The Girls in the Attic

Written by Marius Gabriel

Narrated by Mary Jane Wells

The bestselling author of The Designer presents a sweeping story of blind faith, family allegiance and how love makes one man question everything he thought he knew.

Max Wolff is a committed soldier of the Reich. So when he is sent home wounded, only to discover that his mother is sheltering two young Jewish women in their home, he is outraged.

His mother’s act of mercy is a gross betrayal of everything Max stands for. He has dedicated his life to Nazism, fighting to atone for the shame of his anti-Hitler father’s imprisonment. It’s his duty to turn the sisters over to the Gestapo. But he hesitates, and the longer Max fails to do his duty, the harder it becomes.

When Allied bombers fill the skies of Germany, Max is forced to abandon all dogma and face the brutality of war in order to defend precious lives. But what will it cost him?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio
• Release date: Jun 1, 2021
• ISBN: 9781713587705

Marius Gabriel

Marius Gabriel was accused by Cosmopolitan magazine of ‘keeping you reading while your dinner burns’. He served his author apprenticeship as a student at Newcastle University, where, to finance his postgraduate research, he wrote thirty-three steamy romances under a pseudonym. Gabriel is the author of several historical novels, including the bestsellers The Seventh Moon, The Original Sin and the Redcliffe Sisters series, Wish Me Luck As You Wave Me Goodbye and Take Me To Your Heart Again. Born in South Africa, he has lived and worked in many countries, and now divides his time between London and Cairo. He has three grown-up children.

Reviews for The Girls in the Attic

[Debbee · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved all the good people in this story, heartbreaking as it is, it had strong characters.

Wonderful narrator!

[Eva Fuhriman · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved listening to this book. It was so well written and narrated. The character development was superb. I highly recommend this book. I laughed, cried, scowled, and swooned. Two thumbs up.

[tom haslett · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Dramatic suspenseful courageous and heart wrenching with the grit to survive. A great story!

[Natalina Habib · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love this author. The narrator did a fantastic job of bringing this story alive.

[Holly Laddusaw · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I’ve read so many WWII books surrounding the Holocaust and what the Jewish people had to endure, but this book was extraordinary! It really hits at the heart of the truth that we’re all the same, we all suffer as humans in times of war and that it really brings out the best and the worst of humanity. This was an excellent book!!

[Meg Blanchet · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

What an incredible book. Beautifully written, it depicts wartime in Germany from a very different perspective. Such a contribution, may it remind us of what has happened, and what we want to never happen again.

[Chris Lauzon Bowen · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An amazing story of love and loss. I was so caught up in it.

[Michelle Mack · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The past speaks a different language and they do things differently there ❤️ what a great read!!

[Kim Ring · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Loved this book. Narrator was excellent and animated. Very enjoyable

[jynell-71874 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Before reading this, I saw the number of positive reviews but didn't read any of them. I didn't read the summary either. I went in blind. I came out on the other end a true fanatic.

Usually WWII books focus on fighting the resistance and are one sided, but The Girls in the Attic really showed that the war was multi-dimensional. It showed not only what it took to survive, but how we might all be more alike (human) than we are different. I loved the characters and the way they interacted. Their fiery spirits really show the readers how the "other side" may have felt. The growth of the characters was outstanding.

I listened to the audiobook and was absolutely blown away. Using amazing accents for each character that were true to the natural way one might speak really brought this book to a new level.

This is definitely a historical fiction book I will recommend to anyone who enjoys this genre.

Thank you Brilliance Audio for allowing me to listen and give my honest opinion.

[steven1958 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A beautifully written story finding, and losing love, family and friendships during a brutal and savage war. The story starts and ends with elderly Lola, teliing her story to her eldest daughter, a story that includes how Maggie, the daughter came to be. As the story starts, we meet Max, a young Nazi Panzer commander, who is home on leave after being injured. Max, to his disgust, disvovers his widowed mother is hiding 2 Jewish girls in her attic. We discover that Max's deceased father was a preacher, who regularly denounced Hitler and the actions of the Nazis. The story is told so well and the characters so real, it is difficult not to see them in your mind's eye, and to feel for them. While the story may be far from historically accurate, it is alive and the human spirit soars.

[edwardsgt · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An unusual WW2 novel, set in Germany and written, largely, from the point of view of ordinary Germans as the tide of war turns. Two Jewish sisters are hidden by a woman whose husband was strongly anti-Nazi and imprisoned and killed. Her son returns home injured from fighting on the Russian front as a Panzer commander, unexpectedly, and discovers his mother's secret. As a loyal German, but not a Nazi, the son is conflicted about how to handle his mother's secret guests. Eventually he decides they must all move from their isolated country home into a local town, for safety, as it is more anonymous. Unfortunately, the allies target the town and bomb them out, forcing them become refugees, trying to keep ahead of the Russian army heading for Berlin. The story's final stages is an emotional rollercoaster as the allies converge on Berlin. Highly recommended.

[scottjpearson · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This tale, set in the fall of Germany in World War II, unpacks themes of love, loss, the Third Reich, the Holocaust, and the meaning of life. One of the main characters Max returns home after being injured fighting for the Nazis only to find his mother housing two Jewish girls in the attic. All the girls’ relatives have been murdered. Max’s values – formed by the Hitler Youth in rebellion against his Christian parents – are quickly called into question by his mother’s persevering faith and by the decency of the Jewish sisters Lola and Heidi.Thus begins a road where this once-Nazi soldier becomes an opponent of the Third Reich. In the process, he falls in love with one of the Jewish sisters. They seek shelter together, and he defends her as Germany crumbles to Soviet, British, and American invaders. They lose everything, but seem to gain an inner sense of self-respect with each indignity. Survival amidst abiding love becomes the motif of their lives.Gabriel integrates a wide scope of history into this text. He also alternates genres of fiction in rapid sequence. Just when it seems that the novel has settled into one archetype (like a romance or a war novel), the action alternates into something different. Clearly, Gabriel is a master of writing historical fiction. Not much stands to be improved, but were I to suggest something, it would be in pulling minor historical details into the narrative. I didn’t learn a whole lot I didn’t know about the time period, but I am already well-read in this era. I would have liked to have learned a few nuggets of new material that could drive the unfolding of plot.Appropriate audiences include war-buffs as well as fans of romances. Be forewarned: Many dark and tragic losses occur in this book. Positive human themes shine through, but the end of Nazi Germany and the Soviet invasion of eastern Europe did not, to say the least, usher an immediate utopian era. There are periods of positivity, but those are bookended by sadness. The perseverance of love amidst sorrow abides as a theme. As previously mentioned, readers steeped in World War II history might find some of the historical details superficial.Overall, Gabriel spins together an interesting tale full of intrigue. This page-turner should collect larger audiences of those who appreciate good stories. The book is skillfully told, and its fast-moving plot will not disappoint. Love ultimately triumphs despite all the dark that Nazis and Soviets can throw at it and despite how tragedy seems to ineluctably follow moments of human warmth. In that respect, this story captures the essence of human life on earth and reminds readers of the inner strength that can be gained through suffering.