City of Women, David R. Gillham
City of Women, David R. Gillham
17 Rating(s)
List: $22.50 | Sale: $15.75
Club: $11.25

City of Women

Author: David R. Gillham

Narrator: Suzanne Bertish

Unabridged: 13 hr 10 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Penguin Audio

Published: 08/07/2012


Synopsis

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER AND ONE OF KIRKUS REVIEWS' BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR

It is 1943—the height of the Second World War. With the men away at the front, Berlin has become a city of women.

On the surface, Sigrid Schröder is the model German soldier’s wife: She goes to work every day, does as much with her rations as she can, and dutifully cares for her meddling mother-in-law, all the while ignoring the horrific immoralities of the regime.

But behind this façade is an entirely different Sigrid, a woman of passion who dreams of her former Jewish lover, now lost in the chaos of the war. But Sigrid is not the only one with secrets—she soon finds herself caught between what is right and what is wrong, and what falls somewhere in the shadows between the two . . .

READERS GUIDE INSIDE

About The Author

David R. Gillham is the New York Times bestselling author of City of Women. He studied screenwriting at the University of Southern California before transitioning into fiction. After moving to New York City, Gillham spent more than a decade in the book business and now lives with his family in western Massachusetts.Suzanne Bertish is an award-winning British actress who has worked on Broadway, the West End, and with the Royal Shakespeare Company. Her television credits include the HBO/BBC series Rome, Mercy Street, and The Grid. Bertish is also a narrator and voice-over artist. Her audiobooks include City of Women by David R. Gillham and Mystique by Amanda Quick.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Nancy on October 25, 2012

I'm afraid I didn't care for this book all that much, but the setting (atmosphere, sense of place & time) was so well evoked that I can't totally write it off. I know people are really in love with this novel, and once again I'm swimming against the current of public opinion here because it just did......more

Goodreads review by Lisa on February 11, 2013

4 ½ stars I’m struggling because I want to do this book justice but I am not in the mood to write a review. I want to get something down though when everything is fairly fresh in my mind, because I loved this book. I read this as a buddy read with my Goodreads friend Diane, and also read it for my rea......more

Goodreads review by Julie on January 23, 2013

There is no black or white in war, but the variations of gray are infinite. With the protection of history and hindsight, we can sit at our remove and imagine how our moral compass would guide us through treacherous situations, but fiction – well-crafted fiction – can offer three-dimensional dilemma......more

Goodreads review by Wilma on June 07, 2016

Een oorlogsroman met diepgang...een verhaal dat in je hoofd blijft 'hangen'...het zet aan tot nadenken...wat ook de bedoeling van de schrijver is. De keuze tussen 'goed' en 'kwaad', wat is 'goed' en wat is 'kwaad'? Hoe hebben de inwoners van Berlijn tijdens WOll gereageerd op de misdaden die het reg......more

Goodreads review by Susan on July 20, 2013

"City of Women" is just fine for what it is: a star crossed love story taking place in WWII Germany. Unfortunately, the story lacks many valuable details that would anchor the tale in this time period. Your satisfaction with the story will probably vary according to your expectations. Rereading the......more


Quotes

“David Gillham’s excellent new novel, City of Women, is built on one of the most extraordinary and faithful re-creations of a time in history—Berlin in World War II—that I’ve ever read.”    —Alan Furst,  New York Times–bestselling author of Spies of the Balkans

“In this moving and masterful debut, David Gillham brings war-torn Berlin to life and reveals the extraordinary mettle of women tested to their limits and beyond. Powerful and piercingly real. You won’t soon forget these characters.”    —Paula McLain, New York Times–bestselling author of The Paris Wife

“Haunting and sensual, City of Women is a story of survival, of the unfathomable choices made and consequences suffered by those pushed to the brink. David Gillham has depicted a little-known aspect of the war with humanity and grace.” —Pam Jenoff, internationally bestselling author of The Things We Cherished

“If you enjoy beautiful story telling, gripping suspense, and a distractingly romantic plot, this is the book for you! An exciting, page turning read!” —Kathleen Grissom, New York Times–bestselling author of The Kitchen House

City of Women is a big, brilliant, passionate book, a masterful evocation of Hitler’s Berlin in all its claustrophobia, duplicity, and fear. This is a thriller of searing intensity. . . .  I found it utterly compelling.” —Margaret Leroy, New York Times–bestselling author of The Soldier’s Wife