NetGalley: The Girls of the Glimmer Factory by Jennifer Coburn
Publisher: Sourcebook Landmark
Published: 1/28/2025
Pages: 480
Genre: Historical Fiction/WW2/Holocaust
Review: NetGalley ARC from Publisher
Hannah longs for the days when she used to be free, but now, she is a Jewish prisoner at Theresienstadt, a model ghetto where the Nazis plan to make a propaganda film to convince the world that the Jewish people are living well in the camps. But Hannah will do anything to show the world the truth. Along with other young resistance members, they vow to disrupt the filming and derail the increasingly frequent deportations to death camps in the east.
Hilde is a true believer in the Nazi cause, working in the Reich Ministry of Enlightenment and Propaganda. Though they're losing the war, Hilde hasn't lost faith. She can't stop the Allied bombings, but she can help the party create a documentary that will renew confidence in Hitler's plans for Jewish containment. When the filming of Hitler Gives a City to the Jews faces production problems due to resistance, Hilde finds herself in a position to finally make a name for herself. And when she recognizes Hannah, an old childhood friend, she knows she can use their friendship to get the film back on track.
Hilde is a true believer in the Nazi cause, working in the Reich Ministry of Enlightenment and Propaganda. Though they're losing the war, Hilde hasn't lost faith. She can't stop the Allied bombings, but she can help the party create a documentary that will renew confidence in Hitler's plans for Jewish containment. When the filming of Hitler Gives a City to the Jews faces production problems due to resistance, Hilde finds herself in a position to finally make a name for herself. And when she recognizes Hannah, an old childhood friend, she knows she can use their friendship to get the film back on track.
I think the author did a great job of showing us how fake news is still the same even now. We saw how the Nazis made it seem like the place where they had Jewish people stay called Theresienstadt the "glimmer factory."
This book was powerful and the characters you just felt for them and the secondary characters. It breaks your heart just to even read about the horrors, but you see how much the will to live plays a huge part. This story was amazing and well thought out. You can tell the research that went into this. I wish they taught this in school because it is something that all need to learn.
There was a part where Hilde ended up regretting her choices and I will say I felt shocked it went that way. It was amazing to see how both Hilde (who was all for Nazis) and Hannah (who was fleeing) grew up together, but end up in different areas of the world. We see how they met up again, but it isn't in the best conditions and you are just hoping Hannah can be free along with all those with her. I am not big on historical fiction, but as I am getting older I am starting to enjoy it.
Jennifer Coburn is the author of CRADLES OF THE REICH, a historical novel about three very different German women who meet at a Nazi Lebensborn breeding home.
She is the author of a travel memoir, six contemporary novel, and contributor to five literary anthologies. Jennifer has written for U-T San Diego, Washington Post, Miami Herald, Mothering magazine, The Huffington Post, Salon.com, and numerous other newspapers and magazines. She lives in San Diego with her husband William and their daughter Katie.
Comments
Post a Comment