The Nazi Officer's Wife by Edith Hahn Beer

The Nazi Officer's Wife by Edith Hahn Beer is the true story of a Jewish woman who after coming home from a forced labor camp during WWII in Vienna goes into hiding. One of her friends who is not Jewish helps her get identity papers that say she is a German. She meets a German officer who courts her and even after she tells him her true identity, he still marries her.

Edith's story is one of constant fear: fear of being discovered and taken to the death camps, fear of not being able to get food, fear that her identity papers will give her away, fear of not being able to get clothing. During WWII one needed proper papers to buy anything or do anything. This book captures that fear well and the experience of living in a constant hyper alert state.

Edith was such a brave person. I enjoyed learning about another way people escaped the Nazis. This story is sad yet hopeful and shows that there were people during WWII who were willing to break the horrible laws of the Nazi regime in order to save lives.

Quote I liked: "He was an inspired listener. That was his gift" (19).

We've had some generous donations to our NICU book project lately. 

Michelle sent these two books over. 

Rolean, my sweet momma, sent these 20 books for the babies.

 My sister, Christy, also donated to our cause to get books into the hands of the youngest readers.

One of Angie's friends/coworkers, Cami, sent these books for the babies.

Cami also sent a selection that will be perfect for a teacher's classroom.

I appreciate all the help we get that enables us to continue to reach so many babies. I love all the literacy advocates in my life. Thank you all, again. 

Link to our NICU book registry if you'd like to donate books to babies in the newborn intensive care unit so their parents can read to them while they grow. You can also donate gently used books to our project by sending them to me or to Angie. Email me for a mailing address. We can use both English and Spanish books. If you have a graduate of the NICU, or if you have a baby whose life you would like to honor by donating books to this project, let me know, and I can make a book plate with their name for the books you donate.

Read to a child today even if that child is you.