The Nazi Officer's Wife

How One Jewish Woman Survived the Holocaust

By: Edith Hahn Beer, Susan Dworkin

Narrated by: Barbara Rosenblat

Edith Hahn was an outspoken young woman in Vienna when the Gestapo forced her into a ghetto and then into a slave labor camp. When she returned home months later, she knew she would become a hunted woman, so she went underground.

She emerged in Munich as "Grete Denner". There she met Werner Vetter, a Nazi Party member who fell in love with her. Despite Edith's protests and even her eventual confession that she was Jewish, he married her and kept her identity secret.

©1999 Pritchards Trustees Ltd. as Trustee of the Edith Hahn Trust. All Rights Reserved. (P)2003 Jewish Contemporary Classics, Inc.

Stunning, Compelling

Here is the story of a young Jewish woman from Vienna who, by what might well be divine intervention, survives the Holocaust as a "U-Boat," a term the author describes as living openly in Nazi-occupied Europe with no one knowing you're Jewish. She marries a German officer and Nazi party member. She survives the war, but this is still a life filled with very sad, and indeed tragic events. A compelling read: Once you start this audio book, you won't want to pause or stop it.

A good listen

This book is a curious blend of heartbreaking sadness, hope and a clever young woman who would not give up. Interesting viewpoint from a hidden Jew inside Nazi Germany at a time when all Jews were deported to workcamps, lost to deathcamps or fled...

Explains what Nazi Germany was really like.

I thought this was a pretty good story, but it did not explain some things very well. For example, when Edith's husband came back, it did not give his name. He just said, "It's me." It would have just taken a few seconds to tell his name. I had to look up her story on the internet to understand some of the details.

This story does explain what it was like to live under such tyranny. Edith and her friends had to frequently lie and hide just to survive. She thought it would be better with the communists, but it was actually worse. We should all try to prevent such horrible things from happening again. We shouldn't pretend that they didn't happen and wouldn't happen again. Evil can sneak up on you and trap you. We should remember that communists and Nazis are all basically autocratic socialists that cause the same kind of suffering and that we should appreciate the Judeo-Christian (non-socialist) governments that gave the Holocaust victims freedom. We should remember the lessons of history and avoid fascism, socialism, and communism. I listened to Nona Bannister's story after this one- they go together well.

Worthwhile, fascinating book

As a holocaust story with a slightly different twist, I would certainly recommend this book. Beer's story gives us much to ponder about the lengths she had to go to save her life in Nazi Germany. It is a fascinating story of the twists and turns of human nature.

She sure had terrible taste in men

What made the experience of listening to The Nazi Officer's Wife the most enjoyable?

I purchased and listened to this book through Audible and found it impossible to stop listening. The story was riveting and I learned so much about treatment of the Jews that I never knew. I think listening to it on Audible was a really a lucky choice, because other reviews have complained that the writing style was too conversational or not well edited. But my experience was a good one, because the presentation was one of Edith recounting her harrowing ordeal, telling a story some 50 years later. The narrator had an accent and did a really good job of helping me forget she was reading a book.

I agree that some parts of the story seemed skewed; uncomfortable facts of the story were rushed over. Some of these scenarios made Edith a less-sympathetic character, because rather than taking time to explain any emotional conflict, she stated the facts and moved on quickly in the story. I give her credit for honesty, even if it caused embarrassment. But not taking time to express any regrets, I think, gives the reader the impression that she had none. Like other reviewers have mentioned, it sometimes made me not like the lady much, for **SPOILER *** getting engaged to a married man with a child, for having a child with an abusive Nazi, abandoning an orphan child, refusing to take part in the prosecution of war criminals, and continuing a lifelong friendship with a coward. She sure had terrible taste in men; I'll say that! *** end SPOILER***

Edith seemed so callous about these things. But a review isn't about whether I liked the woman or not. I wish she had taken more time to explain decisions like these. A little self-reflection would have made her a more sympathetic character. But I had to remind myself that this is the story of how she survived the holocaust. Maybe a more sentimental person would not have survived. She tells her story and I enjoyed hearing it. I learned a great deal in the process and I'm very glad I came across this audio book.

Rosenblat is a wonderful lector

Amazing read. A very important part of the holocaust canon of memoir. I'm always amazed by the resourcefulness and bravery so many people used to get by and to periodically help others manage somehow.

Compelling first hand story of survival

Edith Beer gives a stunning account of life in Austria and Germany as a Jew trying to survive during WWII. Every listener will be affected by her story.

Barbara brings the book to real life.

Where does The Nazi Officer's Wife rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

A real life story of someone living during the most terrible time in the way humans can treat their own ranks one of the highest of my non-fiction reading.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Edith because of her strength and beliefs.

What does Barbara Rosenblat bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Barbara makes the characters come alive with all of the detail in her voices. She paints the picture of the actual person to the point that you could pick them out in a crowd.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The whole book.

Any additional comments?

Because of my following of Barbara Rosenblat, I now have even more respect for the Jewish struggles and losses.

History from the other side of the mirror!

Would you listen to The Nazi Officer's Wife again? Why?

Yes. It is an excellent story and gives a deep insight into life during the Nazi-Era from both the Jewish and the German angle.

What did you like best about this story?

The human will to survive - regardless of any obstacles. And, of course, a first hand recollection of the times as experienced by a Jewess thrown into a 100% Nazi environment.

Have you listened to any of Barbara Rosenblat’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This is my first Barbara Rosenblat experience - and will certainly not be my last. She is a very, very good narrator.

Any additional comments?

Highly recommended - for the story (a true story!) as well as the narrator.

A View From The Other Side Of WWII

I thought this side of the story was very interesting and gave me insight to the war that I did not know before hearing this book. Very memorable. I will not forget thus book for a long time.