Irene Magers

Let me put it this way - this is the third book in a trilogy published by Shady Tree Press; who, to date, have published nothing else. The book has been reviewed on Amazon.com by two people; who, to date, have reviewed nothing else. And the only reviews I can find anywhere else are from people who won this book in a giveaway. All three books were published in 2010, and Shady Tree Press is now closed for submissions. If this isn't self-published, I will eat my own head. That said, I genuinely wish the author well and hope that their work finds an appreciative audience. I won't bad-mouth a book that I couldn't finish reading, but it just wasn't my cup of tea: Historical fiction; at heart a love story. I couldn't put it down fast enough.… (más)

Last Train From Berlin is a story of Baroness Dorrit von Renz a widow of a prominent German doctor who must live in the midst of Berlin during World War II. Not only is Dorrit a widow but she is also the guardian of two of her grandchildren while her son, Max, and his wife are on an archaeological dig in Turkey. Dorrit has a secret - her mother is Jewish. Because of a loyal friend her records will never be found - but he doesn't have time to create new papers for her so she is restricted in her travels and is worried that she will be found out. As the war progresses her son and his wife come to pick-up their children planning on taking them to Turkey where, they believe, the family will be safer. But it is war and is anyplace really safe in wartime? Meanwhile her other son, Fritz, and his wife, Lisbet, visit before Fritz must leave for the Front. At the height of the war while Berlin is being bombed Lisbet takes her children and their nanny to live with Dorrit. Times are very hard, food is scarce, bomb scares and bombings become almost a daily occurrence, and people disappear with little or no reason given. What this small family does to survive - and what it does not do make for a well-written, absorbing read.

Irene Magers does a very good job of giving us a taste of what it must have been like for the average person. After reading this book I appreciated more the German populace who (while we as Americans, and many non-Germans, wonder why) did not stop the war or Hitler. Magers gives both the perspective of someone who believes whole-heartily and without question what her government tells her and those who did not believe, who saw the un-rightness of the war but were also completly unable to do anything because to do or say something was to put yourself and your family at risk. This is the final book in a trilogy. I have not read the previous two books, however I did not feel like any of the book was lacking because I didn't read the other two.… (más)

I won this book from LibraryThing (Member Giveaways)
This book is a historical novel with romance and some intrigue.
The romance as well as the family intrigue plots were both predictable.
I was also annoyed at the repeated assertions that the nobility shows in the genes and conversely that if a poor person shows some grace it must be due to unknown noble origin. For instance one of the main characters says: "Only one of noble birth could carry herself so regally in a simple garment."
However, this book is well written and often moving. The characters are likeable and I particularly appreciated the depiction of Belle Epoque and World War One Germany.… (más)