The German Heiress

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A haunting debut full of moral ambiguity for fans of THE TATTOOIST OF AUSCHWITZ and THE POSTMISTRESS _________________________ 'The kind of novel we need now more than ever, and achieves what the best historical fiction can . . . pushing us to see ourselves in that past, demanding- Who would you have been then What would you have done Unflinching and absorbing, it does not let you look away.' Sarah Blake, New York Times bestselling author of THE POSTMISTRESS _________________________ Essen, 1946. Clara Falkenberg, once an iconic heiress, is on the run. With the city in ruins and her dear friend Elisa missing, Clara enlists the help of Jakob, a charming young racketeer with his own reasons for wanting to find Elisa. As the two join forces, it's not long before Clara's family secrets catch up with her. But she soon comes to realise the only way to survive is to face the truth of what she's done. _________________________ 'What a great debut! It still haunts me, days after finishing it.' Liz Trenow, author of The Poppy Factory and The Silk Weaver 'Anika Scott's finely drawn characters ... bring to life not only the struggle to rise from the ashes of war, but also the depth of resolve often required to gain redemption. Illuminating and beautifully rendered.' Susan Meissner, author of The Last Year of the War 'Meticulously researched and plotted like a noir thriller, The German Heiress tells a different story of WWII - of characters grappling with their own guilt and driven by the question of what they could have done to change the past.' Jessica Shattuck, author of The Women in the Castle 'Anika Scott's epic novel offers a captivating tour through the reckoning years that followed WWII when clarifying identities, unearthing truths, and facing judgements was the only way to rebuild a life. The novel's heroine, Clara, marches along the razor's edge between the leviathan of the past and a future full of mine shafts. I will never forget her unending struggle to rise above the dark lineage thrust upon her and her battle to stay connected to the deep binds of love, responsibility, and compassion.' Devin Murphy, author of The Boat Runner 'The German Heiress is a special novel that opens one's mind to aspects of history we on the "winning" side have given little thought to, and a moving story of courage and everyday heroism rising to meet unbearable challenges.' Alex Marwood, author of The Wicked Girls _________________________ Previously published as Finding Clara _________________________ Readers are falling in love with The German Heiress- 'A story that kept me engrossed from start to finish. I loved it.' 'A stunning debut that will stay with me long after finishing the last page.' 'A brilliant story which will keep you reading late into the night!' 'An intense, dark and twisted historical read that skilfully portrays the often common experiences, horrors and dilemmas of being on the losing side in a war for ordinary people.' 'A fascinating read about fighting for survival in post-World War 2 Germany' 'The story is a page turner which had me gripped the whole way through' 'A gripping read with a well-drawn characters.' 'For those that love historical fiction, this was an unique and gripping plot'

Reviews

The German Heiress is the kind of novel we need now more than ever. Set in Germany, eighteen months after the war, reckonings of every sort are playing out and Anika Scott deftly builds a world in which all the shades of gray - Nazi collaboration and complicity among civilians - are brought to life. The German Heiress achieves what the best historical fiction can, asking us to see the past, and then pushing us to see ourselves in that past, demanding: Who would you have been then What would you have done Unflinching and absorbing, The German Heiress does not let you look away. -- Sarah Blake, New York Times bestselling author of THE POSTMISTRESS
Fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz will be fascinated by Scott's portrayal of post-war Germany. * Woman *
[An] extraordinary novel. * Woman & Home *
[A] thought-provoking and meticulously researched tale of redemption that transports readers to post-war Germany. * CultureFly *
Meticulously researched and plotted like a noir thriller, The German Heiress tells a different story of WWII - of characters grappling with their own guilt and driven by the question of what they could have done to change the past. -- Jessica Shattuck, New York Times bestselling author of THE WOMEN OF THE CASTLE

Author Bio

Anika Scott lives with her husband and two daughters in Essen, Germany, where her debut novel is set. She grew up in Michigan, USA and has degrees in International Politics and Journalism. She began her career wanting to be a CIA agent and had security clearance from an internship at the State Department in Washington, but CIA applications included never being able to write stories or keep a diary. Anika loves stories too much for that, and so became a journalist instead. She was staff on the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Chicago Tribune before becoming a freelance journalist in Germany- her work has appeared widely in the US and European media. She runs an online resource about post-war German history at www.postwargermany.com