Child of the Ruins, Kate Furnivall
Child of the Ruins, Kate Furnivall
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Child of the Ruins
a gripping, heart-breaking and unforgettable World War Two historical thriller

Author: Kate Furnivall

Narrator: Gloria Sanders, Imogen Church

Unabridged: 17 hr 8 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 11/07/2023

Synopsis

Anna and Ingrid have survived World War II. Now they must live through the Berlin airlifts.
Evocative and unforgettable, CHILD OF THE RUINS is set during the Berlin air lifts of 1948 and written by one of the most brilliant writers of historical fiction in the UK.

People are disappearing. I spoke to my neighbour yesterday, we laughed at some nonsense, and today he is gone. We only discovered he was missing because the dog wouldn't stop howling and we all knew he would never leave his beloved pet. So I am careful, extremely careful.

Two families divided by war.
An entire city on the edge of disaster.

1948, Berlin. World War II has ended and there is supposed to be peace; but Russian troops have closed all access to the city. Roads, railway lines and waterways are blocked and two million people are trapped, relying on airlifts of food, water and medicine to survive. The sharp eyes of the Russian state police watch everything; no one can be trusted.

Anna and Ingrid are both searching for answers - and revenge - in the messy aftermath of war. They understand that survival comes only by knowing what to trade: food; medicine; heirlooms; secrets. Both are living in the shadows of a city where the line between right and wrong has become dangerously blurred. But they cannot give up in the search for a lost child ...

Praise for Kate Furnivall's writing:

'Kate Furnivall has a talent for creating places and characters who stay with you long after you have read the final word' JANE CORRY

'Hugely ambitious and atmospheric' KATE MOSSE

'Fast-paced with a sinister edge' THE TIMES

(P)2023 Hodder & Stoughton Limited

About Kate Furnivall

Kate Furnivall was born in Wales and currently lives in Devon, England. Married and the mother of two sons, she has worked in publishing and television advertising. She is the national bestselling author of The White Pearl, The Jewel of St. Petersburg, The Girl from Junchow, The Red Scarf, and The Russian Concubine.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Karren on September 27, 2023

1948, Berlin. The Second World War has ended, Germany has been divided up into zones and due to the Russian blockade over two millions people rely on the American air drops of food, clean water and medicine to survive and a plane lands every thirty seconds in West Berlin. Anna Wolff and her mother L......more

Goodreads review by Linda on November 13, 2023

1948 Berlin and the war is over… Having long been a fan of Kate Furnivall’s writing, I anticipated an excellent read in Child of the Ruins, but I had rather forgotten what an evocative, vivid and spell-binding writer she is. Child of the Ruins thrums with authentic detail that gives the narrative suc......more

Goodreads review by Hanlie on November 11, 2023

What a wonderful but also heart-wrenching read. The aftermath of the Second World War left so much devastation. Families were torn apart and thousands of children were left to wander the streets. This is a story that focuses a lot on the wolf children (wolfskinder) of Germany. They were called this......more

Goodreads review by Sophie on January 20, 2025

An epic story about the resilience of the people of Berlin post WW2- I was hooked, and loved the interlacing of fact with fiction. Also can’t believe it’s the first I’m hearing of the candy bomber🥲❤️......more

Goodreads review by Christine on August 01, 2023

This is a great novel about three women, each fighting their own demons in post war East and West Berlin . Whether because of trauma, loss, what these women had in common was their fight to survive: for food, money or a child lost.... I really enjoyed both storyline and plot: captivating and impossib......more

Quotes

I was blown away not just by the gripping story, which had my heart thumping at times, but the sheer eloquence of writing. It is a story of the strength of the human spirit, and of love which will not be defeated. I know I will be recommending it to everyone LESLEY PEARSE

An impressively researched, powerfully emotional tale of two women surviving post-war Berlin . . . Child of the Ruins will have you gripped in suspense from the first line to the last LOUISE CANDLISH

In Kate's inimitable style we are immediately drawn into this impeccably researched and terrifying period of history. Stunning from the very first line, this is a masterclass in historical fiction writing. An absolute triumph! DINAH JEFFERIES

An absolutely stunning book from the Queen of Historical Fiction. Emotional, powerful, meticulously researched, sharp writing, just wonderful LOUISE SWANSON

There is only one word to describe Child of the Ruins and that is awesome. It is compelling and evocative, thrilling and yet hugely touching. Kate Furnivall has really steeped herself in the period and faced the horrors of those times. I congratulate her DILLY COURT

An extraordinarily tense and gripping story set in a city brought to its knees in the aftermath of war, where life is cheap and crusts of bread are currency. The plotting is ingenious and the writing beautifully atmospheric GILL PAUL

Unforgettable characters negotiate desperate times in this vivid, brave and suspenseful novel set in the chaos of war torn Berlin. The final twist made me gasp! RACHEL HORE

Gripping from the very first page, Child of the Ruins is a powerful and emotionally intense reminder that heartache and hardship linger long after a war ends. Highly recommend! TERESA DRISCOLL

I have just finished reading Child of the Ruins and now I am bereft. Such an emotionally powerful and compelling story, told with skill and impeccable research. I was immersed from beginning to end ROSANNA LEY

Each page and each word made me feel as though I was in Berlin at the end of the Second World War, alongside a mother searching for her son. Kate Furnivall has a gift for description, heartbreak and joy. I defy anyone not to read beyond the first killer sentence' JANE CORRY

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