The Ultimate Sacrifice

A Woman Of War by Mandy Robotham is a fabulous debut novel set inside Nazi Germany. It is a powerful story using real historical figures blended with the author’s imagination. Some book have the power to really affect the reader – this is one such book.

For me, A Woman Of War spoke of the bravery of women, especially mothers who continually sacrifice their needs for that of their children.

War brings out the very best and the very worst in people. Women, of good moral character, place their lives on the line to practice kindness in a world where there is no kindness. “I had warmed to her… mainly for treating me like a human being.”

The novel has two main settings – Ravensbruick concentration camp and the Berghoff, also known as the wolf’s lair. The reader ‘experiences’ the horrors of the concentration camp from the confines of our sofas. We are horrified at man’s inhumanity to man and our hearts are warmed as women with nothing, try to make childbirth pleasant experience. There is a camaraderie that comes from having nothing and being there to help others in the same position. In contrast, the Berghoff is luxury but one is always just one step away from life in the camp.