Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This novel looks at German civilians during WWII - how did they justify their actions during the war? Were they complacent and followed orders? Did they resist, however fruitless? And, most importantly, how did they live with themselves after the war?

This is Clara's story. Her family ran a lucrative mining company in Essen, which she took over towards the end of the war. The government sent slave labor to her mine to ensure steady production, which was necessary for their troops. Clara advocated for more food rations and better living conditions for her workers, but continued using their labor anyway. As Germany fell, Clara knew she'd be labeled a war criminal, so she fled her home. Two years later, she returned to a city that she no longer recognized.

Living in the shadows, she meets a whole cast of shady characters who help her pick up the pieces of her life. She uncovers family secrets that change her view of her family before the war, which deepens the shame she feels about her own actions during the war.

I didn't find Clara to be a sympathetic character and didn't always enjoy the sections of the book told from her perspective. But along the way, she met an ex-soldier caring for his sisters named Jakob - he was the real star of the novel for me. From Jakob, we learn how truly stuck many Germans were when the war began. And we're reminded how important family is, especially through such a chaotic time.

The German Heiress will be published on April 7, 2020.