The Berlin Wife’s Choice- Storyline and Book Review The Berlin Wife’s Choice is the second book in Marion Kummerow’s Berlin Wife Series, with the first being The Berlin Wife. The story continues from the first book and covers the timeline from 1938 to the early years of the Second World War. With Hitler coming to power, although the country sees prosperity, it is certainly not a good time for the Jews and their families. The story spans the lives of Edith, a Christian woman, and the wife of a wealthy businessman, Julian, who happens to be a Jew, and Helga, again a Christian, married to her col ..read more

The Oath of the Vayuputras-Storyline, and Review ‘The Oath of the Vayuputras’ by Amish Tripathi is the third and final instalment of the Shiva trilogy. The first book in the series is ‘The Immortals of Meluha’.  The story continues from where it was left in Book 2-‘ The Secret of the Nagas.’  Shiva can finally conclude what is evil and proceed with the plan of annihilating it. To execute his mission successfully, he needs support from many. People decide on the side they should take based on morals and beliefs. Although Shiva has support from Sati, his sons Karthik and Ganesha, and m ..read more

The Immortals of Meluha-Storyline and Review The Immortals of Meluha is the first book in the Shiva Trilogy series by the author Amish. The author can be fully credited for his excellent imagination and for weaving a sound story with characters that seem so real.  The story starts when Shiva, the head of the tribe from Tibet, is offered to move to Meluha – a perfect empire once ruled by Lord Rama. Meluha, though very organized, planned, and prosperous, faces many threats and dangers from nearby kingdoms and tribes. Meluhans are on the lookout for the Neelkanth, who, according to a legend ..read more

A Medal for Leroy -Storyline and Review ‘A Medal for Leroy’ is a thought-provoking and intriguing book by the master storyteller Michael Morpurgo. It is based on the true story of Walter Tull, a black soldier who fought bravely during the First World War but was not awarded for his extraordinary courage due to the colour of his skin. The story begins with a young boy, Michael, who lives with his mother. Michael knows that his father was killed in the war, but nothing much beyond that. His mother resists sharing more details, and Michael doesn’t want to hurt her by touching old wounds. Micheal ..read more

The Berlin Wife- Storyline and Book Review The year is 1923, and it has been just a few years since the First World War ended. After agreeing to pay massive reparations to the Allied forces, Germany is left impoverished. With rampant hyperinflation, there is poverty, a lack of resources, and job losses. People with low incomes and the middle class feel the brunt the most. Edith is a young woman living a comfortable life, away from all the world’s worries, with her husband, Julian, in Munich. Julian owns Falkenstein Bank and is successful, rich, and well-connected in his circles. They both live ..read more

The Book of Lost Names- Storyline and Book Review The Book of Lost Names is a historical fiction novel by Kristin Harmel.  The story is about Eva Traube, an older woman who lives in Florida with her son. Despite her old age, Eva keeps herself active. She works at the place that fascinates her the most—a library—and spends time in the company of books. One day, a chance encounter with a magazine brings Eva face to face with the image of a book Eva hasn’t seen in sixty-five years. An article that discusses the looting of libraries by the Nazis across Europe during World War II brings about ..read more

Als die Welt uns gehörte- Storyline and Book Review Als die Welt uns gehörte means When the world belonged to us. Based on actual events, this book is a tragic story of three children, Max, Leo and Elsa, who are among the many unfortunate ones who become victims of the Second World War. The story starts in 1936 when the inseparable trio meets at the Prater Amusement Park in Vienna to celebrate Leo’s ninth birthday. They are accompanied by Leo’s father, a professional photographer. Leo’s father captures the happy moment while riding the Ferris wheel. In this photo, he captures a time when ..read more

Momo- Book Review and Storyline Momo is a book in German by the author Michael Ende for children above ten years of age. The book is about a young girl named Momo who lives near an old amphitheatre at the edge of the city. Her best quality is that she is a great listener. She has two good friends with whom she enjoys a happy and content life until one day, the grey men ( called the Grauenherren in German) arrive in their city with an offer to save time. They discourage people from spending time with their loved ones or engaging in leisure and relaxation activities. Many people fall into this t ..read more

Never Lie-Storyline and Book Review Never Lie is yet another suspense thriller from author Freida Fcfadden. Like her other books, this book is also a page-turner, and the story is gripping, keeping the reader engaged throughout the book. Tricia and Ethan leave their home to see a house (to buy) on a snowy winter day. The house is vast, isolated and away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Ethan develops an instant liking for the place and is convinced that this should be their future home. But Tricia has her apprehensions. The mere sight of the house gives her the creeps. On reaching the h ..read more

Der Pfad – Book Review and Storyline Der Pfad is a book in German meant for children above 12 years of age. It is the story of a 12-year-old boy, Rolf, and his father, who escape Germany during the 2nd world War with their pet dog, Adi. Their destination is New York, where Rolfs’s mother lives. The young boy and his dad get stuck in Marseille, France, where they wait for permission to leave the country. Like them, many other Germans are in the same situation, away from their homes, in a foreign land and always under the eyes of Hitler’s army. Rolfs’s father makes an escape plan with the help o ..read more