Wednesday Reads: The Women in the Castle, Jessica Shattuck

Hi, book lovers! I’m so excited to introduce a new series on the blog called Wednesday Reads.  I get a ton of requests for book recommendations from you guys on Instagram and I thought it would be fun to do a book review each week.  Sometimes it will be a book I just finished, but some weeks will feature an old favorite.

This week, I’m talking about a book I just finished –  The Women in the Castle by Jessica Shattuck.  For the past couple of years decades I’ve been on a WWII, historical fiction kick and this novel fit right into my obsession.  The genius angle of this book is it tells a story we don’t normally hear from that genre.  Instead of coming from the viewpoint of citizens or military in Allied nations, it tells the tale of three women whose husbands were German resisters that plotted (and failed) to assassinate Adolf Hitler. What an interesting angle, right?? What’s more is that the majority of the story takes place after the war and tells how these women picked up the pieces of their lives and tried to move on…without their husbands and with small children to raise.

The book is written beautifully by Shattuck and I was instantly drawn to all three of the main characters.  The main reason you should read it though is because it’s an incredibly important story.  Although it is fiction, it’s fascinating to hear the German citizen’s perspective on the war, Hitler and what it was like to live in a country that fell down such a terrible and steep path.  Not everyone in Germany agreed with the direction of the Nazis of course (as highlighted by this story and real life resistance accounts) and I think it’s vital we remember that.  I believe tales of courage in times of great danger are one of the most important reasons why literature is so vital in our culture.

That being said, you don’t have to be a history buff to love this book.  It’s insightful, smart and dare I say, a breezy read for such serious subject matter.

Review Details

Title: The Women in the Castle

Author: Jessica Shattuck

My Rating: 4 out of 5

Available Here

Happy Reading, ya’ll! XOXO

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