The Diplomat’s Wife (The Kommandant’s Girl #2)

One star is about 10 stars too many. Too many instances of contrived and unrealistic coincidences that defy credulity just to create a story. And, the main characters can communicate in English, German, French, Polish, and Czech. Really? The final, real undoing for me was the listening in 1947 to a radio broadcast on a transistor radio, something that wasn’t even created until 1954, and even then not widely available until several years later. And then there are the questions that the main protagonist keeps asking herself REPEATEDLY! And, they are each written in such a way that the author must have simply done a copy/paste each time. If you’re looking for a mindless way to read nothing but words, this is the book for you. Otherwise, don’t waste your time on 360 pages that easily could be condensed into 25.

Our book club has read all three books and this is our favorite. I read a review where someone said that you didn’t have to read them in order, but we’ve all agreed that it would be best if you did.
#1: The Ambassador’s Daughter
#2: The Kommandant’s Girl
#3: The Diplomat’s Wife
All three are excellent books!

This book is technically a book two after The Kommandants Girl. It could be read alone but some things continue in it or are alluded to in it, so better to read both if you can stand a lot of harlequin type romance. The story line got pretty farfetched but I stuck with a three rather than lower because it did have an overlying tale that was real as in Poland right after the war and the Soviet espionage at this time. Other than that, though, it was a “skimmable” book to get past our “heroine” and her weaknesses and instant infatuations and all the cloyingly sickening romantic dialogue.

I first read, “The Orphan’s Tale,” as a free book. I was spellbound. I then read, “The Kommandant’s Girl,” and couldn’t put it down. I just finished, “The Diplomat’s Wife,” and was still intrigued. I love each story and get so nervous as I read. I want to jump in and help out. Developed characters who are as real as I am, a story that breaks your heart but still offers hope. I just can’t say enough about this author. Splendid each and every time.

I was one of the few who have only read this one novel by Pam Jenoff. I’m glad I read this one first. It grabs you from the beginning and makes it hard to put it done. WWII Nazi Germany, Poland Jews being completely wiped out, the Polish resistance doing whatever they can do to counter the terrorism and genocide by the Nazis. The special camp that resistance captives were sent for daily tortures to give up info is where we meet Marta, our heroine. From the beginning you are captivated by her strength and resolve – you only hope for that same gumption had you been in her place. You fall for the American soldier that liberated her from the death camp just as hard as she did, as well as grieve with her when she loses Rose.

Now comes the part where Jenoff must have let someone else write for her. She had to! All of a sudden our heroine is weak minded and cowardly, making poor decisions and becoming a robot who can’t make up her own mind about anything. What happened to our Marta?

Then the author wakes up from her nap and brings back the first Marta – thank God. Because I was about to quit reading the rest of it. Talk about a scathing review on its way! SPOILER ALERT – skip this sentence…..though bringing Paul back from the dead was a bit over the top….it did make my heart flutter a bit after the dead space in the middle. The rest of the book becomes an espionage thriller full of Russian spies (one of which is a shocker) and escapes that you simply can’t put down.

So, like I said – if there was a way to forget the middle part, I’d of given this book a 5 star, but alas it must settle for a 3. A good read – you MUST read it. And, yes, I will probably read the Kommandants Girl to see if Jenoff did, indeed, write a full novel before this fiasco.

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