The Prisoners Wife, Maggie Brookes
The Prisoners Wife, Maggie Brookes
5 Rating(s)
List: $22.50
On Sale: $5.99

The Prisoner's Wife

Author: Maggie Brookes

Narrator: Alicia Suszka-Fielder, David John

Unabridged: 12 hr 50 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Penguin Audio

Published: 05/26/2020


Synopsis

Inspired by the true story of a daring deception that plunges a courageous young woman deep into the horrors of a Nazi POW camp to be with the man she loves.

In the dead of night, a Czech farm girl and a British soldier travel through the countryside. Izabela and prisoner of war Bill have secretly married and are on the run, with Izzy dressed as a man. The young husband and wife evade capture for as long as possible—until they are cornered by Nazi soldiers with tracking dogs.

Izzy's disguise works. The couple are assumed to be escaped British soldiers and transported to a POW camp. However, their ordeal has just begun, as they face appalling living conditions and the constant fear of Izzy's exposure. But in the midst of danger and deprivation comes hope, for the young couple are befriended by a small group of fellow prisoners. These men become their new family, willing to jeopardize their lives to save Izzy from being discovered and shot.

The Prisoner's Wife tells of an incredible risk, and of how our deepest bonds are tested in desperate times. Bill and Izzy's story is one of love and survival against the darkest odds.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Jennifer ~ TarHeelReader on May 30, 2020

Bill is an escaped prisoner of war and British. Izabela is Czech. The two are married and on the run. Izzy dresses as a man to draw less attention to herself, and they are successful for a time until the Nazis ultimately catch up to them. Izzy and Bill are taken to a POW camp, with Izzy still in disgu......more

Goodreads review by Suzanne on June 17, 2020

Izzy works on the family farm with her mother during World War 2. Their life in Czechoslovakia has been tough since her father and older brother joined the resistance leaving them unable to tend their crops. Izzy yearns to be with people her own age and dreams of a romance that she is unlikely to ex......more

Goodreads review by Karren on April 15, 2020

In 1944, Izabela is living on the family farm in Vrazne in Czechoslovakia, with her mother and little brother Marek. Her father has left the farm with her older brother Jan and are both fighting with the Czechoslovakia resistance. One day there’s a knock on the door, it’s a Nazi Officer they nicknam......more

Goodreads review by Elizabeth of Silver's Reviews on May 26, 2020

Izabela and Bill were destined to meet, but did Izabela realize what she was getting herself and Bill into when she rushed the marriage and escaped the farm she had known for her entire life? Izabela immediately fell in love with Bill when she saw him in a group of British prisoners who came to help......more

Goodreads review by Mlpmom (Book Reviewer) on May 26, 2020

Every once in awhile you stumble upon a book that is rich in history, so much so that sometimes, it will take your very breath away. Sometimes it steals that breath because of how beautiful it is and sometimes because of how very sad and horrifying and raw and true it is. In the case of The Prisoner......more


Quotes

"A powerful love story that exquisitely depicts the courage and strength of the human spirit in the face of the tremendous cost of war."--Chanel Cleeton, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Train to Key West, on The Prisoner's Wife
 
More praise for The Prisoner's Wife

"A powerful page-turner."--Marie Benedict, New York Times bestselling author of Lady Clementine
 
"You will be spellbound by this stellar debut."--Susan Meissner, Bestselling author of The Last Year of the War
 
"Perhaps the most unique World War II story I’ve ever read…A complete winner."--Sarah-Jane Stratford, Author of Red Letter Days

“Avid readers of stories about the Holocaust should be prepared to be awestruck by this portrayal of a seldom-shared aspect of the war…The Prisoner’s Wife is tale of epic proportions. It does not shrink from the cruelty of war which, in this telling, is offset only by the strength of love.”--The Jewish Voice and Opinion

"A heady mix of young passion, love, courage and hope in a dark world. I so hope that Bill and Izabella get away but this has captured me."--Giles Kristian, author of Lancelot

"Based on the experiences of real people and real events, The Prisoner’s Wife seamlessly and skilfully breathes intense, fully realised life into the stark scenes it describes...I was by turns moved, outraged and humbled."--Deborah Kay Davies, author of True Things About Me

"An engrossing, harrowing and heart-warming novel that reveals humanity at its best and worst."--Ann Morgan, author of Reading The World

"An absorbing and engaging tale of wartime bravery and endurance. I loved it!"--Rachel Hore, author of Last Letter Home and The Memory Garden

"A story of danger, fear, determination and the redemptive power of love in war-torn Europe. Maggie Brooke’s extensive research and novelist’s sensitivity have succeeded in bringing a previously hidden story into the light."--Juliet Gardiner, author of Wartime; Britain 1939 to 1945 and The Blitz; The British Under Attack.

"Heart wrenching and heart-warming in equal measure…an unputdownable novel"--Ben Kane, author of The Eagles of Rome series

'When a debut is praised by the likes of Jojo Moyes, you know it's worth reading…You won't be able to put down this tender and heartbreaking read."--Judith Allnat, author of The Poet’s Wife and The Silk Factory

"A gripping debut novel...I feel enriched to have read it."--Gill Paul, author of The Lost Daughter and The Secret Wife

"Tremendous ... this is much more than a love story; it’s about the instinct for survival, the value of friends, and the power of hope even in the midst of terror."--Georgina Clarke, author of Death and the Harlot

“This is a remarkable story…. Most of all, The Prisoner’s Wife is a story of endurance.”--San Diego Jewish World


“This heartrending tale of hope reaches through the pages, reminding readers that with love and friendship even the darkest and most unbearable nights will eventually end. While The Prisoner’s Wife is a love story, it is also a narrative about humanity’s intrepid drive to survive, even when it seems that all hope is lost.”--Hearst Connecticut Media