The Munich Girl: A Novel of Legacies that Outlast the War by Phyllis Edgerly Ring

Title: The Munich Girl: A Novel of Legacies that Outlast the War
Author: Phyllis Edgerly Ring
Published: January 7, 2016
Published By: Whole Sky Books
Format Read: Kindle for PC
Genre: Historical Fiction
Date Read: April 23, 2015
Rating: 5/5

I was sent a copy of The Munich Girl by Phyllis Edgerly Ring from the author in exchange for an honest review. 

Anna grew up with a portrait hanging in her family’s dining room of Adolf Hitler’s famous mistress (and eventual wife) Eva Braun. She always believed that her father had brought it back as World War II loot. After the death of her mother Peggy, Anna uncovers information about her guarded past, most specifically her life in Germany during the war. She would also uncover a connection between the two women (Peggy and Eva) that will take Anna on a journey of discovery.

When I first read the synopsis for The Munich Girl, I knew I had to read this book. As a lover of historical fiction, I have read from a variety of different perspectives of World War II, however this was the first time I had read about German citizens who lived “freely” in the presence of the Third Reich. I use the word “freely” loosely as regular German citizens were far from free during Hitler’s reign. 

Phyllis Edgerly Ring did a wonderful job of portraying Eva Braun’s life through the eyes of Peggy and as a result of Anna’s tireless research. She got straight to the point of the story without dragging on an introduction and the plot line moved steadily throughout. Although I read this in Kindle format, this book was nicely put together. Each section began with a photo and each chapter was marked with Eva Bruan’s initials in a Kleeblatt.   

I found it interesting how the author created similarities between Anna’s relationship with her husband Lowell and that of Eva and Hitler. It was clever in that it allows readers to build compassion about the situations both women were in. Eva was portrayed not in a cruel anti-Semitic way, but as a woman who was caring, absolutely devoted and very intelligent.

 I was pleased that this book wasn’t centered around, or bogged down with the politics of World War II. Instead it was more of a tale about friendship, sacrifices and legacies. 

The Munich Girl is a heartbreaking story with revelations from start to finish. I would highly recommend it to lovers of historical fiction. This would be especially of interest of those who enjoy reading about different perspectives during World War II.