Berlin is bereft of men in 1943; it has become a “city of women.” Sigrid Schroder lives with her mother-in-law while her husband is away, fighting the war. She works in the patent office, where the women are told they are fighting the war, too. Life is grim, with miserable rationed food, and nightly bombings by the Brits forcing the city’s residents into cramped shelters. Sigrid seeks privacy and relief by fantasizing about or meeting up with her secret Jewish lover at the movie theater whenever she can steal away. Her life becomes even more complicated when she befriends Ericha, who works for an overwhelmed neighbor who was awarded the Mother’s Cross of Honor for being “rich in children.” Ericha lures a curious Sigrid into complicity in her underground world hiding Jews. Sigrid is transformed from someone minding her own business to having her eyes opened to the truth and being moved to action. The story is intelligently written with detailed descriptions of Berlin and its people during this period. Though it’s hard to believe that Sigrid could become so instantly competent in espionage, her relationships and conversations ring true. She is an unsung hero, representing other nameless people who risked their lives to do something good in the face of evil.
Miriam Bradman Abrahams, mom, grandmom, avid reader, sometime writer, born in Havana, raised in Brooklyn, residing in Long Beach on Long Island. Longtime former One Region One Book chair and JBC liaison for Nassau Hadassah, currently presenting Incident at San Miguel with author AJ Sidransky who wrote the historical fiction based on her Cuban Jewish refugee family’s experiences during the revolution. Fluent in Spanish and Hebrew, certified hatha yoga instructor.
