History Corner: The Puzzle Women by Anna Ellory

Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this ebook from via Amazon Publishing UK, via #Netgalley, free of charge, for review purposes on this blog. No compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it, all opinions are my own


As Domestic Violence Month comes to an end, 
this frank look at it, is one not to be missed!








the puzzle women cover

Synopsis:

Berlin, 1989. Siblings Rune and Lotte are shaken awake by Mama and told to follow her quietly into the night. Last time they snuck away from Papa, with Mama bruised and broken, they were back within a week. But this time they are starting a new life, Mama says—where nobody can ever hurt them again.

Ten years later, the memories of their escape are blurry; Mama is long gone and the siblings are back at Papa’s house. But when they receive a mysterious notebook that seems to have come from Mama, Papa tears it apart. Could there be more to their past than they’ve been led to believe?

With Rune paralyzed by fear, Lotte takes their fate into her own hands. When she learns about the ‘Puzzle Women’ working tirelessly to reconstruct files shredded by the former secret police, she begs them to help her piece Mama’s story back together. But as Papa’s threats against both siblings escalate, can they unite to learn the full, brutal truth in Mama’s own words at last?


Review:

If there is one book you read before the end of the year, make it this one! It is destined to be picked up for movie rights, as it tells a story not often told, but in today's climate, is much needed to be told. I literally could NOT put this book down, once I started on it. The story works itself back and forth in time, telling the story of the past, through Mama's notebook, and the memories it brings back to Rune and Lotte. As they piece through their memories, they realize things were worse than they remembered, and what seemed like craziness on their mother's part was really a chance to give them freedom from fear, and their father. 

It takes a hard look at what life was like behind the wall in Eastern Germany, and how aspects of WWII never left, just gt worse, as they were heavily influenced by Russian Communism. It's not a book for those who can't handle violence in literature, but it's an honest look at how power corrupts and how domestic violence can cause ripples of harm, is breathtaking. 



About the Author:

Anna Ellory has completed her MA in creative writing at Bath Spa University. This is her second novel.

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