White Rose, Black Forest
Written by Eoin Dempsey
Narrated by Napoleon Ryan
4/5
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About this audiobook
An Amazon Charts bestseller.
In the shadows of World War II, trust becomes the greatest risk of all for two strangers.
December 1943. In the years before the rise of Hitler, the Gerber family’s summer cottage was filled with laughter. Now, as deep drifts of snow blanket the Black Forest, German dissenter Franka Gerber is alone and hopeless. Fervor and brutality have swept through her homeland, taking away both her father and her brother and leaving her with no reason to live.
That is, until she discovers an unconscious airman lying in the snow wearing a Luftwaffe uniform, his parachute flapping in the wind. Unwilling to let him die, Franka takes him to her family’s isolated cabin despite her hatred for the regime he represents. But when it turns out that he is not who he seems, Franka begins a race against time to unravel the mystery of the airman’s true identity. Their tenuous bond becomes as inseparable as it is dangerous. Hunted by the Gestapo, can they trust each other enough to join forces on a mission that could change the face of the war and their own lives forever?
Eoin Dempsey
Eoin Dempsey is the bestselling author of Toward the Midnight Sun; White Rose, Black Forest; Finding Rebecca; and The Bogside Boys. His novels have been translated into a dozen different languages and have been optioned for film and radio production. Born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, Eoin moved to the United States in 2008 and currently lives in Philadelphia with his wonderful wife, Jill, and their three beautiful and crazy sons, Robbie, Sam, and Jack. Learn more at www.eoindempseybooks.com.
More audiobooks from Eoin Dempsey
The Longest Echo: A Novel Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Finding Rebecca Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Toward the Midnight Sun Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
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Reviews for White Rose, Black Forest
162 ratings13 reviews
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5The narrator’s voice was grating and irritating.
Do not read book2 people found this helpful
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Interesting story. But it was marred for me by the idiocy of the dialogue between the two main characters. The woman rescues the man against all odds, and as soon as he gets mostly well he starts telling her what to do and how to do it., although he had just arrived and she had livelong experience with the area. Mansplaining at its finest. I know this story is about a time when mansplaining was just conversation, but it was hard to listen to. The author could have shown more respect for the female character and not subjected her to that. It wasn't necessary to the story.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5It was a good story but the narrator needs to brush up on his pronunciation. Also he said HE, a number of times, when it should have been SHE. Made me do a double take quite a few times.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5On the whole I enjoyed the book. One issue I have is if you are going to write about a United States Marine, get the lingo down correctly. They go to boot camp, not basic training.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Pretty interesting story, but the narrators are just awful. The strange man’s voice was creepy, was he trying to be deep? Dramatic? I’m too creeped out to pinpoint it. The woman has a lovely voice, but she speaks so softly that she, too begins to creep me out. I’m not happy to write this. As I said, the storyline and historical background make for a good read/listen. Just not a fan of the audio.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Historical fiction about rescue of an airman by a German resistor. It takes place mostly within Germany’s Black Forest region in 1943-1944. This book was a mixed bag for me. While I found elements to enjoy, such as basing it around resistors in Nazi Germany, there were quite a few inconsistencies in the plot, and I found it a bit contrived. This book purports to be “based on a true story;” however, upon further research, it appears to be mostly fiction. The White Rose organization existed, but the protagonist appears to be fabricated, along with the airman she rescues. I wish the author had addressed which parts are historically based. The book also employs terms that are inaccurate for the time and location. The writing was basic, but it was a quick read and I was interested to find out what happened. I obtained this book as a Kindle First free book of the month and have not had much success with them.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A great love story without all the mush plus interesting history fiction.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Some good points regarding why the German people fell into the habit of allowing Hitler his evil. The romance and adventure part seems unrealistic, but a very exciting story.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This book is right up there with The Bronze Horseman and anyone that knows me, knows that that book is my all time favorite. This historical swept me into a troubling world where mystery, danger, and suspense filled the streets. It had bits of romance and a strong focus on perseverance and hope. Franka is a heroine that will not be forgotten. She went from defeated to defeating. She found a wounded man and he was her symbol of hope. Together they grew close, confided in one another, and found victory in a world full of loss. It was a historical journey that felt so real it was almost as if the characters walked off the pages. It had raw emotion and true inspiration. It was a story that pulled on my heart strings and opened my eyes to a time that came before me. Historical fans, get on it. Read it, devour it, love it, become entranced.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5It might be that I'm worn out on WWII stories, but this one just didn't grip me like some do. A young German woman who has lost her father, brother, and boyfriend to the Nazi's finds a wounded pilot in the snow near her families cabin. She has been very despondent, but takes him in to save him. He has on a Nazi uniform; however, when he was delirious he was speaking English.Franka has once been a member of Hitler's youth but comes to realize the horrors that Nazism brings so becomes involved along with her boyfriend with a group called the White Rose who are protesting against Nazism. Franka and the downed pilot soon learn each other's secrets. He is actually an American spy.There are evil Nazi brutes, cold nights, gunshots, suspicious neighbors, etc. The ending is a bit too much like an action film but all is well that ends well. Quick read.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5A young German woman, a subject of the Third Reich, finds a downed airman in the snow in the Black Forest. Struggle and suspense follows. Apparently the author expects his readers to ignore the unrealistic dynamic that he places on his key character at the very beginning. Regardless, once that is absorbed and inexplicably discounted, the book steps deftly through its paces from that point. Many readers will be drawn along. Others may see several of the plot paths coming well ahead of time, deadening the suspense somewhat. The author does a reasonable job of applying real social and political conditions to its characters, even pulling in actual historical figures into the book's cast. (Have you seen the German film, Sophie Scholl?) And there's a bit of a script tease at the end. Personally, I think there was plenty of reality to draw on without the extra flourishes, but other readers will be fine with it.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5After being released from prison, Franka moves back to her family's summer cottage in Germany's black forest. When she discovers an unconscious and wounded airman, she drags him back to the cottage, determined to save him. He presents himself as a German soldier, but Franka instantly doubts his story. As he heals from his wounds, the two reluctantly learn to trust one another as their past stories slowly unravel.Franka was certainly an interesting character. She was extremely realistic, and easy to sympathize with. The story unraveled at a nice pace, blending the characters pasts with the present. I look forward to reading more from this author.
- Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5DNF 51%. This book started with a great bang and I was so excited to be reading it. Then it just started to read like a text book, where the writing seemed almost to be conveying facts with such little emotion that I have been bored the last 30%. I'm sad, but I'm moving on.