• The German Wife

  • Inspired by True Events, an Absolutely Gripping and Heartbreaking WW2 Historical Novel
  • By: Debbie Rix
  • Narrated by: Tamsin Kennard
  • Length: 11 hrs and 46 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (250 ratings)

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The German Wife  By  cover art

The German Wife

By: Debbie Rix
Narrated by: Tamsin Kennard
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Publisher's summary

Germany, 1939: Annaliese is a doctor’s wife, living in an elegant grey stone house with ivy creeping over the balcony. But when her husband is ordered to work at the Dachau labor camp, her ordinary life is turned upside down by the horrors of war. And Annaliese finds herself in grave danger when she dares to fight for love and freedom.

America, 1989: Turning the pages of the newspaper, Annaliese gasps when she recognizes the face of a man she thought she’d never see again. It makes her heart skip a beat as a rush of wartime memories come back to her. As she reads on, she realizes the past is catching up with her. She must confront a decades-old secret - or risk losing everything.

Germany, 1942: Annaliese’s marriage is beginning to crumble. Her husband, Hans, has grown cold and secretive since starting his new job as a doctor at Dachau. When a tall, handsome Russian prisoner named Alexander is sent from the camp to work in their garden, lonely Annaliese finds herself drawn to him as they tend to the plants together. In snatched moments and broken whispers, Alexander tells her the truth about the shocking conditions at the camp. Horrified, Annaliese vows to do everything she can to save him.

But as they grow closer, their feelings for each other put them both in terrible danger. And when Annaliese falls pregnant, she has to make an impossible decision between protecting herself and saving the love of her life. Inspired by a true story, this is a heart-stopping, unforgettable tale of ordinary people fighting for survival in the darkest of times. Fans of Orphan Train, The Tattooist of Auschwitz, and My Name Is Eva will be utterly gripped by this beautiful, tragic World War II novel.

Audiences love Debbie Rix:

"Incredibly heart-wrenching.... It’s just mind-blowing.... I adored this book from start to finish.... If I could give it 10 stars, I would." (Confessions of a Bookaholic)

"I was so gripped.... A beautifully written story that captivated my mind and heart.... A perfect historical fiction novel that fans of this genre are going to love." (By the Letter Book Reviews)

©2022 Debbie Rix (P)2021 Bookouture, an imprint of Storyfire Ltd.

What listeners say about The German Wife

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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Ridiculous story

This book says it’s based on a true story. I have been unable to find any historical reference to the premise of this book. Yes, Dachau existed as well as doctors that did horrific things to innocent people during WW2. As for the rest of the story, completely predictable.

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4 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

Shallow characters

I’m very disappointed with this story. The main character is a woman who is unable to self-regulate her emotions enough to avoid putting the lives of people she cares about in danger. The other women in the story are equally as incompetent or more so. In this story women are feeble minded and ruled by their emotions. Men are generally rational and cold.

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2 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Well….

Not nearly as good as The Italian Girls. The main character, Anna, is so naive and gullible. I nearly stopped, several times. Her belief that a man with Hans’s past was actually a good man disgusted me. Rix is a great story teller and obviously did a lot of research. My issue was the character. Just a very shallow woman.

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2 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Interesting take on German dr

I did enjoy this different perspective on being apart of the SS as the dr and wife

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

True love and pure evil.

A WW11 book from the point of view of a German family. I couldn’t stop listening and didn’t want it to end.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Captivating

I couldn’t stop listening to this gripping historical novel but a shocking reminder of the shocking acts of cruelty human beings are capable of.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Absolutely incredible

Debbie, you’ve done it again! Such a wonderful story and based on a true story. I really enjoyed it. Thank you so much.

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Captivating

I love every moment of this book. Beautifully written, remarkably read… take the time to listen to this book!

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Great story!!

Interesting hx of Nazi Germany prisoners and staff. Horrible is not a strong enough word about prisoner treatment.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Great Story

Loved the meetings that happened throughout this book. Also loved the trueness of Alexander’s inability to cope with his past.

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