All the Frequent Troubles of Our Days: The True Story of the Woman at the Heart of the German Resistance to Hitler
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- Author：Rebecca Donner
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Summary
The untold story of Mildred Harnack， an American woman who was the leader of the largest anti-Nazi resistance group in Germany， a role she was later executed for。
Mildred Harnack was a leader of the largest anti-Nazi resistance group in Germany。 That she was a woman distinguished her from many of her contemporaries in the male-dominated leadership of the German Resistance。 That she was an American was even more notable。 Born and raised in Milwaukee， she risked her life to fight a murderous dictator on foreign soil， a feat of enduring historical significance。 Contemporary historians identify her as the only American in the German Resistance， yet she remains almost entirely unknown。
Mildred was twenty-six when she moved to Berlin and witnessed first-hand the horrors of Hitler's ascendancy。 For nearly a decade---from 1933 until 1942---she devoted herself to defeating him。 She wrote and distributed leaflets exposing Nazi atrocities to incite civil disobedience， helped Jews and political dissidents escape Germany， and delivered top-secret military intelligence about the Nazi regime to the Allies。
Based on years of original research and exclusive interviews with those who knew Mildred personally， Rebecca Donner， Mildred's great-great niece， at last tells Mildred's remarkable and heroic story。
Mildred Harnack was a leader of the largest anti-Nazi resistance group in Germany。 That she was a woman distinguished her from many of her contemporaries in the male-dominated leadership of the German Resistance。 That she was an American was even more notable。 Born and raised in Milwaukee， she risked her life to fight a murderous dictator on foreign soil， a feat of enduring historical significance。 Contemporary historians identify her as the only American in the German Resistance， yet she remains almost entirely unknown。
Mildred was twenty-six when she moved to Berlin and witnessed first-hand the horrors of Hitler's ascendancy。 For nearly a decade---from 1933 until 1942---she devoted herself to defeating him。 She wrote and distributed leaflets exposing Nazi atrocities to incite civil disobedience， helped Jews and political dissidents escape Germany， and delivered top-secret military intelligence about the Nazi regime to the Allies。
Based on years of original research and exclusive interviews with those who knew Mildred personally， Rebecca Donner， Mildred's great-great niece， at last tells Mildred's remarkable and heroic story。
Reviews
Miriam
，
Not very far into it yet but riveting and painful， so much more painful than if we had never had a Trump。 Powerful and made more so by the use of the present tense。
Alexandra Grabbe
，
I enjoyed this book a lot。 A real page-turner。 Rebecca Donner writes fluid prose and keeps you guessing。 Around page 200 I started feeling a bit bogged down with all the minor characters who flitted in and out， some with similar first names。 Mildred， the main character is a young American who married Arvid， a German， and moved to Berlin in the early 1930s with dreams of a very different life from what awaited her。 Donner details Hitler’s rise to power， giving readers a good idea of what it was l I enjoyed this book a lot。 A real page-turner。 Rebecca Donner writes fluid prose and keeps you guessing。 Around page 200 I started feeling a bit bogged down with all the minor characters who flitted in and out， some with similar first names。 Mildred， the main character is a young American who married Arvid， a German， and moved to Berlin in the early 1930s with dreams of a very different life from what awaited her。 Donner details Hitler’s rise to power， giving readers a good idea of what it was like to live in Nazi-controlled Berlin in the mid to late thirties。 The book would， in fact， make a great present for any Second World War history buffs or anyone who is trying to fathom fascism in pre-war Germany or Trump’s attempted coup for that matter。 How carefully Hitler laid the groundwork for war。 Donner did extensive research。 Illustrations make that clear， as do the list of sources， the bibliography and the meticulous notes。 I bought All The Frequent Troubles of Our Days thinking it would be about Mildred， based on a review in the NYT。 While Donner does follow Mildred throughout the book and details her undercover work as much as possible， the subject is really much more vast。 “Troubles” is already on the bestseller list。 It’s a very good read。 。。。more
Chris Humphrey
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This is probably the best book I have read about Hitler's Germany， and I have been reading about Hitler's Germany for 50+ years。 Rebecca Donner takes us on a journey that is as informative as a history book and as humanizing as an intimate biography of a family member （which it is）， but which reads like a spy thriller。 And even though the author tells you at the beginning of the book that Mildred Harnack dies at the end， you still sit on the edge of your seat until that very last moment。 This is probably the best book I have read about Hitler's Germany， and I have been reading about Hitler's Germany for 50+ years。 Rebecca Donner takes us on a journey that is as informative as a history book and as humanizing as an intimate biography of a family member （which it is）， but which reads like a spy thriller。 And even though the author tells you at the beginning of the book that Mildred Harnack dies at the end， you still sit on the edge of your seat until that very last moment。 。。。more
Nancy Mulder
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Such an interesting story， and I wanted to love it so much。 But it felt too detailed and disjointed for me to go with the flow。 What an amazing woman though and what a tragic time and place to live and love。
Pat Sonnenstuhl
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Very interesting read。 A little stilted and much info I had heard/read before。
Kim Krieger
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This is one of the most eye opening biographies I’ve ever read。 Really opened my eyes to the people who were in the resistance。 Their stories。 The risks。 And the parallels to what odd occurring today。 Highly recommend。
Christian Peltenburg-brechneff
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An important book for our times
Marco
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He spread propaganda， disinformation， word of an “enemy” corrupting elections， turned democracy into a dictatorship – all with the law。 He turned neighbors against neighbors， religious institutions fell to his regime， women were sent back to the dark ages， political enemies destroyed。“All the Frequent Troubles of Our Days” by Rebecca Donner is achingly familiar。 Donner tells of the beginning of the Nazi regime and its moral destroyer while also laying the counter groundwork to his damnation by t He spread propaganda， disinformation， word of an “enemy” corrupting elections， turned democracy into a dictatorship – all with the law。 He turned neighbors against neighbors， religious institutions fell to his regime， women were sent back to the dark ages， political enemies destroyed。“All the Frequent Troubles of Our Days” by Rebecca Donner is achingly familiar。 Donner tells of the beginning of the Nazi regime and its moral destroyer while also laying the counter groundwork to his damnation by two main stories: of Mildred Harnack， an American in Germany， an academic and spy - and Don， a young boy turned spy courier whose parents were U。S。 embassy diplomats in Berlin。 Both help an underground resistance to Nazi occupation in Germany。Told with matter-of-fact style broken into yearly sections， then into numbered sections of paragraphs， the book is more than accessible – it’s downright riveting; a rollercoaster of emotions and intrigue by the spy game Donner reveals for Mildred as the pages go on。 Circles within circles of resisters who go from counteracting propaganda with the truth in leaflets， to more dangerous methods。The title is a line from a poem by Goethe that Mildred was translating before her fate is revealed。 The idea of resistance as words is what drives the narrative – written testimony， poetry， art， letters， documents that kept the truth after all these years。 A last act of rebellion against a two-faced regime。 Barely over 80 years in history， this story proves that history needs to be presented in a personal narrative to understand the risks people took to not only survive， but to resist。 But the toll it took。 The lives it took。Donner gives respect to the heroes whose lives were given to protect， to more than sacrifice – to go to the very core of being human in inhumane circumstances。 You must read this book; very well written， downright the best concise and personal written history of WWII out there today。 Donner is granddaughter to Mildred’s niece， Jane Donner Sweeney。 Thank you to Little Brown。 。。。more
Jim Hiller
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A compelling page turner about Mildred Harnack， American living in Nazi Germany pre-WWII， and her work in the German resistance against Hitler。 Short chapters move this story along， although sometimes the abundance of names can be somewhat confusing。 Rebecca Donner， Mildred's relative， includes compelling insider information from letters and diaries of people involved。 A compelling page turner about Mildred Harnack， American living in Nazi Germany pre-WWII， and her work in the German resistance against Hitler。 Short chapters move this story along， although sometimes the abundance of names can be somewhat confusing。 Rebecca Donner， Mildred's relative， includes compelling insider information from letters and diaries of people involved。 。。。more
✨ Anna ✨ | ReadAllNight
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https://www。economist。com/books-and-a。。。 A new book gives an American heroine her due from TheEconomist https://www。economist。com/books-and-a。。。 A new book gives an American heroine her due from TheEconomist 。。。more
Jane
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I finished "The Frequent Troubles of Our Time" quickly an eagerly。 It is about the American woman who was a spy and in the resistance in Germany during World War II。 Good， but sad。 It ties in nicely to Erik Larson's "In the Garden of Beasts" and overlaps in time and people。 If you are interested in knowing more about how Hitler was able to come to power， it is very informative。 I finished "The Frequent Troubles of Our Time" quickly an eagerly。 It is about the American woman who was a spy and in the resistance in Germany during World War II。 Good， but sad。 It ties in nicely to Erik Larson's "In the Garden of Beasts" and overlaps in time and people。 If you are interested in knowing more about how Hitler was able to come to power， it is very informative。 。。。more
Leslie
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"LA Times，" August 22， 2021 "LA Times，" August 22， 2021 。。。more
Gill James
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This work suffers a little from a lack of identity; it reads like a novel but not quite。 It certainly has a lot of in formation packed into it and it feels also like a nonfiction book。 It is in fact a true story。 Rebecca Donner has done her research well。 However， there is so much materiel in there that we don't quite get to know the main characters well enough。 A dreamy present tense narrative gives it some immediacy。 And we do after all， feel some empathy for Mildred and Don to whom the book i This work suffers a little from a lack of identity; it reads like a novel but not quite。 It certainly has a lot of in formation packed into it and it feels also like a nonfiction book。 It is in fact a true story。 Rebecca Donner has done her research well。 However， there is so much materiel in there that we don't quite get to know the main characters well enough。 A dreamy present tense narrative gives it some immediacy。 And we do after all， feel some empathy for Mildred and Don to whom the book is dedicated。 。。。more
Iris Kim
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Was fully sobbing by the time I got to Arvid's last letter he wrote to Mildred just before their execution。 A meticulously researched biography of multiple characters in the German underground resistance during WWII。 Rebecca Donner， Mildred Harnack's great-great niece， occupies the interiority of these brave agents with thorough research。 Was fully sobbing by the time I got to Arvid's last letter he wrote to Mildred just before their execution。 A meticulously researched biography of multiple characters in the German underground resistance during WWII。 Rebecca Donner， Mildred Harnack's great-great niece， occupies the interiority of these brave agents with thorough research。 。。。more
Vagabond VanHams
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A beautiful， devastating， worthwhile read。
Eavan Hooke
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My husband gave me this book to read。 It is so well written and researched。 The chapters are in chronological order。 It goes through Hitlers progress through the years as he gained power and won control of the hearts and minds of the German people。 In 1934 the nazis go on a killing spree， The night of the the long knives。 What's so amazing is that it didn't alarm the whole of Europe or German people， but then again Hitler had been covering all his bases。 All the violence， lies and deception is w My husband gave me this book to read。 It is so well written and researched。 The chapters are in chronological order。 It goes through Hitlers progress through the years as he gained power and won control of the hearts and minds of the German people。 In 1934 the nazis go on a killing spree， The night of the the long knives。 What's so amazing is that it didn't alarm the whole of Europe or German people， but then again Hitler had been covering all his bases。 All the violence， lies and deception is what concerns Mildred and Arvid Harnack。 They form a resistance group and work to end Hitler's regime。 I enjoyed reading about their work and dedication to uncover the brutality of the Nazis。I had to stop in parts at the end when The author goes into detail about beheadings。 The description of life in Ravensbruck woman's prison gave me pause， Man's inhumanity。 Reading about the camps， seeing the horrors of the camps， Hitlers rise to power， it's chilling。 Arvid's last letter to his wife is beautiful。 The courage of Mildred and Arvid is a story well told and one of the messages I derive is that， a Dictator and its monsters could happen here too。 。。。more
Pat
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Outstanding research and an excellent addition to one's library collection。 Well-worth reading （and sharing with others）。 Outstanding research and an excellent addition to one's library collection。 Well-worth reading （and sharing with others）。 。。。more
Sue
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What an amazing book！ I learned so much about what went on in Germany during WWII， and about the distressing fact that the world did not listen to the German resistance。 What a lesson for us all。 I highly recommend this book- it reads more like a novel than as dry non/fiction。
Amy
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There is little that can be written here that would do this book justice。Suffice to say， despite knowing how it will all end， you are still gutted。 Living with Nazis in a Nazi-made world and ultimately， dying by Nazis。What leaves you reeling--the question that goes unasked。 What would I have done？ Would I have been brave or would I have been another silent witness？
Maureen Timerman
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This is a book that we know the beginning and the end， even before we turn the cover。 Knowing what is going to happen to Rebecca Donner’s Great Great Aunt is terrifying， and all the while reading I kept hoping it wouldn’t happen， but this is a true story， and I can’t change the past。 Ah， if one was able to change history， well， not possible。Through the words of the author， we follow Mildred on her journeys， and her personal effort to thwart the evil that is being perpetrated on Europe。We meet Mi This is a book that we know the beginning and the end， even before we turn the cover。 Knowing what is going to happen to Rebecca Donner’s Great Great Aunt is terrifying， and all the while reading I kept hoping it wouldn’t happen， but this is a true story， and I can’t change the past。 Ah， if one was able to change history， well， not possible。Through the words of the author， we follow Mildred on her journeys， and her personal effort to thwart the evil that is being perpetrated on Europe。We meet Mildred as she is leaving her teaching job in America， before she marries Arvid， and her move to Germany。 She is totally unaware of the part she is about to play as the a leader in the German resistance。This should really be required reading， walking in her shoes， would I have had the courage to do what she did？ I would hope so， but I also hope I never have to make those choices。This is a powerful read， and you will meet some well know individuals， some I was familiar with and others we get to know。 These are remarkable people， who for some risked the ultimate！I received a copy of this book from the Publisher Little， Brown and Company， and was not required to give a positive review。 。。。more
Richard Scheiber
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This recent work by Rebecca Donner is a work of familial discovery as it details the life of her distant relative， Milwaukee-born Mildred Harnack， as well as that of her husband， Arvid。 Largely unknown to an American audience， Mildred Harnack has been the subject of an earlier biography as well as being mentioned within studies of the German resistance movement against the Nazi regime。 But for the author Rebecca Donner， this became a quest for revealing the story of this distant relative with th This recent work by Rebecca Donner is a work of familial discovery as it details the life of her distant relative， Milwaukee-born Mildred Harnack， as well as that of her husband， Arvid。 Largely unknown to an American audience， Mildred Harnack has been the subject of an earlier biography as well as being mentioned within studies of the German resistance movement against the Nazi regime。 But for the author Rebecca Donner， this became a quest for revealing the story of this distant relative with the aid of family documents and past memories。 This scholarly work relies on a great array of archival sources， as well as remaining family documents and dogged research as in tracking down a child courier who aided Muriel Harnack in Nazi Berlin。 In addition， Donner has familiarized herself with a vast display of the scholarly literature on German resistance movements during the Third Reich。 The framework of this story is how an American academician became part of the anti-Nazi group known as the Red Orchestra。 Donner’s work is exemplary for its fast pace， its novel use of present tense narrative as well as constructive chapters that enable the reader to move ahead in search of new revelations。 Even for readers of earlier works on World War II resistance groups， this fine work very well captures the immediacy of living in Nazi Berlin。 Readers familiar with Erik Larson’s history of the Dodd family in Berlin will acquaint themselves again with the exploits of Martha Dodd as now seen through her relationship with Mildred Harnack。 This is a story of moral courage that has resurrected the story of Mildred Harnack in a compelling manner。 At present， a school in Berlin is named after this American born martyr。 Hopefully， this remarkable work will cause the memory of Mildred Harnack to be rekindled once again。 。。。more
Carmen212
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4。5 stars。 This book encompasses a lot of 'shelves。' It is somewhat fictionalized （dialogue， musings） non-fiction and it is so smooth and fluid。 I tore through it in 3 sittings - about 150 pages each time and could hardly wait to get back to it。 Many TLSers have read Hans Fallada and he is mentioned often and was known to the people in the resister cells。 As Donner points out several times， most people do not know there was an active anti-Nazi underground resistance。 4。5 stars。 This book encompasses a lot of 'shelves。' It is somewhat fictionalized （dialogue， musings） non-fiction and it is so smooth and fluid。 I tore through it in 3 sittings - about 150 pages each time and could hardly wait to get back to it。 Many TLSers have read Hans Fallada and he is mentioned often and was known to the people in the resister cells。 As Donner points out several times， most people do not know there was an active anti-Nazi underground resistance。 。。。more
Karen Miller
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This biography was very well-written and researched。 It’s a fascinating read， a page-turner。 I could not put it down even though at times it was very difficult to read。
Michael Graves
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The era of Hitler's rise to power in Germany is a story most of don't want to think about， and rightly so。 But sometimes we must。 First of all thanks to the author for the painstaking research needed to put together the story， as many of the documents were lost or destroyed。 She has created a real "page turner" and I finished it on only a couple of days。 The story of Mildred Harnack overlaps with two other books that I read many years ago "In the Garden of the Beasts" by Eric Larsen， （story of t The era of Hitler's rise to power in Germany is a story most of don't want to think about， and rightly so。 But sometimes we must。 First of all thanks to the author for the painstaking research needed to put together the story， as many of the documents were lost or destroyed。 She has created a real "page turner" and I finished it on only a couple of days。 The story of Mildred Harnack overlaps with two other books that I read many years ago "In the Garden of the Beasts" by Eric Larsen， （story of the US Ambassador， whose daughter Martha was a close friend of Mildred） and also the biography of Dietrich Bonhoffer by Metaxas。 （Bonhoeffer was a cousin of Mildred's husband， Arvid。） 。。。more
David Cook
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I’ve read a lot of WWII history。 So the general discussion of evil of Hitler’s reign of terror and evil was not new。 But Mildred Harnack has basically been lost to history until now。 Born and raised in Milwaukee， Mildred was 26 when she enrolled in a PhD program in Germany and witnessed the rise of the Nazi party。 In 1932， she began holding secret meetings in her apartment with a small group of friends。 The group became the largest underground resistance group in Berlin。 Mildred was the only Ame I’ve read a lot of WWII history。 So the general discussion of evil of Hitler’s reign of terror and evil was not new。 But Mildred Harnack has basically been lost to history until now。 Born and raised in Milwaukee， Mildred was 26 when she enrolled in a PhD program in Germany and witnessed the rise of the Nazi party。 In 1932， she began holding secret meetings in her apartment with a small group of friends。 The group became the largest underground resistance group in Berlin。 Mildred was the only American in the leadership of the German resistanceMildred recruited trusted friends and common folk into the resistance， helped Jews escape， plotted acts of sabotage， and collaborated in writing leaflets that denounced Hitler and called for revolution。 The group met under the guise as a “book club” that met to discuss mostly fiction。 She and group members traveled through Berlin at night， slipping the leaflets into mailboxes， public restrooms， phone booths。 The group included the famous theologian and pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer who was later executed for his involvement with the Valkyrie conspiracy to kill Hitler。When war broke out Mildred became a full-fledged spy conveying intelligence to the Allies。 As she sensed her possible capture she planned an escape to Sweden。 Unfortunately， her plan was thwarted。 She was captured by the Gestapo and sentenced to 6 years in a labor camp。 Hitler， personally intervened and ordered her execution。 She died by guillotine on February 16， 1943。 The author Rebecca Donner is Harnack’s great-great-niece。 The book is fusion of biography， political thriller， scholarship， and detective story。 I listened to the audio book while doing yard work。 It is a book that builds to a crescendo。 As it ended I stopped spreading mulch and just sat on the lawn under a tree as the sun was setting and contemplated again the abject evil of the Nazi regime and man’s inhumanity to man。 I wondered， would I have been as courageous as Mildred， Dietrich and others who are lost to history buried in unknown graves。 I hope so！ 。。。more
Sophia
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All the Frequent Troubles of Our Days: The True Story of the American Woman at the Heart of the German Resistance to Hitler by Rebecca Donner Published August 3， 2021 I will never comprehend the minds of hateful racists people。 These people are barbaric， sadistic beasts。 The brutality is mind blowing。 Read at you own risk。The true story of the extraordinary life and brutal death of Mildred Harnack， the American leader of one of the largest underground resistance groups in Germany， who was execut All the Frequent Troubles of Our Days: The True Story of the American Woman at the Heart of the German Resistance to Hitler by Rebecca Donner Published August 3， 2021 I will never comprehend the minds of hateful racists people。 These people are barbaric， sadistic beasts。 The brutality is mind blowing。 Read at you own risk。The true story of the extraordinary life and brutal death of Mildred Harnack， the American leader of one of the largest underground resistance groups in Germany， who was executed on Hitler's direct order—uncovered by her great-great-niece in this riveting， deeply researched account。Born and raised in Milwaukee， Mildred Harnack was twenty-six when she enrolled in a PhD program in Germany and witnessed the meteoric rise of the Nazi party。 In 1932， she began holding secret meetings in her apartment—a small band of political activists that by 1940 had grown into the largest underground resistance group in Berlin。 She recruited working-class Germans into the resistance， helped Jews escape， plotted acts of sabotage， and collaborated in writing leaflets that denounced Hitler's regime and called for revolution。 Her coconspirators circulated through Berlin under the cover of night， slipping the leaflets into mailboxes， public restrooms， phone booths。 When the first shots of the Second World War were fired she became a spy， couriering top-secret intelligence to the Allies。 On the eve of her escape to Sweden， she was ambushed by the Gestapo。 At a Nazi military court， a panel of five judges sentenced her to six years at a prison camp， but Hitler overruled the decision and ordered her execution。 On February 16， 1943， she was strapped to a guillotine and beheaded。Historians identify Mildred Harnack as the only American in the leadership of the German resistance， yet her remarkable story has remained almost unknown until now。Fusing elements of biography， political thriller， and scholarly detective story， Harnack's great-great-niece Rebecca Donner brilliantly interweaves letters， diary entries， notes smuggled out of a Berlin prison， testimony of survivors， and a trove of declassified intelligence documents into a powerful， enthralling story， reconstructing the moral courage of an enigmatic woman nearly erased by history。 。。。more
John Davis
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All the Frequent Troubles of Our Days， by Rebecca Donner; Little， Brown: New York; $32。00 hardback Those who seek to know what the subtle， horrific， then relentless growth of dictatorship looks like will do well to read of the final years of Mildred Harnack in this， ‘The true story of the American woman at the heart of the German resistance to Hitler。” Harnack， American wife of Arvid Harnack， himself from a renowned German democratic family， became involved in resisting the encroachment of Nazi All the Frequent Troubles of Our Days， by Rebecca Donner; Little， Brown: New York; $32。00 hardback Those who seek to know what the subtle， horrific， then relentless growth of dictatorship looks like will do well to read of the final years of Mildred Harnack in this， ‘The true story of the American woman at the heart of the German resistance to Hitler。” Harnack， American wife of Arvid Harnack， himself from a renowned German democratic family， became involved in resisting the encroachment of Nazi power from the onset of her married life in Berlin of the late 1920s。 Rebecca Donner， widely published and greatly respected author and essayist， brings us a thoroughly researched， nuanced， and insightful study of the largest German resistance movement during the 12 year reign of Nazi terror。 She offers this appreciation through the prism of the life of Mildred Harnack， one of its most active underground members。 That Harnack’s life in the underground was well hidden is only now appreciated。 We only now have access to hitherto classified records of the former Nazi， Soviet， and American governments。 These documents allow insight to what was then known， and clarifies what had been speculated about， a group of anti-Nazis whose activities were to last from roughly the mid ‘30s until 1943。 Well educated， socially interlinked， largely bourgeois， Mildred Harnack’s associates came from all walks of Berlin diplomatic， military， academic and social milieus。 Indeed， her club memberships， social outreach groups， and academic communities served as valuable centers for identification and recruitment of fellow spies。 For in the end， this is what she did。 Strange to confirm， the group’s title， Red Orchestra， was given by their Gestapo opponents who believed they served Stalin alone。 This， as Donner demonstrates， was not the case。 The largely middle class membership was drawn from various sectors of Berlin society。 Each recruitment was based upon a potential member’s access to information that， if betrayed， would help defeat Hitler。 Largely amateurs， resisters were often recruited by professional Soviet spy-handlers。 When their access to valuable information was confirmed Soviet training， communications equipment， and espionage trade craft materials were provided。 How all of this finally unraveled， due to poor compartmentalization， is a study in tragedy。 Donner is a master of research。 She literally found diaries， rescued troves of forgotten letters， and interviewed the few surviving knowledgeable observers of those pre- and early war years。 Writing in the present tense for the most part， she brings a vivid sense of you-are-there to her writing。 Best of all， she tells this truly tragic tale of noble efforts-- brought down by the powers of absolute Gestapo lawlessness-- in utterly readable fashion。 Donner’s work is magnificent， because her storytelling skill will keep you at once intrigued by the numerous schemes， stunned by the revelations， and horrified at the moral dilemmas revealed。 In the end， the choices made by Harnack’s group to secretly fight for a Germany based on the rule of law， in the face of Nazi torture chambers and relentless persecution， is a testimony to humanity’s best qualities 。。。more
Gabriella Aratow
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I've just completed the audiobook of this extraordinary story。 I always like it when the author is also the reader - that way you hear the book's rhythms， the emphasis of various words， a sense of emotional tenor， etc， just as the writer her/himself imagined them。 Rebecca Donner does a wonderful job telling this story， one out of her very own family， as both a writer and a reader。 She has a clear， calm voice。 This tale is richly layered with several shocking twists。 I thought I knew a lot about I've just completed the audiobook of this extraordinary story。 I always like it when the author is also the reader - that way you hear the book's rhythms， the emphasis of various words， a sense of emotional tenor， etc， just as the writer her/himself imagined them。 Rebecca Donner does a wonderful job telling this story， one out of her very own family， as both a writer and a reader。 She has a clear， calm voice。 This tale is richly layered with several shocking twists。 I thought I knew a lot about WW2 history but I have learned so much more。 It also isn't hard to relate much in this book to our political atmosphere today。 Be prepared to be inspired and devastated。 I listen to audiobooks as I hike and I know it's captivating when I want to keep climbing up just so I can listen some more。 Brava！ 。。。more
Mary Gunderson
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Gritty story about Mildred Harnach， an American who worked in the resistance in a Germany and was in fact a leader in the resistance。 Donner is a relative of Harnach’s and a good writer。 However， her narration of Mildred’s story via Audible is awful。 Donner reads every word as if on the edge of hysteria and her writing itself is tense and dropping with dread which isn’t inappropriate to Mildred’s story。 I’ll finish the book by reading instead of listening。 Returned oral version to Audible。
Linden
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