Author: Pam Jenoff
Published: May 2008
Publisher: Harlequin Enterprises, Limited
Paperback
Summary: After working in the Jewish resistance in Kraków, Poland, Marta Nedermann is rescued from a Nazi prison by American soldiers. A simple gesture of human comfort by a soldier named Paul is etched in her mind, and when she sees him again in a camp for displaced persons in Salzburg, Marta is overjoyed. They meet again in Paris and become engaged, only to have Paul die in a plane crash. Marta is now scared, pregnant, and alone in a strange city. Simon Gold, an English diplomat, needs her language skills, and he wants her as well. They marry, and two years later, the English government taps Marta for help in finding a traitor in the British intelligence corps, sending her on an undercover mission that entails revisiting her past. Jenoff gives readers a thrilling and intense look at the beginning of the cold war as well as a heartrending love story about two very brave people as she continues the story of the heroic resistance members from The Kommandant’s Girl (2007). (From booklist.com)
My Thoughts: I love fictional books that are set in World War II, and I will always search out books that are set during this time period. So, when I read the description for The Diplomat's Wife, it seemed to be just the kind of book that I would enjoy. Let me say, that while it is not the greatest book ever written, it is an enjoyable read.
The characters are predictable: the American soldier rescuing people, the doting English woman who becomes like a mother to Marta, and the Russian spy hidden within the British government. Marta, the main character, does not grow throughout the story, but she has a strong personality and a sense of what is best for the greater good, so that propels her throughout the story.
The book is a quick read, and Pam Jenoff does provide some plot twists along the way, which really moves the book along. There were times when I couldn't put the book down, and other times where I thought the story was starting to drag and I wanted to skip the rest of a chapter. I really did enjoy it though, and it was a perfect book to read after reading Jane Eyre. It was easy, not to difficult to understand, and a quick read. Definitely a book to read when you are looking for something light and easy.
My Rating: 3.5 stars
*This book is the sequel to The Kommandant's Girl. I did not read this book yet, but it did not affect my reading of The Diplomat's Wife. There are some characters who carry over, but Jenoff does a good job of summarizing what happened in the previous book, so you won't be too confused if you read these books out of order.
I had no idea that this book was the sequel to The Kommandant's Girl. I read them out of order then. But it doesn't really make sense for them to be connected now that I think about it. I enjoyed this book, I thought the end was quite unpredictable. Thanks for the review!
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