Books like 'The Magician'
Readers who enjoyed The Magician by Colm Tóibín also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
historical military, war & conflict 20th century europe western-central-europe germany italy switzerland france urban
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The Last Green Valley by Mark T. Sullivan
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 32 ratingsFrom the author of the #1 bestseller Beneath a Scarlet Sky comes a new historical novel inspired by one family’s incredible story of daring, survival, and triumph... -
![Under the Light of the Italian Moon: Inspired by a true story of love and women's resilience during the rise of fascism and WWII by Jennifer Anton]()
Under the Light of the Italian Moon: Inspired by a true story of love and women's resilience during the rise of fascism and WWII by Jennifer Anton
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsA promise keeps them apart until WW2 threatens to destroy their love foreverFonzaso Italy, between two warsNina Argenta doesn’t want the traditional life of a rural Italian woman. The daughter of a strong-willed midwife, she is determined to define her own destiny. But when her brother emigrates to America, she promises her mother to never leave... -
![Perfectly Ordinary People by Nick Alexander]()
Perfectly Ordinary People by Nick Alexander
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsIn occupied France, two people sacrificed everything. Now their granddaughter has come looking for the truth…Ruth’s childhood was a happy one, and her family—on her mother’s side—large and loving. But her father’s French origins have always remained a mystery. Now, with aged relatives beginning to die, Ruth decides to research her father’s family before it’s too late... -
![A Ration Book Wedding by Jean Fullerton]()
A Ration Book Wedding by Jean Fullerton
Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIt's February 1942 and the American's have finally joined Britain and its allies. Meanwhile, twenty-three-year-old Francesca Fabrino, like thousands of other women, is doing her bit for the war effort in a factory in East London... -
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![The Postcard by Anne Berest]()
The Postcard by Anne Berest
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsAnne Berest’s luminous, moving, and unforgettable new novel The Postcard is the most acclaimed and beloved French book in recent years... -
![A Feather on the Water by Lindsay Jayne Ashford]()
A Feather on the Water by Lindsay Jayne Ashford
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsFor three women in postwar Germany, 1945 is a time of hope—lost and found—in this powerful novel by the bestselling author of The Woman on the Orient Express.Just weeks after World War II ends, three women from different corners of the world arrive in Germany to run a displaced-persons camp...Categorized as:
europe western-central-europe germany urban historical-fiction ww2 war literary-fiction -
![After Dunkirk by Lee Jackson]()
After Dunkirk by Lee Jackson
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsIn the tradition of grand World War II sagas Beneath a Scarlet Sky and Of Windmills and War, After Dunkirk introduces the Littlefield family, fighting valiantly in the darkest days of the German occupation. AFTER DUNKIRK heralds a stunning new voice in historical epics, a worthy heir to Wouk and Follett. "Lee Jackson embeds you in the peril of war-torn France in the aftermath of Dunkirk... -
![The Girl from Berlin by Kate Hewitt]()
The Girl from Berlin by Kate Hewitt
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThey sat together on the roof, watching Berlin burn, as traces of smoke and cloud floated through the air. “I just want to be free,” Rosa said quietly, “Even if only for a few minutes. It might be the last chance I have.”Berlin, 1936: From her beautiful new home a young woman named Liesel Scholz barely notices the changes to the city around her... -
![Two Brothers by Ben Elton]()
Two Brothers by Ben Elton
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsTwo Brothers is a heartrending story of two boys growing up under the darkening shadow of the Nazis. Born in Berlin in 1920 and raised by the same parents, one boy is Jewish, his adopted brother is Aryan. At first, their origins are irrelevant. But as the political landscape changes they are forced to make decisions with horrifying consequences... -
![A Ration Book Christmas by Jean Fullerton]()
A Ration Book Christmas by Jean Fullerton
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIt's 1940 and the German Luftwaffe have started their nightly reign of death and destruction over London's East End. The Brogan family is braced and ready to take on Hitler single-handed, if need be, but with rationing, air-raids and the threat of Nazi invasion hanging over this doughty family, their spirits are taking a bit of a battering.. -
![The German Girl by Lily Graham]()
The German Girl by Lily Graham
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 14 ratings‘Our parents were taken. And if we go home, the Nazis will take us too…’Hamburg 1938. Fifteen-year-old Asta is hurrying home from school with her twin brother Jurgen. The mood in the city is tense – synagogues have been smashed with sledgehammers, and Asta is too frightened to laugh as she used to.But when she and Jurgen are stopped in the street by a friend, her world implodes further...Categorized as:
europe family germany historical-fiction literary-fiction war western-central-europe ww2 -
![A Ration Book Daughter by Jean Fullerton]()
A Ration Book Daughter by Jean Fullerton
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsCathy was a happy, blushing bride when Britain went to war with Germany three years ago. But her youthful dreams were crushed by her violent husband Stanley's involvement with the fascist black-shirts, and even when he's conscripted to fight she knows it's only a brief respite - divorce is not an option. Cathy's only solace is her little son Peter... -
![On a Wing and a Prayer by Helen Carey]()
On a Wing and a Prayer by Helen Carey
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratings‘This dramatic and poignant novel depicts the resilience of ordinary people caught up in an extraordinary war.Unputdownable!’ Western Telegraph Life is hard in London in 1941, and yet Helen de Burrel finds herself volunteering to join the SOE. Nobody knows that her cool exterior conceals such courage ... and such fear. It also means that love, when it strikes unexpectedly, is doubly dangerous... -
![The Waiting Hours by Ellie Dean]()
The Waiting Hours by Ellie Dean
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsSlapton Sands, Devon1943Carol Porter has had a difficult war. Less than a year ago she lost both her husband and baby, and with them her heart. Only recently has she’s found peace, working as a land girl at Coombe Farm. But Carol’s sanctuary, the whole local area in fact, is about to be disrupted.When Pauline Reilly learns of Carol’s situation she’s worried for her little sister... -
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![The Lost Valley by Jennifer Scoullar]()
The Lost Valley by Jennifer Scoullar
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsTasmania, 1929: Ten-year-old-twins, Tom and Harry Abbott, are orphaned by a tragedy that shocks Hobart society... -
![The Shipyard Girls by Nancy Revell]()
The Shipyard Girls by Nancy Revell
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratings' A real insight into how it was for these women in a Sunderland major ship building yard ... The foundation book of a series. Which I shall be reading as each one is written. Loved it. ' - 5 star real reader review Sunderland, 1940, and the women go to the shipyards to do their bit for the war effort... -
![From the Dark We Rise by Marion Kummerow]()
From the Dark We Rise by Marion Kummerow
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratings“Please, let me help. I won’t tell anyone.” It was madness to help an escaped prisoner in Nazi Germany, but how could she not? If it weren’t for a lucky strike of fate, she might be the woman on the ground shivering with fear...Categorized as:
europe western-central-europe germany historical-fiction ww2 war literary-fiction fiction -
![The Women of Chateau Lafayette by Stephanie Dray]()
The Women of Chateau Lafayette by Stephanie Dray
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsNamed one of 2021's Most Anticipated Historical Novels by Oprah Magazine ∙ Cosmo ∙ PopSugar ∙ SheReads ∙ Parade ∙ and more! An epic saga from New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Dray based on the true story of an extraordinary castle in the heart of France and the remarkable women bound by its legacy.Most castles are protected by men. This one by women.A founding mother...1774...Categorized as:
europe family france historical-fiction literary-fiction urban war western-central-europe -
![Night Angels by Weina Dai Randel]()
Night Angels by Weina Dai Randel
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsFrom the author of The Last Rose of Shanghai comes a profoundly moving novel based on the true story of a diplomat and his wife who risked their lives to help Viennese Jews escape the Nazis.1938. Dr. Ho Fengshan, consul general of China, is posted in Vienna with his American wife, Grace...Categorized as:
europe western-central-europe urban historical-fiction ww2 war literary-fiction family -
![The Bomb Girl Brides by Daisy Styles]()
The Bomb Girl Brides by Daisy Styles
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIt's 1944 and Britain is a country at war. The young women of the Phoenix munitions factory are giving their all to the cause, but romance is beckoning . . . The life of a Bomb Girl isn't usually glamourous. But Maggie is getting married, so she is going to make sure her wedding day is - even if she does have to spend every other day slaving on the factory floor... -
![The Family Carnovsky by Israel J. Singer]()
The Family Carnovsky by Israel J. Singer
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe dread shadow of Nazism falls upon the Carnovsky family, three generations of Jews who believe themselves totally assimilated into German society. David, who has prospered in "enlightened, civilized" Berlin and considers himself "more German than the Germans", cannot rationalize the momentous events engulfing him... -
![The Girl from Berlin: A Novel by Ronald H. Balson]()
The Girl from Berlin: A Novel by Ronald H. Balson
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsRonald H. Balson's The Girl from Berlin is the winner of the Book Club category for the 2018 National Jewish Book Award. In this new novel, Liam and Catherine come to the aid of an old friend and are drawn into a property dispute in Tuscany that unearths long-buried secretsAn old friend calls Catherine Lockhart and Liam Taggart to his famous Italian restaurant to enlist their help...Categorized as:
europe family germany historical-fiction literary-fiction urban war western-central-europe -
![What Only We Know by Catherine Hokin]()
What Only We Know by Catherine Hokin
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsA door slammed and the unmistakable sound of boots came crashing up the hall. Liese held her little daughter’s hand so tightly, the tiny fingers had turned purple. The SS officer’s hand was at Liese’s throat before she saw him move. ‘I can kill you easily, then I can kill your daughter.’ He relaxed his grip a little. ‘Or perhaps I could kill her first?’England, forty years later...Categorized as:
europe family germany historical-fiction literary-fiction urban war western-central-europe -
![The Lifeline by Deborah Swift]()
The Lifeline by Deborah Swift
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsFrom the heart of Norway to Shetland in Scotland, one couple fight to overthrow the Nazis…1942, Nazi-occupied NorwaySchoolteacher Astrid Dahl has always kept out of trouble. But when she is told to teach the fascist Nazi curriculum, she refuses and starts a teacher’s rebellion, persuading eight thousand teachers to go on strike... -
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![The Maid's Secret by Shari J. Ryan]()
The Maid's Secret by Shari J. Ryan
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsCzechoslovakia, 1942: “Please don’t take him,” I plead to the Nazis.“I love you, Mila,” Ben says, hoarsely. “So much. Forever.”“Ben!” I shout as the soldiers pull him away, my heart thudding. “I love you. Please, come back.” I’m screaming at the top of my lungs as the world turns black around me.In the mountains of Bohemia, Mila, a Romani, works as a maid for an aristocratic Jewish family...Categorized as:
europe western-central-europe historical-fiction war ww2 literary-fiction historical fiction -
![End of Spies by Alex Gerlis, Rupert Bush]()
End of Spies by Alex Gerlis, Rupert Bush
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsEurope, 1945: no longer at war but not yet at peace. The gripping finale to the bestselling Richard Prince espionage thrillers.British agent Richard Prince and the Danish spy Hanne Jakobsen come together for a vital mission: to find a Nazi war criminal responsible for the murder of fellow British agents... -
![The Scarlet Nightingale by Alan Titchmarsh]()
The Scarlet Nightingale by Alan Titchmarsh
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsAs war rages across Europe, one young woman is torn between love and loyalty.Set in wartime London and occupied France, this is a thrilling story of love, danger and sacrifice from bestselling novelist Alan Titchmarsh.It is the late 1930s when seventeen-year-old Rosamund Hanbury leaves behind the endless summers of her coastal Devonshire home for the fast pace of high society London... -
![Beneath a Starless Sky: A gripping and utterly heartbreaking WW2 historical fiction novel by Tessa Harris]()
Beneath a Starless Sky: A gripping and utterly heartbreaking WW2 historical fiction novel by Tessa Harris
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsSmoke filled the air. Lilli Sternberg’s quickening heart sounded an alarm as she rounded the street corner. Lifting her gaze to the rooftops, a roaring blaze of thick flames engulfed the side of the building and joined the stars to fill the black sky. Her father’s shop was no more.Munich 1930Lilli Sternberg longs to be a ballet dancer...Categorized as:
europe family france historical-fiction literary-fiction urban war western-central-europe -
![The Smallest Crack by Roberta Kagan]()
The Smallest Crack by Roberta Kagan
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratings1933 Berlin, GermanyWhen the price for life is dishonor dipped in blood, how much is too much?Eli Kaetzel and his beautiful but timid wife Rebecca suddenly find themselves in the gaping maws of Adolf Hitler's murderous rampage. Eli knows that their only chance, however slim, for survival may lie in the hands of Gretchen, a spirited Aryan girl...Categorized as:
europe western-central-europe germany urban historical-fiction ww2 war literary-fiction -
![Auschwitz Lullaby by Mario Escobar]()
Auschwitz Lullaby by Mario Escobar
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsIn 1943 Germany, Helene is just about to wake up her children to go to school when a group of policemen break into her house. The policemen want to haul away her gypsy husband and their five children. The police tell Helene that as a German she does not have to go with them, but she decides to share the fate of her family...Categorized as:
europe family germany historical-fiction literary-fiction urban war western-central-europe -
![Ofrene by Gerald Green]()
Ofrene by Gerald Green
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsGerald Green's novel Holocaust, which is based on his teleplay for the 1978 NBC miniseries, seeks to put faces on the tragedy by telling the story of the experience of two German families whose lives intersect at certain points...Categorized as:
europe germany historical-fiction literary-fiction urban war western-central-europe ww2 -
![The Lost Children by Shirley Dickson]()
The Lost Children by Shirley Dickson
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsAs they walked towards the railway station, their mother took an envelope from her handbag. ‘I want you to keep this somewhere safe.’‘What’s in the letter?’‘Listen carefully. You’re never to open it unless you or your sister are in real trouble. Promise me.’England, 1943: Home is no longer safe for eight-year-old twins Molly and Jacob... -
![Slepá mapa by Alena Mornštajnová]()
Slepá mapa by Alena Mornštajnová
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratings„Lidé přicházejí na svět z různých důvodů – z lásky, náhodou, nebo omylem. Já jsem se narodila kvůli bytu,“ předesílá hlavní hrdinka Anežka na začátku ságy o trojici žen, která se začala psát už před první světovou válkou.Do Anežčina osudu se promítají nejen životní příběhy jejích rodičů a prarodičů, ale i krutý dopad dějinných událostí... -
![A Harvest of Secrets by Roland Merullo]()
A Harvest of Secrets by Roland Merullo
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsFrom the bestselling author of From These Broken Streets comes a sweeping novel of love, resistance, and courage set against the backdrop of WWII Italy.Italy, 1943. The seeds of terror planted by Hitler have brought Allied forces to Italian soil. Young lovers separated by war—one near a Tuscan hill town, the other a soldier on the Sicilian front—will meet any challenge to reunite... -
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![Put Out the Fires by Maureen Lee]()
Put Out the Fires by Maureen Lee
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe second novel in bestseller Maureen Lee's outstanding Liverpool sequence about family life during the Second World WarSeptember 1940 - the cruellest year of war for Britain's civilians as the Luftwaffe mercilessly blitz their cities. In Pearl Street, near Liverpool's docks, families struggle to cope the best they can... -
![A Fight in Silence by Melanie Metzenthin]()
A Fight in Silence by Melanie Metzenthin
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsGermany, 1926. When Richard and Paula meet in bustling, cosmopolitan Hamburg, everything feels possible. They fall in love, marry and are soon blessed with twins, a beautiful boy and girl. When Richard qualifies as a psychiatrist, life ahead looks bright. Their only sadness is that their son, Georg, was born deaf, although with his family to protect him they’re sure he’ll be okay...Categorized as:
europe western-central-europe germany historical-fiction war ww2 literary-fiction family -
![Mendelevski's Box by Roger Swindells]()
Mendelevski's Box by Roger Swindells
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsHe survived Auschwitz but now Simon Mendelevski has to find out who betrayed his family September 1945. Auschwitz survivor Simon Mendelevski, penniless and unkempt, returns to Amsterdam in a desperate search for his family, friends and neighbours. Simon meets two Dutch women, both of whom have also suffered...Categorized as:
europe historical-fiction literary-fiction urban war western-central-europe ww2 20th-century -
![The Wife Who Risked Everything by Ellie Midwood]()
The Wife Who Risked Everything by Ellie Midwood
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsBerlin, 1943: “Where’s your husband?” the SS man demanded.“There’s no one home,” Margot said before they started tearing the place apart. “I’m alone here.” In his eyes was nothing but ice and death, and it occurred to Margot that only she stood between her husband and the soldier’s machine gun.In Nazi Germany, Margot refuses to buckle under the weight of Hitler’s tyranny... -
![1921: The Great Novel of the Irish Civil War by Morgan Llywelyn]()
1921: The Great Novel of the Irish Civil War by Morgan Llywelyn
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe Irish fight for independence is one of the most captivating tales of the twentieth century. Morgan Llywelyn, the acclaimed historical writer of books like Lion of Ireland, Bard and The Horse Goddess , is the writer born to bring this epic battle to life...Categorized as:
historical-fiction war politics literary-fiction fiction historical 20th-century audiobook -
![Our Last Goodbye by Shirley Dickson, Joan Walker]()
Our Last Goodbye by Shirley Dickson, Joan Walker
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsA heart-wrenching, poignant and totally unforgettable tale of a young woman who must finally face up to the secret she has hidden for a lifetime. A beautiful World War Two novel for fans of Wives of War, Lisa Wingate and Diney Costeloe, that will have you reaching for the Kleenex... -
![Maria: A Novel of Maria von Trapp by Michelle Moran]()
Maria: A Novel of Maria von Trapp by Michelle Moran
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsMaria von Trapp. You know the name and the iconic songs, but do you know her real story? This dramatic novel, based on the woman glamorized in The Sound of Music, brings Maria to life as never before.In the 1950s, Oscar Hammerstein is asked to write the lyrics to a musical based on the life of a woman named Maria von Trapp... -
![The Distant Land of My Father by Bo Caldwell]()
The Distant Land of My Father by Bo Caldwell
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratings'My father was a millionaire in Shanghai in the 1930s.'Anna Schoene was a golden child. Her parents, Joseph and Genevieve, were rich American expats in Shanghai before the Japanese invaded, before the war intervened. Joseph Schoene had made his fortune living on his wits. He was in love with Shanghai, with China, with the idea of taking risks... -
![Properties of Thirst by Marianne Wiggins]()
Properties of Thirst by Marianne Wiggins
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsA National BestsellerA New Yorker Best Book of 2022Fifteen years after the publication of Evidence of Things Unseen , National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize finalist Marianne Wiggins returns with a “big, bold book” ( USA TODAY ) destined to be an American classic: a sweeping masterwork set during World War II about the meaning of family and the limitations of the American Dream... -
![The Last Train to London by Meg Waite Clayton]()
The Last Train to London by Meg Waite Clayton
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsThe New York Times bestselling author of Beautiful Exiles conjures her best novel yet, a pre-World War II-era story with the emotional resonance of Orphan Train and All the Light We Cannot See, centering on the Kindertransports that carried thousands of children out of Nazi-occupied Europe—and one brave woman who helped them escape to safety...Categorized as:
europe family historical-fiction literary-fiction politics urban war western-central-europe -
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![Into the Burning Dawn: Heartbreaking and gripping World War 2 historical fiction set in Italy by Natalie Meg Evans]()
Into the Burning Dawn: Heartbreaking and gripping World War 2 historical fiction set in Italy by Natalie Meg Evans
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIn the terrace courtyard of the palazzo overlooking a sparkling bay, the scent of ripening lemons filled the air. His deep brown eyes gazed into hers with determination and longing. ‘Will you do it? Risk everything and join us?’Twenty-one-year-old Imogen Fitzgerald was raised in an English orphanage and never knew her parents... -
![One Left: A Novel by Kim Soom, Bonnie Oh]()
One Left: A Novel by Kim Soom, Bonnie Oh
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsDuring the Pacific War, more than 200,000 Korean girls were forced into sexual servitude for Japanese soldiers. They lived in horrific conditions in "comfort stations" across Japanese-occupied territories. Barely 10 percent survived to return to Korea, where they lived as social outcasts...Categorized as:
historical-fiction literary-fiction war ww2 fiction historical tragedy violent-conflict -
![Die roten Matrosen by Klaus Kordon]()
Die roten Matrosen by Klaus Kordon
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsBerlin 1918/1919. Nach vier Jahren Weltkrieg verweigern die Matrosen der kaiserlichen Marine in Kiel den Befehl zum Auslaufen und kommen nach Berlin. In der Stadt beginnt es zu brodeln. Helmut, genannt Helle, und Fritz freunden sich mit den meuternden Matrosen der Hochseeflotte an, erleben die Revolution mit, den Sieg - und auch die Niederlage... -
![The Boy in the Attic by Imogen Matthews]()
The Boy in the Attic by Imogen Matthews
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAnna opened the letter with trembling hands. ‘My darling, if you’re reading this, I haven’t managed to unravel my parents’ secret. But you can. Will you finish the search for me, find out who they were, and who you really are?’Nazi-occupied Holland, 1944. As soldiers patrol the streets, nursing student Ilse is only just surviving the terrible famine and increasingly violent German occupation...Categorized as:
europe historical-fiction literary-fiction war western-central-europe ww2 20th-century adult -
![The Boat Girls by Margaret Mayhew]()
The Boat Girls by Margaret Mayhew
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIt is 1943, and three very different girls are longing to do their bit for the war effort. For Frances, her life of seeming privilege has been a lonely one. Brave and strong, stifled by her traditional upbringing, she falls for a most unsuitable man... -
![Standartenführer's Wife by Ellie Midwood]()
Standartenführer's Wife by Ellie Midwood
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThis is a diary of Annalise Meissner, a young German Jew with long time ago falsified papers, living a carefree life in pre-war Berlin. A talented ballerina, she comes from a wealthy family and at first doesn’t want to concern herself with the changes her country starts undergoing under the new Nazi regime...
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