The Diplomat's Wife

Really enjoyed this follow-up to The Kommandant’s Girl, and this helped explain some of the events from the first book as well as seeing some of those events from a different perspective. There may have been one or two elements that seemed a bit too coincidental but this didn’t take away from an enjoyable read. Do make sure you read the Kommandant’s Girl first and don’t leave it as long between books as I did (didn’t realise they followed on).

Long on my book shelf, I decided to read this one because I own many of her other book. Marta Nederman nearly died during and after her time in a Nazi concentration camp. Imprisoned because she worked with the Polish resistance, she finds Paul, who is an American soldier.

She was scheduled to meet Paul after an airplane trip that unfortunately never made its destination. Pregnant and alone , she must find a way to go forward. When she meets a kind British diplomat, she knows he isn't the love of her life as Paul was, but he seems nice and he is helpful.

I liked the book because it focused on life after WWII when so very much of Europe was trying to rebuild and pull the pieces of an upside down life together. I like the focus on Marta's show more strength and determination to go on with life even though it didn't seem to be an easy path to a new life after loss.

I didn't like the book because it was too rambling, and at times felt over dramatized and trite. Though, I liked it enough to read more of the author's books sitting on my book shelf. show less

This novel begins as World War 2 is ending. The main character, Marta, has been in prison and the Nazis tortured her to try get information about the resistance group that she was part of. She is near death when the prison is liberated by the American Army. After spending time in a hospital to regain her strength, she goes to London to start her new life. She is waiting for Paul, an American soldier that helped her in prison and that she got to know better when she was in the hospital, to join her in London so that they can be married. When his plane crashes with no survivors, she realizes that she needs to be strong and start her life again. She's devastated over Paul's loss but is pregnant and destitute so she decides to marry Simon, show more a British diplomat. While working for him, she finds out that there is a traitor in their group and agrees to go back to Poland to try to find out who is sharing information with the Russians. What she finds on her trip totally changes her life and her plans for the future.

This was an interesting book that looks at the upheaval in Europe after the liberation of the camps and prisons. Not only were there many people without homes but at the highest level of government, Russia was trying to take control of many of the most devastated countries. Marta was very brave to go back to Poland and risk her life to help her new country and during this time she was strong and resourceful. I definitely liked the ending and the way that good triumphed over evil in Marta's life.

I am a fan of this author and have read most of her books - I'm not sure how I missed this one. I found out that it was book 2 in a series when I started to do this review. It can be read out of order with no problem but I enjoyed book 2 so much that I have just ordered book 1 in the series (The Kommandant's Girl). show less

This book only made me love the Kommandant's Girl series even more. I liked how the focus switched to a minor character from the first novel, but kept the major characters within the story. I was very sad to see how Emma is faring in this novel. This novel makes me wish for a continuation of her story. Marta's story is interesting in itself. The shift from WWII to the Cold War atmosphere gave the story more character, and I truly enjoyed it. The author packs in several surprise twists that make you want to read it all over again to look for clues you may have missed the first time. Great addition to a great series. .

1945. Surviving the brutality of a Nazi prison camp, Marta Nederland is lucky to have escaped with her life. Recovering from the horror, she meets Paul, an American soldier who gives her hope of a happier future. Their planes to meet are dashed when Paul’s plane crashes.
Devastated and pregnant, Marta marries Simon, a caring British diplomat, and glimpses the joy that home and family can bring. But her happiness is threatened when she hears of a Communist spy in British intelligence, and that the one person who can expose the traitor is connected to her past.
A LOT of coincidences and unlikely “running intros” in this book. Nothing to elevate this read above the mediocre…

I’d read it again–I mean as a “go back in time and make the choice to read it again” but I won’t really re-read it. I’m not sure where I stand on this book overall yet.

The Diplomat’s Wife is an interesting premise, beginning with a story that immediately gets you in the thick of the protagonist’s WWII resistance efforts, arrest, struggle to remain alive, rescue and convalescence. And it makes an admirable transition to love story where you root for her to want to live again. For about the first half of the book, I am amazed at the twists and turns of the plot. But it ends up being far more convoluted than I usually like in a story. Once you realize the type of gyrations the author is willing to employ, it’s terribly show more easy to predict the rest of thee entire book, which removes a lot of fun of the read.

All that said Jenoff is a tremendous painter of pictures with her words. I was there in the darkness of her cell. I was with her in the mildewy gardener’s shack with the very hot American soldier. I could clearly envision a grey, hopeless day in Poland at the park. From this perspective alone, I would recommend giving it a read. The author is really quite talented–I think she just needed an editor or someone to tell her you don’t actually have to use all of the standard “gotchas” of pseudo-suspence novels in one go.

Her talent with words has sufficiently captured my interest though to to add a book on the Resistance to my TBR list and I will likely read her acclaimed “The Kommandant’s Girl” at some point. show less

The 3rd in the series - The Diplomat's Wife- again I am very surprised on who surfaced as the main character - Marta, survived the shooting on the bridge and was held as a prisoner of war until freed by the Americans. Marta, is recouperating in Saltzburg, hoping to meet again the handsome, american soldier Paul Mattison who was her rescuer. Of course, she does and the love story begins but ends so quickly when Paul's plane crashes on his flight to London where they planned to meet to begin their life together. Devastated with Paul's death, Marta decides to remain in England with Rose's Aunt Delia, where else does she have to go? She ends up marrying Simon Gold, a diplomat with the foreign affairs office. As his secretary, she is called show more upon to travel back to Prague on a secret mission, important to England's security. She meets again her fellow resistant workers, and puts herself in harm's way. Her Mission is more dangerous than expected as she heads to East Berlin as the Soviets take control and lock down the borders. Exciting twists, turns and surprises. Quick read, love the characters. Hoping for a sequel to this one. show less