Hannah. Its contents will inspire Anna and her mother to travel to Havana to learn the truth about their family's mysterious and tragic past, a quest that will help Anna understand her place and her purpose in the world. The German Girl sweeps from Berlin at the brink of the Second World War to Cuba on the cusp of revolution, to New York in the wake of September 11, before reaching its deeply moving conclusion in the tumult of present-day Havana.… (more)
Genres
Collection
Publication
New York : Atria Books, 2016.
Pages
343
User reviews
LibraryThing member Beamis12
We first meet Hannah in Berlin, 1939, when her family is planning to escape Hitler's Germany while he is still letting Jews that can afford it, to leave. Her days are spent running around with her friend Leo, two eleven year olds that are trying to find understand what is happening to their
Anna, and her mother will receive a packet in the mail, pictures of her Aunt Hannah, a look into her Father's past. Her father who never knew she had been born and this is the opportunity to find out about her Father's life. In present time, she and her mother will travel to Cuba to meet Hannah and find out about the father she never knew.
Such a good read, the scenes in Berlin and on the St, Louis are so vivid, so heartfelt, wonderfully told. Hannah and Leo are amazing characters, memorable, heartbreaking. Life in Cuba where very few passengers are allowed to disembark, never feels like home for Hannah and her mother. The heat, the customs, their losses, what this country took from them. Later we will get a glimpse of the Cuban revolution, another event that will turn on its own country's people, another event that will effect this small family. The ending was a little too sentimental in my view, but I am not sure how else it could have ended. The best written parts were Hannah and Leo's story, this part is unforgettable.
I have come to the conclusion that I can continually read books about Hitler and his terrible programs and still find out new and cruel things, never ending. I applaud the author for bringing another little know event, the fate of the Jews on the St. Louis, into the public's eye. Her author's note tells us exactly what happened and why.
ARC from publisher.
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country, find out their parents plan. They will leave on a ship to Cuba, the St, Louis. Anna, and her mother will receive a packet in the mail, pictures of her Aunt Hannah, a look into her Father's past. Her father who never knew she had been born and this is the opportunity to find out about her Father's life. In present time, she and her mother will travel to Cuba to meet Hannah and find out about the father she never knew.
Such a good read, the scenes in Berlin and on the St, Louis are so vivid, so heartfelt, wonderfully told. Hannah and Leo are amazing characters, memorable, heartbreaking. Life in Cuba where very few passengers are allowed to disembark, never feels like home for Hannah and her mother. The heat, the customs, their losses, what this country took from them. Later we will get a glimpse of the Cuban revolution, another event that will turn on its own country's people, another event that will effect this small family. The ending was a little too sentimental in my view, but I am not sure how else it could have ended. The best written parts were Hannah and Leo's story, this part is unforgettable.
I have come to the conclusion that I can continually read books about Hitler and his terrible programs and still find out new and cruel things, never ending. I applaud the author for bringing another little know event, the fate of the Jews on the St. Louis, into the public's eye. Her author's note tells us exactly what happened and why.
ARC from publisher.
Show Less
LibraryThing member c.archer
Life isn't fair, and our ability to adapt to situations and deal with injustice determines the outcome of our lives. We may choose to grieve over loss and heartbreak, or struggle on and continue to look for ways to touch others and bring good out of evil.
The German Girl is about one of those
The book ties the story of the German girl to her future great niece and brings her story into the present. Her niece is also a young girl who has been dealing with the loss of her father in the collapse of the World Trade Center. I won't retell the story, which is well written and detailed in many of the reviews. Rather I would urge you to pick up this book to experience the emotions and choices made by the characters, particularly to the things that are out of their control. It is a moving and tragic, yet beautiful picture of the reality of life and how the human spirit can go on and flourish in spite of hatred and evil.
I thank the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this title.
The German Girl is about one of those
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particularly unfair and evil periods. The story uses the eyes of a young well-to-do Jewish girl to focus on the incredulous response of the German Jews to Hitler's antisemitic rise. Even as her parents make plans to leave the country, you can feel the disbelief that things are as bad as they seem. The author brought a freshness to this often written about period that reminds me of the novel, "All The Light We Cannot See". Sometimes we see the human condition clearest through the eyes of children.The book ties the story of the German girl to her future great niece and brings her story into the present. Her niece is also a young girl who has been dealing with the loss of her father in the collapse of the World Trade Center. I won't retell the story, which is well written and detailed in many of the reviews. Rather I would urge you to pick up this book to experience the emotions and choices made by the characters, particularly to the things that are out of their control. It is a moving and tragic, yet beautiful picture of the reality of life and how the human spirit can go on and flourish in spite of hatred and evil.
I thank the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this title.
Show Less
LibraryThing member thewanderingjew
The German Girl by Armando Lucas Correo, author, Joy Osmanski, narrator
This novel is narrated by the character called Hannah. It travels through 75 years as it illustrates courage and endurance in the face of hopelessness, but, unfortunately, at some points in the narrative, it descended into the
The story the author related is about the Rosenthal family. They lived in Berlin, Germany. They were very wealthy and were part of the elite German society until Hitler rose to power. His election brought monumental changes to Germany and other European countries. If you were not pure-blooded and German, you were disposable. Physical characteristics defined those who were true Germans and those who were not. Adolf Hitler wanted to establish a perfectly pure Aryan race in Germany, and he set about removing all elements of society that did not fit in with his idealized version of the Fatherland.
German Jews were, at first, unable to accept the fact that although they had been heroes in the first war and were upstanding professionals, although they were respected citizens, they would still be systematically removed from their homes, systematically removed from society, systematically be robbed of their possessions and treasures. Too late, many understood that they had to leave Germany. How, though, could anyone have imagined what fate awaited them?
The Rosenthal’s fell into the category of those who waited in disbelief as events continued to evolve that dashed their hopes of a Germany that would soon come to its senses. Surely, they believed, Hitler would be recognized for the tyrant he was; surely their friends and colleagues would not support him and turn against them. Yet, that is what happened. The world of the Jew began to shrink. Public transportation was denied. Education was limited. Access to most public spaces was forbidden. People disappeared. They were beaten, shamed, tortured, robbed, and removed from the rolls of the living. Jews were not Aryans, and they were not welcome. Jews grew very afraid.
When the Rosenthal family finally decided it was time to leave, exit documents were very hard to come by. Alma Rosenthal and her daughter Hannah had excellent documents but Mr. Rosenthal, Max, did not. Alma, who had been a shrinking violet for much of the time that Hitler rose to power, became strong when the need arose. She acquired new documents for all of them. They were not the same as the ones she had originally secured for herself and Hannah, though, but she was led to believe that they were good enough to get passage for all of them on the SS St. Louis which would take them out of Germany and into Cuba. From there, they hoped to go to New York where they had already purchased an apartment in the hope that they could build a new life.
Finally, they set sail for Havana, Cuba, in first class accommodations on the ship. The atmosphere was far different from the horrific conditions already being witnessed on the streets of Germany where Jews were indiscriminately arrested for non-crimes, beaten, humiliated and even murdered without fear of recrimination by authorities; some were never heard from again. Their businesses, fortunes and homes were stolen from them, and those that moved into their homes to steal their lives, claimed, falsely, to be blind to what was occurring. While on the streets of Berlin, their dignity was being taken from them, it was restored on the ship! Their happiness was short-lived, however; when they arrived in Cuban waters, they were not allowed to dock. It was discovered that the rules had changed while they were in transit. The second set of documents that Alma had acquired for Max, herself and Hannah were no longer legal and would not be accepted. Hundreds of passengers were affected by this change in plan. They would not be allowed to disembark in Havana, Cuba, unless they had documents similar to the ones originally obtained for Alma and Hannah. So Hannah and her mother could get off and settle in Havana, but they would have to leave Max behind. They would wait for Max to return to Cuba before they went on to New York. Surely, they believed, this problem would be solved shortly. The St. Louis turned back to Europe, where many who had thought they were finally free, faced death again. Those sent to England survived. Those sent to other places like Paris and Holland, did not.
The main thrust of the story is about two young girls who were born into two different centuries, but who were connected by a rather circuitous route which they did not discover until several years after the death of a man called Louis Rosen. When a mysterious package arrived at the apartment of Anna Rosen and her mother Ida, in New York, in 2014, it set a search in motion to find out the true heritage of Anna’s father who had disappeared on September 11, 2001.
The story moves back and forth in time zones from 1939, in Berlin, Germany, with Hannah Rosenthal, 11 years old as a young, fair skinned, blond and blue-eyed, to Anna, another preteen, in New York City, in 2014. An unknown photographer had snapped a picture of Hannah. Her face, ironically, appeared on the cover of a German magazine as the face of The German Girl. In actuality, she was anything but the face of an Aryan. As a Jew, she was impure and unacceptable in Germany, even though she had the coloring and facial features of someone that was not considered Jewish. Of course, the error really exposed the flaws in Hitler’s theories and his racial policies, but this was not revealed.
The book concerns itself with the coming of age of both girls as their connections to each other are revealed, a bit too slowly and deliberately, at times, but the girls do mature before our eyes. Each of them experienced fear, one of the Nazis and the other of terrorists. Each experienced some form of unrequited love. Each experienced deep disappointments beyond their control; each was fatherless. Each of the girls was strong-willed; each was hoping their father would suddenly return. Neither was aware of the actual fate of their fathers. Both of their mothers tended to be depressed and often took to their beds or shuttered their windows to keep the world out. Still, both Anna’s mom, Ida, and Hannah’s mom, Alma, rose to the occasion in emergencies. While 75 years earlier, Hannah and her mother were uprooted from their homeland and basically forced to go to Cuba for reasons they could not control, and which they hoped would only be for a short visit, when Anna, left New York to visit Cuba to discover her connections to her past and to discover unknown relatives, she loved it and thought she would not mind remaining there.
As the story unfolded, it soon became apparent that dictators rose up out of the ashes of the citizens’ discontent everywhere. Often, those who sought power from those they believed were abusing it, began to abuse the same power when they attained it. Years passed and in Cuba, too, people became persona non grata as businesses were taken over by the state and other people were considered persona non grata and were abandoned by their world, lost all they had worked to accomplish and achieve their entire lives. Undesirables in Cuba were called “worms”. When Hannah had arrived in Cuba, years before, she was called a Polack. Even though she considered herself to be German, she was still a Jew. Now she was witnessing the arrest, beatings and murder of Cubans who did not or could not flee in time.
The novel is sometimes slow, but it is always interesting. I was disappointed in the story line when it basically reduced itself to a romance between Hannah and her first love, Leo. As an eleven year old, Hannah called the Nazis ogres, and she feared them, but as she grew into an old woman, she was rarely afraid again. She accepted her losses and remained in place. At the age of 87, she had made her peace with the world and herself. Hannah’s feelings were described in detail, from moments of euphoria to times of deep despair, from a life of privilege to a life of study and work, from feeling free to feeling trapped more than once in her life, from a feeling of accomplishment to a feeling of terrible loss and failure, from disappointment to satisfaction, she made her way in life.
The book explored the history that led to the departure from, and the return to, Europe, of the ship known as the St. Louis. Many Jews were tricked into buying passage on this ship which was later determined to be invalid. Many lost their lives when they were forced to return to Europe to countries that did not want them and to countries that were dedicated to their extermination. The novel explored an event in history that has been told many times, but telling it from the point of view of a child, a child who could not understand what made her “dirty” or “impure”, or suddenly hateful, was a different interpretation of the Holocaust and its awful effect on helpless families. Hannah and her parents fled a despotic regime only to find themselves in another, one day in the future. Ironically, Hannah’s brother Gustavo, conceived on the ship, became part of the new, brutal dictatorship to arise in Cuba. He married and had a child named Louis. It was through Louis that we learn of the connection Hannah had to Anna.
A bright spot in this very sad story which was liberally peppered with many historic facts, was the symbol of the tulip. For Hannah’s father and then for Anna, tulips offered hope for a brighter future when they bloomed. Long live the tulip.
This novel is narrated by the character called Hannah. It travels through 75 years as it illustrates courage and endurance in the face of hopelessness, but, unfortunately, at some points in the narrative, it descended into the
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realm of a romance novel. Never-the-less, it told the story of German Jews who tried to escape from an untenable situation, even prior to the official outbreak of World War II. Many were unsuccessful, but millions died in the aftermath. The story the author related is about the Rosenthal family. They lived in Berlin, Germany. They were very wealthy and were part of the elite German society until Hitler rose to power. His election brought monumental changes to Germany and other European countries. If you were not pure-blooded and German, you were disposable. Physical characteristics defined those who were true Germans and those who were not. Adolf Hitler wanted to establish a perfectly pure Aryan race in Germany, and he set about removing all elements of society that did not fit in with his idealized version of the Fatherland.
German Jews were, at first, unable to accept the fact that although they had been heroes in the first war and were upstanding professionals, although they were respected citizens, they would still be systematically removed from their homes, systematically removed from society, systematically be robbed of their possessions and treasures. Too late, many understood that they had to leave Germany. How, though, could anyone have imagined what fate awaited them?
The Rosenthal’s fell into the category of those who waited in disbelief as events continued to evolve that dashed their hopes of a Germany that would soon come to its senses. Surely, they believed, Hitler would be recognized for the tyrant he was; surely their friends and colleagues would not support him and turn against them. Yet, that is what happened. The world of the Jew began to shrink. Public transportation was denied. Education was limited. Access to most public spaces was forbidden. People disappeared. They were beaten, shamed, tortured, robbed, and removed from the rolls of the living. Jews were not Aryans, and they were not welcome. Jews grew very afraid.
When the Rosenthal family finally decided it was time to leave, exit documents were very hard to come by. Alma Rosenthal and her daughter Hannah had excellent documents but Mr. Rosenthal, Max, did not. Alma, who had been a shrinking violet for much of the time that Hitler rose to power, became strong when the need arose. She acquired new documents for all of them. They were not the same as the ones she had originally secured for herself and Hannah, though, but she was led to believe that they were good enough to get passage for all of them on the SS St. Louis which would take them out of Germany and into Cuba. From there, they hoped to go to New York where they had already purchased an apartment in the hope that they could build a new life.
Finally, they set sail for Havana, Cuba, in first class accommodations on the ship. The atmosphere was far different from the horrific conditions already being witnessed on the streets of Germany where Jews were indiscriminately arrested for non-crimes, beaten, humiliated and even murdered without fear of recrimination by authorities; some were never heard from again. Their businesses, fortunes and homes were stolen from them, and those that moved into their homes to steal their lives, claimed, falsely, to be blind to what was occurring. While on the streets of Berlin, their dignity was being taken from them, it was restored on the ship! Their happiness was short-lived, however; when they arrived in Cuban waters, they were not allowed to dock. It was discovered that the rules had changed while they were in transit. The second set of documents that Alma had acquired for Max, herself and Hannah were no longer legal and would not be accepted. Hundreds of passengers were affected by this change in plan. They would not be allowed to disembark in Havana, Cuba, unless they had documents similar to the ones originally obtained for Alma and Hannah. So Hannah and her mother could get off and settle in Havana, but they would have to leave Max behind. They would wait for Max to return to Cuba before they went on to New York. Surely, they believed, this problem would be solved shortly. The St. Louis turned back to Europe, where many who had thought they were finally free, faced death again. Those sent to England survived. Those sent to other places like Paris and Holland, did not.
The main thrust of the story is about two young girls who were born into two different centuries, but who were connected by a rather circuitous route which they did not discover until several years after the death of a man called Louis Rosen. When a mysterious package arrived at the apartment of Anna Rosen and her mother Ida, in New York, in 2014, it set a search in motion to find out the true heritage of Anna’s father who had disappeared on September 11, 2001.
The story moves back and forth in time zones from 1939, in Berlin, Germany, with Hannah Rosenthal, 11 years old as a young, fair skinned, blond and blue-eyed, to Anna, another preteen, in New York City, in 2014. An unknown photographer had snapped a picture of Hannah. Her face, ironically, appeared on the cover of a German magazine as the face of The German Girl. In actuality, she was anything but the face of an Aryan. As a Jew, she was impure and unacceptable in Germany, even though she had the coloring and facial features of someone that was not considered Jewish. Of course, the error really exposed the flaws in Hitler’s theories and his racial policies, but this was not revealed.
The book concerns itself with the coming of age of both girls as their connections to each other are revealed, a bit too slowly and deliberately, at times, but the girls do mature before our eyes. Each of them experienced fear, one of the Nazis and the other of terrorists. Each experienced some form of unrequited love. Each experienced deep disappointments beyond their control; each was fatherless. Each of the girls was strong-willed; each was hoping their father would suddenly return. Neither was aware of the actual fate of their fathers. Both of their mothers tended to be depressed and often took to their beds or shuttered their windows to keep the world out. Still, both Anna’s mom, Ida, and Hannah’s mom, Alma, rose to the occasion in emergencies. While 75 years earlier, Hannah and her mother were uprooted from their homeland and basically forced to go to Cuba for reasons they could not control, and which they hoped would only be for a short visit, when Anna, left New York to visit Cuba to discover her connections to her past and to discover unknown relatives, she loved it and thought she would not mind remaining there.
As the story unfolded, it soon became apparent that dictators rose up out of the ashes of the citizens’ discontent everywhere. Often, those who sought power from those they believed were abusing it, began to abuse the same power when they attained it. Years passed and in Cuba, too, people became persona non grata as businesses were taken over by the state and other people were considered persona non grata and were abandoned by their world, lost all they had worked to accomplish and achieve their entire lives. Undesirables in Cuba were called “worms”. When Hannah had arrived in Cuba, years before, she was called a Polack. Even though she considered herself to be German, she was still a Jew. Now she was witnessing the arrest, beatings and murder of Cubans who did not or could not flee in time.
The novel is sometimes slow, but it is always interesting. I was disappointed in the story line when it basically reduced itself to a romance between Hannah and her first love, Leo. As an eleven year old, Hannah called the Nazis ogres, and she feared them, but as she grew into an old woman, she was rarely afraid again. She accepted her losses and remained in place. At the age of 87, she had made her peace with the world and herself. Hannah’s feelings were described in detail, from moments of euphoria to times of deep despair, from a life of privilege to a life of study and work, from feeling free to feeling trapped more than once in her life, from a feeling of accomplishment to a feeling of terrible loss and failure, from disappointment to satisfaction, she made her way in life.
The book explored the history that led to the departure from, and the return to, Europe, of the ship known as the St. Louis. Many Jews were tricked into buying passage on this ship which was later determined to be invalid. Many lost their lives when they were forced to return to Europe to countries that did not want them and to countries that were dedicated to their extermination. The novel explored an event in history that has been told many times, but telling it from the point of view of a child, a child who could not understand what made her “dirty” or “impure”, or suddenly hateful, was a different interpretation of the Holocaust and its awful effect on helpless families. Hannah and her parents fled a despotic regime only to find themselves in another, one day in the future. Ironically, Hannah’s brother Gustavo, conceived on the ship, became part of the new, brutal dictatorship to arise in Cuba. He married and had a child named Louis. It was through Louis that we learn of the connection Hannah had to Anna.
A bright spot in this very sad story which was liberally peppered with many historic facts, was the symbol of the tulip. For Hannah’s father and then for Anna, tulips offered hope for a brighter future when they bloomed. Long live the tulip.
Show Less
LibraryThing member bugzna2000
Just when I thought I’d had my fill of WWII historical fiction, I was encouraged to read another after reading rave reviews from friends. Wow, I really liked it, especially the chapters written from Hannah’s perspective! She is a strong and determined soul who we are introduced to as an
The second narrator is 11-year old Anna who in 2014 receives a mysterious package containing old rolls of film from her great aunt Hannah, a woman who raised Anna’s father but someone she’d never met. Anna was born after her firefighter father perished on 9 /11 and is desperate to learn more about him so she travels with her mother to Cuba to meet her elderly great aunt.
This is a stunning story and I empathized with its characters although wished I knew more about Leo – what a colorful and brave soul! I had to know more about this new piece of Holocaust history so did a search on the S.S. St Louis to learn more about the tragic voyage. What an incredibly desperate situation, and seeing pictures of actual passengers made it even sadder. An excellent debut and emotional page-turner that will stay with me for a long time.
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energetic 11-year old girl fleeing occupied Germany in 1939 with her family. As this novel spans 70 years, we meet her again in her 80’s.The second narrator is 11-year old Anna who in 2014 receives a mysterious package containing old rolls of film from her great aunt Hannah, a woman who raised Anna’s father but someone she’d never met. Anna was born after her firefighter father perished on 9 /11 and is desperate to learn more about him so she travels with her mother to Cuba to meet her elderly great aunt.
This is a stunning story and I empathized with its characters although wished I knew more about Leo – what a colorful and brave soul! I had to know more about this new piece of Holocaust history so did a search on the S.S. St Louis to learn more about the tragic voyage. What an incredibly desperate situation, and seeing pictures of actual passengers made it even sadder. An excellent debut and emotional page-turner that will stay with me for a long time.
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LibraryThing member JanaRose1
This book alternates between Anna, present day, and Hannah, a young girl during WWII. Hannah is a privileged Jewish child in Berlin as the Nazi’s begin their reign of terror. Hannah and Leo’s families desperately search for a way out of Germany, and end up on the ship Saint Louis. Headed for
I thought Hannah’s story was fascinating. I would have loved to read more about Hannah’s life in Cuba. I did think Anna’s story was unnecessary. Her story was used to move the plot along, but it really wasn’t needed. Overall, well worth picking up.
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Cuba, they spend a luxurious few days in the safety of the ship. When they arrive to Cuba, only a small number of people are allowed off the ship. The rest are sent back to Europe. Hannah and her mother reluctantly leave their loved ones behind and make a home in Cuba. In the present day, Anna receives a letter from her great aunt containing information about her deceased father. Deciding to learn more, Anna and her mom travel to Havana, where they learn the rest of the story.I thought Hannah’s story was fascinating. I would have loved to read more about Hannah’s life in Cuba. I did think Anna’s story was unnecessary. Her story was used to move the plot along, but it really wasn’t needed. Overall, well worth picking up.
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LibraryThing member CheryleFisher
WRITTEN FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF A JEWISH GIRL WHO ESCAPED NAZI GERMANY AS WWII WAS STARTING AND A GIRL LIVING IN NEW YORK WHO FINDS OUT HER FAMILY HISTORY. ALTERNATING CHAPTERS BOUNCE FROM ONE TO THE OTHER. EVENTUALLY THEY COME TOGETHER IN CUBA IN 2014. BASED ON TRUE EVENTS MAKES THIS NOVEL VERY
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READABLE AND INTERESTING. Show Less
LibraryThing member Smits
Fascinating novel as I learned so much about a part of WWII that I knew nothing about and that is the story behind The St. Louis, a ship filled with refugees from Germany which was not allowed to dock in Cuba. Hannah Rosenthal is a young girl living through this time in history. Anna is her grand
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niece in NY city whose father died in 911 and in trying to piece together her father's life, discovers the fascinating Hannah and her story. Show Less
LibraryThing member Bauernfeind
Another historical fiction about the fate of a ship sent from Germany just before WWII and the lives of a family ruined by years of war and ethnic cleansing, Jewish segregation and persecution across cultures. That life in Cuba during those years was one of hiding Jewish cultures and heritage even
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to present day. Show Less
LibraryThing member beckyhaase
THE GERMAN GIRL by Armando Lucas Correa
The liner ST. LOUIS left Germany with 900 German Jews bound for Cuba in 1939. Most had left behind their fortune, their property and the heritage of many years. They carried with them signed documents allowing them to stay in Cuba until their visa numbers
THE GERMAN GIRL follows Hannah, a young girl aboard the St. Louis, from her sheltered life in Germany until her death many years later. Finely crafted characters people this tale of love and loss through the war, the Revolution in Cuba and the fall of the Twin Towers. Hannah and her great niece, Anna, carry the plot to its not-quite-satisfying conclusion. Conclusion aside, this is a lovely book that sheds light on a mostly forgotten piece of World War II history and the perfidy of Cuba, the US president and the other leaders of “enlightened” nations.
Book groups will find much to discuss, especially with the anti-immigration mood of current politics.
4 of 5 stars
The liner ST. LOUIS left Germany with 900 German Jews bound for Cuba in 1939. Most had left behind their fortune, their property and the heritage of many years. They carried with them signed documents allowing them to stay in Cuba until their visa numbers
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allowed them to move on to the US, Canada or Mexico. The ship was not allowed to dock in Havana.THE GERMAN GIRL follows Hannah, a young girl aboard the St. Louis, from her sheltered life in Germany until her death many years later. Finely crafted characters people this tale of love and loss through the war, the Revolution in Cuba and the fall of the Twin Towers. Hannah and her great niece, Anna, carry the plot to its not-quite-satisfying conclusion. Conclusion aside, this is a lovely book that sheds light on a mostly forgotten piece of World War II history and the perfidy of Cuba, the US president and the other leaders of “enlightened” nations.
Book groups will find much to discuss, especially with the anti-immigration mood of current politics.
4 of 5 stars
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LibraryThing member wagner.sarah35
A book about a young Jewish girl attempting to escape Nazi Germany on the St. Louis can make for an eerie read when current events are focused on a debate over accepting refugees. This book is filled with heartbreaking scenes - the one hardest for me to read was Hannah's imagining of how her friend
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Leo and his father died on their way back to Europe. Hard reading, but worthwhile. For those who love WWII-era historical fiction, this is certainly a book for you. Show Less
LibraryThing member Bruce_McNair
This is the story of two young girls. Eleven year old Hannah is Jewish and lives in pre-WW2 Berlin about to embark on a journey to escape Nazi Germany on the SS St Louis - a disappointing cruise that echoes modern day refugee stories. Thirteen year old Anna, who is named for her great-aunt Hannah,
The trip across the Atlantic was almost idyllic for the young Hannah and her equally young cousin Leo with whom she had a secret pact. But there was cruel irony when they arrived in Havana and only 28 of the 900 plus passengers were allowed off despite having what they thought were good visas. Hannah disembarked with her pregnant mother Alma, but her father Max was refused entry. In Cuba, Hannah dreams frequently of being elsewhere - with her father and Leo in Paris or New York. Because the war shut off communications with Europe, it is some time before they learn the tragic fate of her father, Leo and Leo's father. On learning Max’s fate, Alma starts to shut down, much as she had done in Berlin before they left. Hannah and Alma live a strained existence in a land that shunned them. Late in her life, Hannah learns of her great-niece Anna’s existence and entices her to visit Cuba. In Cuba, Anna learns of her ancestors’ existence in Berlin and Cuba, including her father who died before she was born. Shortly before Anna and her mother leave Cuba, they celebrate Hannah’s 87th birthday. What follows is a letting-go like so many members of the Rosenthal family.
This is a story of repressed tragedy, of despised refugees living in exile. The tragedies always seem to be distant but very poignant. Hannah’s enjoyment of life is suppressed, initially to support her mother, later to help raise her nephew, and still later because she is trapped in a country she never really accepted as her own. Anna represents Hannah’s hope for the future of her family - someone who can enjoy life without living a life of guilt shunned by those around her.
The story is also a timely reminder of how society treats refugees and the minorities that don’t fit in. We would do well to heed the lessons of the SS St Louis - a tragedy that helped bring the rights of refugees into focus. But it seems that new waves of refugees has hardened the hearts of many countries.
This is a good book that doesn’t reach great heights but reveals the tragedy of those portrayed sympathetically. I give the book 4 stars out of 5.
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lives in New York in 2014, receives a parcel of photographs and a copy of a German magazine called The German Girl from Hannah who now lives in Havana. Their journeys of discovery are interwoven.The trip across the Atlantic was almost idyllic for the young Hannah and her equally young cousin Leo with whom she had a secret pact. But there was cruel irony when they arrived in Havana and only 28 of the 900 plus passengers were allowed off despite having what they thought were good visas. Hannah disembarked with her pregnant mother Alma, but her father Max was refused entry. In Cuba, Hannah dreams frequently of being elsewhere - with her father and Leo in Paris or New York. Because the war shut off communications with Europe, it is some time before they learn the tragic fate of her father, Leo and Leo's father. On learning Max’s fate, Alma starts to shut down, much as she had done in Berlin before they left. Hannah and Alma live a strained existence in a land that shunned them. Late in her life, Hannah learns of her great-niece Anna’s existence and entices her to visit Cuba. In Cuba, Anna learns of her ancestors’ existence in Berlin and Cuba, including her father who died before she was born. Shortly before Anna and her mother leave Cuba, they celebrate Hannah’s 87th birthday. What follows is a letting-go like so many members of the Rosenthal family.
This is a story of repressed tragedy, of despised refugees living in exile. The tragedies always seem to be distant but very poignant. Hannah’s enjoyment of life is suppressed, initially to support her mother, later to help raise her nephew, and still later because she is trapped in a country she never really accepted as her own. Anna represents Hannah’s hope for the future of her family - someone who can enjoy life without living a life of guilt shunned by those around her.
The story is also a timely reminder of how society treats refugees and the minorities that don’t fit in. We would do well to heed the lessons of the SS St Louis - a tragedy that helped bring the rights of refugees into focus. But it seems that new waves of refugees has hardened the hearts of many countries.
This is a good book that doesn’t reach great heights but reveals the tragedy of those portrayed sympathetically. I give the book 4 stars out of 5.
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LibraryThing member EvaW
It was OK, but I didn't find the character's thinking true to life. The most interesting part was the history behind the book - the ill-fated S. Louis, a ship turned away from Cuba, the US and Canada during the second world war.
LibraryThing member iadam
I received a free advance e-copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. ‘The German Girl’ is a historical novel, a fictionalized version of events that really happened. So much pain, sadness, and tragedy for one family to endure. This book follows
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the Rosenthals, a wealthy and prominent Jewish family, through the decades beginning with the control of Berlin by the Nazi regime through New York 2014. After paying a steep price they thought they were boarding the SS St. Louis on the road to freedom in Cuba but everything falls apart and only a few passengers are allowed to enter Cuba. The remaining passengers are sent on their way to seek entry into another country on their journey back to Europe. The Rosenthal family was split up as were many other families. This is a very well-written book. The events of the story are revealed to us through the eyes of 11-year-old Hannah beginning in 1939 Berlin and also through the eyes of her niece, 11-year-old Anna, living in 2014 New York. The author does an excellent job of weaving the two accounts together and developing the characters. This is a fascinating read about little known events from history, a unique and heartbreaking story. I found this novel to be very interesting and well worth the read. An excellent piece of historical fiction based on events that really happened. Show Less
LibraryThing member booklovers2
Interesting. I was never aware of Jews evacuating to Cuba during the Hitler Regime - and then the denial of their entry after voyaging there . Makes me want to read more on this topic; overall so-so of a story; lacking content to keep me engaged - listened on audible audio.
LibraryThing member Barbaralois
Interesting story of a girl looking to find out about her Fathers history. A Aunt is fond in Cuba and they travel to hear her story of her life and crossing from Germany looking for safety due to WW2
LibraryThing member siri51
Family fleeing Berlin - sent to Cuba on the St Louis - some not permitted to disembark. Story of Hannah intertwined with current day story of great niece Anna who travels to Cuba (this part not as convincing).
LibraryThing member Slevyr26
This one just really didn’t do anything for me. It was really just okay. I've read a lot of WWII fiction, I really didn't come away with any emotions with this one.
LibraryThing member CarolBurnett
Very interesting story about German Jews and the problems getting into Cuba. Another tale of rejection for the Jewish people and one not often discussed. Well written and keeps the reader's interest by jumping between the present day and the war years.
LibraryThing member Carlathelibrarian
This debut novel by Armando Lucas Correa is a wonderfully written historical fiction book about a little known event in the late 1930s. The Nazi’s already controlled Berlin and had begun their ethnic cleansing. This book tells the story of what happened to one wealthy, aristocratic Jewish family
The first is Hannah Rosenthal who is living in Berlin in 1939. She is happy and loves spending time with her friend Leo. She is documenting the changes in the city using her trusty camera as she and Leo sneak around. Hannah, who has blue eyes and blonde hair, is able to travel around much easier than Leo as she looks pure. When the Rosenthals are finally stripped of the apartment house that they own and Max is arrested, they realize it is time to leave and find a safe place to live. Because of their wealth, they are able to secure passage on the St. Louis, a luxury liner, that will take them to Cuba where they have been promised a new life after buying papers from the government that they are told will grant them asylum in Havana. The plan is to move to the United States after that. The Rosenthals, Martins (Leo and his father) and many other families are looking forward to a new life. When they finally arrive in the port of Havana they are told that their papers are no longer valid. Only 28 of the 937 passengers are allowed to stay in Havana, Hannah and her mother Alma are two of them. Her father and Leo and his father are turned away.
The second narrator is Anna Rosen, a young girl whose father was killed in the 9/11 attack on the Twin Towers while her mother was pregnant with her. Anna’s mother has been extremely depressed and Anna is pretty much caring for herself and her mother when a letter appears one day from an aunt of her father, still living in Cuba. The letter also contains unprocessed photo film that appears to be from her father's grandparents. Anna shows her mother and this seems to rouse her. They begin to investigate and head off to Cuba to meet this mysterious and unknown to them relative.
I really enjoyed this story. I listened to part of it on audiobook and read the rest. The writing was beautiful. It was easy to read and listen to and drew you into the story. It flowed smoothly and there was no problem following who was telling the story. The event was one that I had not heard of before and it was very sad to find out about as well as to learn the part Canada and the United States played in this horrible event. The voices of Hannah and Leo, were particularly well written. This friendship and their stories were a part I looked forward to reading about. The other characters from both the present and past are well described and touched me in many ways. The despair of Alma was palpable and Hannah's sorrow was so real. Make sure you read the author's note as it gives some more facts about this terrible event. I'm hoping books such as this one can help us remember the injustices done in our world history so we do not repeat them. This is a must read for anyone interested in the history surrounding this WWII time-frame as well as anyone who loves historical fiction.
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at the time and throughout several decades following the event. The story is told in two alternating narrations that flow seamlessly together.The first is Hannah Rosenthal who is living in Berlin in 1939. She is happy and loves spending time with her friend Leo. She is documenting the changes in the city using her trusty camera as she and Leo sneak around. Hannah, who has blue eyes and blonde hair, is able to travel around much easier than Leo as she looks pure. When the Rosenthals are finally stripped of the apartment house that they own and Max is arrested, they realize it is time to leave and find a safe place to live. Because of their wealth, they are able to secure passage on the St. Louis, a luxury liner, that will take them to Cuba where they have been promised a new life after buying papers from the government that they are told will grant them asylum in Havana. The plan is to move to the United States after that. The Rosenthals, Martins (Leo and his father) and many other families are looking forward to a new life. When they finally arrive in the port of Havana they are told that their papers are no longer valid. Only 28 of the 937 passengers are allowed to stay in Havana, Hannah and her mother Alma are two of them. Her father and Leo and his father are turned away.
The second narrator is Anna Rosen, a young girl whose father was killed in the 9/11 attack on the Twin Towers while her mother was pregnant with her. Anna’s mother has been extremely depressed and Anna is pretty much caring for herself and her mother when a letter appears one day from an aunt of her father, still living in Cuba. The letter also contains unprocessed photo film that appears to be from her father's grandparents. Anna shows her mother and this seems to rouse her. They begin to investigate and head off to Cuba to meet this mysterious and unknown to them relative.
I really enjoyed this story. I listened to part of it on audiobook and read the rest. The writing was beautiful. It was easy to read and listen to and drew you into the story. It flowed smoothly and there was no problem following who was telling the story. The event was one that I had not heard of before and it was very sad to find out about as well as to learn the part Canada and the United States played in this horrible event. The voices of Hannah and Leo, were particularly well written. This friendship and their stories were a part I looked forward to reading about. The other characters from both the present and past are well described and touched me in many ways. The despair of Alma was palpable and Hannah's sorrow was so real. Make sure you read the author's note as it gives some more facts about this terrible event. I'm hoping books such as this one can help us remember the injustices done in our world history so we do not repeat them. This is a must read for anyone interested in the history surrounding this WWII time-frame as well as anyone who loves historical fiction.
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LibraryThing member HeatherLINC
"The German Girl" started well and I was enjoying Hannah's story as she and her family struggled to escape the Nazi regime. I knew nothing of the St Louis and its ill-fated passengers so I found that part of the story very interesting, but once Hannah arrived in Cuba the book became very slow and
Anna's story never appealed to me and, once again, when she journeyed to Cuba in search of answers, I lost a lot of interest. Anna and Hannah were too similar and I never connected with them. "The German Girl" should have been a heart-wrenching read, but it left me cold, and I found the last quarter of the book was a real slog to get through. However, I did like photos that were included at the end of the book showing some of the actual passengers from the St Louis. I would love to know what their stories were. I think they would be fascinating.
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heavy. Anna's story never appealed to me and, once again, when she journeyed to Cuba in search of answers, I lost a lot of interest. Anna and Hannah were too similar and I never connected with them. "The German Girl" should have been a heart-wrenching read, but it left me cold, and I found the last quarter of the book was a real slog to get through. However, I did like photos that were included at the end of the book showing some of the actual passengers from the St Louis. I would love to know what their stories were. I think they would be fascinating.
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LibraryThing member novelcommentary
"On the cover of this magazine for pure young girls—the ones who don’t bear the stains of their four grandparents, the ones with small, snub noses, skin as white as foam,blond hair, and eyes bluer than the sky itself, where there is no room for any imperfection—there I was, smiling, my eyes
This historical fiction novel depicts the story of Hanna Rosenthal, living in Berlin in 1939 just when the ethnic cleaning of the Nazi regime is taking effect. She looks like her mother, a Strauss, and becomes the ironic cover of the magazine described above. Hanna's story of fleeing Germany on the ocean liner, the St. Louis, and her eventual refugee existence in Cuba is one half of this novel. The other is Anna's story, living in New York and caring for her depressed mom as they both mourn the loss of their husband and father. Both girls are 13 as their stories begin to unfold. The uniqueness of the story is that Hanna is Anna's aunt and they eventually meet to revive the connections to their lives.
There was some insight provided in reading this novel, translated from the Cuban author. But the writing was just okay.
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fixed on the future. I had become the “German girl” This historical fiction novel depicts the story of Hanna Rosenthal, living in Berlin in 1939 just when the ethnic cleaning of the Nazi regime is taking effect. She looks like her mother, a Strauss, and becomes the ironic cover of the magazine described above. Hanna's story of fleeing Germany on the ocean liner, the St. Louis, and her eventual refugee existence in Cuba is one half of this novel. The other is Anna's story, living in New York and caring for her depressed mom as they both mourn the loss of their husband and father. Both girls are 13 as their stories begin to unfold. The uniqueness of the story is that Hanna is Anna's aunt and they eventually meet to revive the connections to their lives.
There was some insight provided in reading this novel, translated from the Cuban author. But the writing was just okay.
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LibraryThing member Dannadee
It's always interesting to read about the different stories that had gone on during the WW wars. Stories that weren't in any history book. Many of which end in tragedy, but also some not so tragic. So I applaud the author on his debut. Interesting read about the ship the St Louis and its
I would definitely recommend.
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passengers.I would definitely recommend.
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LibraryThing member joannemonck
The book covers Germany during WWII and the escape of Jews from Germany to Cuba and hopefully eventually to America. The story is told by two people. An elderly woman who escaped and her niece who now lives in New York. Very interesting read about Cuba before, during and after the revolution.
LibraryThing member SandraBrower
Who would've known that some German refugee's fleeing during WWII would have gone to Cuba? I sure didn't. This Historical Fiction book is about a girl, Anna who receives a packed of pictures from her father's aunt Hannah. Without realizing what the connection between the little girl and her great
Anna Rosen's dad disappeared while her mother was pregnant with her. Her mother can't tell her much about him as she hadn't been married to her for very long herself when he disappeared.
Her mother struggles with missing him, raising Anna and moving on with life without her husband.
We meet Hannah Rosenthal first though, the year of her 12th birthday. She lives in the middle of Berlin with her mother and father in an apartment her family owns. She is contemplating killing her parents as a protection of herself: "I was Almost Twelve Years Old when I decided to kill my parents." Her best friend Leo is the only person she knows that views life honestly and openly. She loves her father and puts up with her mother whom she calls, "The Goddess". Her family is wealthy. It is a few weeks after Kristalnatch and the threat from the "Ogres" is more dire than ever. She doesn't look Jewish and while wandering around town gets photographed by a man who puts her on the cover of Das Deutsche Madel. She becomes the image of the perfect German Girl. Ironic as she is Jewish.
I won't give away anymore of the story. You will just have to read it to find out "the rest of the story". I have read many, many books on WWII, the Holocaust and Jewish treatment in Germany, but this book was a new perspective for me. I didn't know that Jewish refugees went anywhere but to the US, Canada or other parts of the European nations. I was drawn in from the first paragraph and couldn't put it down.
All the women involved in this story had their own levels of strength, but I was impressed most of all by Hannah and her desire to honor her parents, Leo and the life she once had. It did hurt my heart that she stuck around Cuba, a place she never thought her family would permanently reside. Living in one country that stifled peoples freedoms and having to leave that birthplace to be forced to live in another stifling country is beyond my comprehension. It also hurts that Canada and the US didn't even attempt to take the St. Louis's passengers into their countries. It is unfathomable to me, that they would rather have these poor people head back to Germany instead of protection them from the horrific situation of concentration camps.
Mr. Correa shows through his novel that he has researched in depth the passengers of the St. Louis and what it was like in Germany and Cuba at the time of the story. I once again felt like I was part of the story. Fantastic read.
I rate this 5 stars for Character Development and Topic.
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aunt is, she starts looking into the life of a father she never knew.Anna Rosen's dad disappeared while her mother was pregnant with her. Her mother can't tell her much about him as she hadn't been married to her for very long herself when he disappeared.
Her mother struggles with missing him, raising Anna and moving on with life without her husband.
We meet Hannah Rosenthal first though, the year of her 12th birthday. She lives in the middle of Berlin with her mother and father in an apartment her family owns. She is contemplating killing her parents as a protection of herself: "I was Almost Twelve Years Old when I decided to kill my parents." Her best friend Leo is the only person she knows that views life honestly and openly. She loves her father and puts up with her mother whom she calls, "The Goddess". Her family is wealthy. It is a few weeks after Kristalnatch and the threat from the "Ogres" is more dire than ever. She doesn't look Jewish and while wandering around town gets photographed by a man who puts her on the cover of Das Deutsche Madel. She becomes the image of the perfect German Girl. Ironic as she is Jewish.
I won't give away anymore of the story. You will just have to read it to find out "the rest of the story". I have read many, many books on WWII, the Holocaust and Jewish treatment in Germany, but this book was a new perspective for me. I didn't know that Jewish refugees went anywhere but to the US, Canada or other parts of the European nations. I was drawn in from the first paragraph and couldn't put it down.
All the women involved in this story had their own levels of strength, but I was impressed most of all by Hannah and her desire to honor her parents, Leo and the life she once had. It did hurt my heart that she stuck around Cuba, a place she never thought her family would permanently reside. Living in one country that stifled peoples freedoms and having to leave that birthplace to be forced to live in another stifling country is beyond my comprehension. It also hurts that Canada and the US didn't even attempt to take the St. Louis's passengers into their countries. It is unfathomable to me, that they would rather have these poor people head back to Germany instead of protection them from the horrific situation of concentration camps.
Mr. Correa shows through his novel that he has researched in depth the passengers of the St. Louis and what it was like in Germany and Cuba at the time of the story. I once again felt like I was part of the story. Fantastic read.
I rate this 5 stars for Character Development and Topic.
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LibraryThing member MarthaHuntley
This book was nominated as a selection for a book club I belong to. I have always been fascinated with that ill-fated liner the St. Louis that tried to bring almost a thousand Jews to America to escape the Holocaust - and was turned away! The novel is about that, and I wanted to read how it
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portrayed that trip and its passengers. I was engrossed by the story, translated from Spanish (it's the debut novel of a Cuban author), even though I didn't really enjoy it - it's a pretty tragic tale. But I was fascinated with it from several perspectives - the description of the voyage and its efforts to land in Cuba, what happened to the passengers on the liner, and the fate of the few Jews who managed to disembark in Cuba, which I had never thought about before. The statelessness of the wealthy but doomed Rosenthal family was stark - they hated Germany and for good reason; those who reached Cuba hated it too; the one who got to NYC, only to perish 9/11. The German girl, Hannah, is just 12 when the book opens and ends up being the person most of her surviving family members come to depend on; her brother's son's daughter, Anna, is so like her, and is just 12 when they finally meet. These people had an awful time living and staying alive. It's a very moving book, and a timely one at a period in history where once again the US is turning back refugees, sending them back to die in their violent homelands, and betraying the stateless Kurds. Show Less
Original language
Spanish
Original publication date
2016