The Diplomat's Wife http://www.fishpond.com.au/Books/Diplomats-Wife-Pam-Jenoff/9780778302001

By Pam Jenoff

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About the Author

Pam Jenoff served as Vice Consul for the U.S. State Department in Krakow, Poland. She is an expert on Poland and the Holocaust, and has been honoured by numerous organisations for her scholarly work in this area. She received her master's degree in history from Cambridge University and this is her first novel.

Reviews

In this successful and satisfying second novel (after The Kommandant's Girl), Marta Nedermann is rescued from torture and interrogation at a Nazi prison by Paul, an American soldier, at the end of the war. Sent to a hospital and relocation camp, Marta reunites with Paul, only to be separated again when Paul is killed in a plane crash and Marta, using a dead woman's visa, escapes to London. Alone, pregnant, and desperate, Marta marries Simon Gold, a kindly British diplomat. Marta's history as a Resistance fighter and Simon's job in the Foreign Office pull her into the intelligence game and a dangerous mission in Prague. Jenoff explores the immediate aftermath of World War II with sensitivity and compassion, shedding light on an often overlooked era of European history. She expertly draws out the tension and illustrates the danger and poverty of Eastern Europe as it falls under communism. Highly recommended for all fiction collections.--Jessica E. Moyer, Coll. of Education & Human Development, Univ. of Minnesota, Minneapolis Copyright 2008 Reed Business Information.

Jenoff's stirring sequel to her debut, The Kommandant's Girl, chronicles the perilous post-WWII adventures of Marta Nederman, a member of the Polish resistance and best friend of the earlier book's heroine. When the Allies liberate Dachau, where Marta has been imprisoned and tortured by the Gestapo, Paul Mattison, a handsome American soldier, tenderly gives the weakened Marta a drink of water. Later, at a refugee camp outside Salzburg, Austria, Marta befriends Rose, another recovering survivor. After Rose's sudden death, Marta is able to use Rose's visa to travel to London. When en route Marta runs into Paul in Paris, the passion between the pair ignites. They promise to meet in two weeks, but tragedy ensues when Paul's plane crashes in the English Channel. Pregnant with Paul's baby, Marta marries Simon Gold, a British diplomat. Two years later, Marta goes on a dangerous mission to Poland, where a Communist takeover is imminent and where the seesaw plot takes more than one surprise twist. Historical romance fans will be well rewarded. (May) Copyright 2008 Reed Business Information.