THE BOOK FAIR
READ AND FULFILL YOUR LIFE
Pam Jenoff
the kommandant's girl
Author: Pam Jenoff
Published: 2007
Genre: Historical Fiction
Cover: Paperback
Pages: 395
Review:
“The Commandant’s Girl”, the first book in Pam Jenoff’s trilogy, is followed by “The Diplomat’s Wife”, and ends with, “The Ambassador’s Daughter”.
Jenoff ties the three novels together by overlapping the characters in the three books. The author reaches the height of fiction in the first book of the trilogy.
Emma Bau is married only five weeks when Poland is razed under Nazi tanks. Emma’s husband, Jacob, leaves Krakow to fight in the Jewish resistance. Krysia, a Catholic Pole, and Jacob’s aunt, by marriage, supports the Jewish Resistance fighters. Emma admires the Resistance fighters, particularly Marta, who fights alongside Jacob, and delivers messages from him.
Krysia arranges a dinner party for Emma to meets a high ranking Nazi, Kommandant Richwalder, a target of the Resistance. Richwalder asks Emma to be his secretary.
The Kommandant falls in love with Emma and she in turn, develops feelings for him. As time passes, she hears rumors and whispers that she is the Kommandant’s girl and calls herself so. On search of his apartment, she learns that the Nazis will empty the Krakow Ghetto to Auschwitz, Belzec and Birkenau. Finding herself pregnant, she wonders who she loves more, her husband or the Kommandant.
Trite, melodramatic writing with an impossible plot.
THE DIPLOMAT'S Wife
Author: Pam Jenoff
Published: 2008
Genre: Historical Fiction
Cover: Paperback
Pages: 360
Review:
Spies and subterfuge dominate the plot in “The Diplomat’s Wife”, the second book in the trilogy which opens as Marta is captured by the Germans and interrogated. Marta is later rescued by Americans who capture Berlin. Marta is sent to a hospital where she is treated and befriends the nurse, Dava. After Marta recovers, she searches for the soldier who rescued her and learns his name is Paul.
Marta and Paul begin to see each other and fall in love. Dava devises a plan for Marta to live in London. Marta meets a high-powered official in the government. Marta’s background in the Resistance leads to her recruitment in espionage.
The predictable plot twists and turns fall short along with the weak and conflicted female heroines.
THE Ambassador's Daughter
Author: Pam Jenoff
Published: 2009
Genre: Historical Fiction
Cover: Paperback
Pages: 245
Review:
“The Ambassador’s Daughter”, the final novel in Pam Jenoff’s trilogy, introduces the story of Margot Rosenthal, a young Jewish woman and Georg Richwalden, a decorated German Naval Officer, who meet one another while in Paris, for the Conference of Versailles, following WW I.
Margot’s father, a diplomat and Georg Richwalden are both sent by the German government to represent German interests in the treaty. Although Margot is engaged to another, she falls in love with George Richwalden.
While in Paris, Margot befriends Krysia, a beautiful Parisian, and is soon drawn into spying and subterfuge.
Implausible; shallow.