The Women in the Castle

I was initially reluctant to read a novel about Nazi Germany, but I’m so glad I did. Shattuck introduces us to three women—Marianne, Benita, and Ania. Each has a uniquely compelling story, and I came to care about them all. These characters brought me a new understanding of how German women dealt with the Nazi era and its terrible aftermath. And importantly, Shattuck brings compassion to the three women, each of whom was striving to find a way through a treacherous and sometimes soul-warping period. Ultimately, the author leaves us with insights into our own often frightening times.

I heard Shattuck speak about her book at the National World War II Museum. The story is based on her grandmother’s life in post-war Germany. It took Shattuck seven years to research and write. The women in the title are three widows with connections to the men who plotted the failed assassination attempt on Hitler. The women, wives, mothers, and lovers, some weak, some strong, join forces to try to survive the war’s aftermath, living together in a crumbling Bavarian castle. It was a book I could not put down.