The Diplomat's Wife

The Diplomat’s Wife
By Pam Jenoff
Mira, 2008. 360 pgs. Historical Fiction

Rescued from a Nazi concentration camp after months of torture and deprivation, Marta finds herself one of the few ‘lucky ones’ in the aftermath of World War II. With friends and family missing and dead she is unsure of what direction to take. But opportunities are presented which give her a chance for a new life and possibly a new love sparked with the chance meeting of a young American soldier.

I didn’t realize until halfway through this book that it was a sequel to Jenoff’s first novel “The Kommandant’s Girl”. Following the story was not a problem, Jenoff eventually fills in all the pieces to what occurred during the war, but I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had read the first one. This book contains enjoyable historic writing with a plot that moves, though I felt the premise was a bit of a stretch from reality. I did enjoy reading more about the struggles faced by those trying to fight the spread of communism following World War II.

CZ