A Light in the Window: a World War II story

A Light in the Window by Marion Kummerow is the first book in the Margarete’s Journey series. In 1941 Berlin, Margarete Rosenbaum was working as a housemaid for a senior Nazi officer and his wife and daughter, when their building was bombed. As the only survivor, she is mistaken for the daughter in the aftermath and she takes it as her ticket to freedom. With temporary papers and the freedom of not being seen as Jewish, she leaves Berlin behind. Until SS officer Wilhelm Huber, her late employer’s son, tracks her down. However, she is surprised when he doesn’t reveal her true identity right away. He suggests that she come with him to Paris and continue to pretend to be his sister. Terrified they might be found out and not knowing what Wilhelm truly wants in return, Margarete soon realizes that hiding in plain sight might be her only chance for survival. 

I looked forward to this story as I have enjoyed Ms. Kummerow’s World War II stories. However, this story quickly led to disappointment as there was contradictory information throughout the story. The main contradiction was Margarete was stated to be older than her employer’s daughter and then a couple chapters later, she’s younger! I also didn’t understand how a SS officer, who very clearly believes in the Nazi rhetoric, would not expose a Jewish woman for taking an Aryan woman’s identity and ask her to continue the charade! I also was supposed to believe that a Nazi SS officer and a Jewish woman have a romance! It may have been in the realm of possibilities if Wilhelm was not so gung-ho for the Nazi regime. There were also idioms and phrases used that were not true to the time. Sadly, this book was very disappointing and I will not continue with the series. 

A Light in the Window is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook