The German Sisters

In this lyrical novel set against the backdrop of Hitler’s rise to power, two sisters find themselves on opposite sides of the war, testing the strength of familial bonds, the power of sacrifice, and the limits of forgiveness. Gerde is 13 when Hitler takes office; Ilse, 11. While Gerda quickly grows disillusioned by Nazism, Ilse becomes a fervent follower: the sound of Hitler’s voice on the radio is like a drug to her. She feels honored to be sent to Year on the Land, an agrarian indoctrination program meant to turn out model German mothers who embrace the regime’s catchphrase Kinder, Küche, Kirche (Children, Kitchen, Church) and its goal of boosting the Aryan birth rate. There, she falls in love with a boy from a nearby camp and becomes pregnant. Dreading the consequences of her pregnancy, Ilse surprises her estranged sister at the train station, handing off a sleeping infant, just as Gerde and her fiancé are fleeing Hitler’s ruthless regime. Years after the war, Ilse, now armed with the hindsight to see the horrors of Nazism, must both confront her schoolgirl self, a child naively swept away by fascism’s false promises, and face the daughter she gave away. Written in evocative prose, this novel resonates with the issues of our time, offering a window into the experiences of average German citizens during Hitler’s rise—their indoctrination, attempts at resistance, and lifelong regrets.