Author: Kate Furnivall
ISBN: 978-1-4711-7228-1
RRP: $32.99
Publication Date: 1 October 2018
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Copy: Courtesy of the Publisher
Kate Furnivall is an accomplished historical author penning tales of strong heroines overcoming hardships we couldn’t begin to imagine. I have only read one of her backlist, The Liberation, which shares a similar cover image and time period.
The Survivors is another story told in the aftermath of WWII, this one set in Germany. Klara and her daughter Alicja have been trudging for weeks towards the Graufield Displaced Persons camp. Finally they have a semblance of safety, along with 3,200 others in cramped, dirty and dangerous conditions. They have survived the war and will do all in their power to make it back to their homes.
There are many displaced in the camp and when Klara recognises a man from her past it kicks off a deadly game of cat and mouse.
He knows the lengths she is capable of to keep her daughter safe and she knows who he really is. (This is something that does have a familiar ring to it but I can not place where it was from. Having said that I’m sure it is quite a common scenario in the wake of WWII, or any war really.)
I can see this being a tense and captivating race to see who can make it out alive and what the cost of silence will be. We have 30 of our members reading The Survivors and I look forward to hearing their thoughts, almost as much as I look forward to sinking my own teeth in.
Kate Furnivall can be followed on Facebook and Twitter.
The Survivors is published by Simon & Schuster and is available now from Angus & Robertson, Booktopia and where all good books are sold.
Thanks to Simon & Schuster 30 of our Beauty and Lace club members will be reading The Survivors so please be aware there may be spoilers in the comments below.
I devour books, vampires and supernatural creatures are my genre of choice but over the past couple of years, I have broadened my horizons considerably. In a nutshell – I love to write! I love interacting with a diverse range of artists to bring you interviews. Perhaps we were perfect before – I LOVE WORDS!
Klara Janowska and her daughter Alicja have survived fleeing Poland after the War and they are now interned at the Graufeld Displaced Persons Camp in Germany. It is somewhat better than running for their lives and surviving on what they could steal as they are now fed and have a roof over their heads but there are still dangers around every corner.
Klara runs a black market trade in the camp and is always looking for a way out of the camp. She is hoping to go to England but has to wait for the paperwork to be processed which, with the thousands of displaced people, will take some time.
One day Klara she sees a former Nazi Officer from Warsaw Oskar Schulz, who now calls himself after her brother’s name Jan Blach, in the camp and the danger intensifies for her and Alicja.
Memories of the horrors of what he did in the war return and she will not let them affect her and her daughters life again.
Oskar knows what Klara did to survive in the war and Klara knows who Oskar really is but will they form a truce or will they report each other to the authorities?
The story is told through the main characters Klara, Alicja and David Bouvier a French National who is aide to the Colonel of the camp and who is a very special friend to Klara.
I really like Kate Furnivall’s books and this one is heartbreaking as we get an insight for what life was like during the war as well as afterwards and what a mother will do to protect her child.
There are secrets, danger, love and heartbreak so be prepared for an emotional roller coaster ride.
The Survivors is a historical novel set after the end of the Second World War in Graufeld, a camp of Displaced Persons in Germany. This novel offers a valuable perspective for the aftermath of the war for all sides, which we don’t read much about.
It is a story of survival for Klara and Alicja, a Polish woman and her 10-yer old daughter who can’t go back to a Poland ruled by the Soviet army. They are waiting in Graufeld hoping to make their way to England to Klara’s grandmother. Klara and her daughter are strong, courageous and feisty survivors.
Klara is resourceful to keep her daughter safe and is preparing their new life. But a new arrival in the camp, a man from her past and a former nazi officer, makes Klara once again fears for their life. Through a series of flashbacks, Klara’s terrible story gets revealed. With intelligence and courage, Klara once again fights for their survival.
There is an underlying tension in the book; I could not put it down! I read it quickly as I wanted to know Klara’s story and see how it would end. It is a book full of emotions: friendships, mystery, betrayal and love. The characters stay with you for a while and you can’t start a new book for a while. . .
This was my first book from this author and I am looking forward to reading her other novels.
Thank you to Beauty and Lace and the publishers for the opportunity to review this novel.
A big thank you for being sent a copy of ‘The Survivors’ by Kate Furnivall. Thanks to Beauty & Lace and Simon & Schuster Publishers.
This is the second Kate Furnivall book I have read and so I had very high expectations after reading an earlier novel ‘The Liberation’. Well to put it succinctly, I was disappointed in this book.
I was expecting a quick moving, energised book according to its title and blurb. Set in a Displaced Persons camp in 1945 Germany, after the end of World War II, surviving Europeans cramped together and living in limbo, under the supervision of British soldiers.
I think I found it difficult that the story line didn’t venture much from life in the Camp. Yes the author showed us glimpses of Klara Janowska’s life during the war, but for me I don’t think we got a big enough glimpse into that side of the story line. For me I found the story line became tedious and I was hoping for more twists and turns, more scenes and turmoil involving settings in other parts of Europe.
The author did provide a very succinct view of life and their struggles in the Camp and the surviving people from surrounding towns. There was definitely a massive twist in the end that I was somewhat disappointed in. I expected more emotional involvement in the characters when meeting up with loved ones who were believed to be dead.
The characters were gritty and full of interest but it left me feeling that the book lacked verve and excitement. Perhaps my expectations were too great. A good book but not great, in my view.
Thank you Beauty and Lace for selecting me to read The Survivors written by Kate Furnivall
The book begins with Klara Janowska and her young daughter Alicja fleeing their war savaged county Poland,
They are heading to a displaced persons camp which in itself can be a dangerous place as well, the camp inmates are bored and struggle every day even though the war has ended,
A newcomer to the camp ( no spoilers ) has Klara fearing for herself and her daughters life,
Klaras story during and after the war is amazing, how she survived and tried to protect her daughter, Alicja might only be 10 but is wise beyond her age,
This book is very hard to put down and shows the reader how difficult it was for every person after the war,
Lots of twists turns and secrets throughout the book, especially the end chapters which I didn’t see coming
This book is beautifully written and am sure all readers will enjoy I know I did
Thankyou Beautyandlace and HarperCollins for the opportunity to review ‘The Survivors’ by Kate Furnivall.
The story begins in Poland in 1945 and then moves to Germany in the Autumn of 1945 where Klara Janowska and her 10year old daughter Alicja are in a camp for displaced persons called Graufeld. This was achieved by a harrowing journey taken by mother and daughter.
Klara would do anything for her daughter and is very protective of her. When a person from her past appears at the camp, (someone she knew during the war) Klara is frightened for the safety of Alicja and herself as she has secrets which she is hiding.
She finds a friend in Davide Bouvier an administrative assistant to incharge of camp Colonel Whitmore. Davide is a reliable help to them both and has also experienced sad struggles in the war.
The storyline is fast moving and suspenseful especially towards the end, the ending is most unexpected!
I read ‘The Liberation’ also by Kate Furnivall and enjoy her writing style, she is an author I will continue to follow.
Having previously read The Survivors by Kate and loving that book, when I saw The Survivors on offer to read, it was obvious as to what I wanted to read.
I found this book absolutely gut wrenching reading about the horrors of war and especially the heartbreak of stories re the Jewish community.
The story follows the life of Klara Janowska and her 10 year old daughter Alicja that she would protect from anything that was thrown at her.
This well written historical novel takes us to WW11 Germany 1945. Klara and Alicja have taken weeks to arrive at their safe haven of Graufield Displaced Persons Camp where they would be kept safe by the British army, although the camp is not luxurious by any means.
Klara thought she would be completely safe here but on seeing a familiar face of a man called Oskar Schulz, her terror would begin. She also befriended other people staying in the camp.
At the camp there is a French National called David Bouvier who befriends Klara and her daughter. He was married and the story of his wife and daughter and how they died really brings home the atrociousness of war back then. I found it all to be very upsetting and could so imagine what they all went through.
The adrenaline in me wanted to read more to see who in the book was someone that you could trust and who you couldn’t. It really is a page turner. There are a lot of unexpected twists and turns to captivate your attention.
Klara’s dream throughout the whole storyline is just to return back to England and give Alicja a better life.
I really enjoyed reading this book, it captures the powerful horrors of war, it gives us loss, anger and a bit of love and yes, I had tears.
Thank you Beauty & Lace of course Simon & Schuster for the opportunity of reading another fantastic novel. This one will stay in my heart for a while for sure.
What would you do to survive, especially what would you do to make sure your child would survive.
I have read and enjoyed many WWII books but I have never thought or read much about what happened after. This book takes place in a displaced person camp after WWII has ended and the troubles of the war have not completely ended for Klara and Alicja.
The book was told by the main characters, Klara the mum, Alicja the daughter and David a Frenchman working at the camp. As well as present day the book takes us back to what happened to the characters during the war.
I enjoyed the twists and turns and had a hard time putting it down.
Thanks to Beauty & Lace and Simon & Schuster Publishers. For the chance to read this book. I’ll be on the look out for more books by Kate Furnivall.
Thankyou to Beauty and Lace and Simon and Schuster for the opportunity to read The Survivors. It is a great read. This is the third Kate Furnivall book I have read, she takes a historical event and weaves an intriguing story around it. I found myself looking in to Displaced Persons Camps, they are a part of World War Two that I hadn’t been aware of.
The story is set in 1945 Germany. The war has ended. Klara Janowska, a Polish resistance fighter , and her daughter Alicja have walked to supposed safety at Graufeld Displaced Persons camp run by the English. Klara and Alicja’s story is told in the present time and flash backs to the war years. In war time people would do anything to survive, now Klara’s past has caught up with her. Someone from the past is also in the camp.
It is a powerful story of human endurance. Thouroughly recommend this book.
Thankyou Beautyandlace, Simon & Schuster and of course Kate Furnivall for the opportunity to read The Survivers.
A very sad, brutal and brave story that had me pause reading for just a moment to realise that although this was a work of fiction so many people lived this nightmare for years.
The story evolves around Karla Janowska and her 10 yr old daughter Alicja, From the years when the war ravidged Europe to after Germany was defeated and there were so many displaced persons the story flits back and forth
Karla spent a time fighting for her country and then the struggle to keep her and Alicja safe until they were sent to Graufeld displaced persons camp after the war.. Although Graufeld is run by the British the struggle to be safe is real and becomes deadly when the person she fears the most arrives at the camp. bringing her past back to threaten their future and their lives.
Wow, just wow I loved this book! A couple of bleary eyed nights reading into the wee hours; The Survivors by Kate Furnivall was everything it promised and more
Set in Germany after WWII, in a Displaced Persons Camp this is the story of Klara and her daughter Alicja. It is here that Klara recognizes someone from her past, and so it begins.
It is, as expected from the title, a story of survival. There is ugliness and horror. Unbelievable horror. It touches on the things that people would never do under normal circumstances. Horrible things just to survive
Amongst the horror, there is love and humanity. There were so many twists and turns that I was kept intrigued right to the end
Highly recommended. Thank you to Beauty and Lace Bookclub and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read and review this novel.