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The Postcard
Holding the faded postcard in her trembling hands, Mia begins to read the one story her grandmother could never tell her, revealing a secret that will change her own life forever…
When her beloved grandmother, Ilse , is taken into hospital, Mia drops everything to travel to Germany and care for the woman who raised her. But when her grandmother briefly wakes up and asks for a man called Szymon , Mia is confused. Who is he? And why does her grandmother need to see him so desperately?
Later that night, Mia returns to her grandmother’s apartment to search for clues. She soon discovers a small parcel hidden inside one of Ilse’s suitcases. When she removes the wrapping, she finds a stack of faded postcards neatly bound together, signed with a name that makes her heart stop in her Szymon .
Desperate to find Szymon before it is too late, Mia unearths a story her grandmother never told of childhood friendship and heartbreaking young love on the eve of the Second World War, and of a plan to rescue a young man imprisoned by the Nazis. Mia can’t quite believe her grandmother was so brave, and risked so much to save this man’s life… But did she succeed?
As the final pieces of the past come together, Mia realizes that she is about to find out what really happened to her grandmother during the war. But she doesn’t expect to uncover a secret that will change everything…
Based on a true story, this page-turning and emotional wartime novel follows one woman’s brave decision to save the man she loves from the Nazis.
When her beloved grandmother, Ilse , is taken into hospital, Mia drops everything to travel to Germany and care for the woman who raised her. But when her grandmother briefly wakes up and asks for a man called Szymon , Mia is confused. Who is he? And why does her grandmother need to see him so desperately?
Later that night, Mia returns to her grandmother’s apartment to search for clues. She soon discovers a small parcel hidden inside one of Ilse’s suitcases. When she removes the wrapping, she finds a stack of faded postcards neatly bound together, signed with a name that makes her heart stop in her Szymon .
Desperate to find Szymon before it is too late, Mia unearths a story her grandmother never told of childhood friendship and heartbreaking young love on the eve of the Second World War, and of a plan to rescue a young man imprisoned by the Nazis. Mia can’t quite believe her grandmother was so brave, and risked so much to save this man’s life… But did she succeed?
As the final pieces of the past come together, Mia realizes that she is about to find out what really happened to her grandmother during the war. But she doesn’t expect to uncover a secret that will change everything…
Based on a true story, this page-turning and emotional wartime novel follows one woman’s brave decision to save the man she loves from the Nazis.
330 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 29, 2023
About the author
Carly Schabowski
11 books158 followersCarly Schabowski worked as a journalist in both North Cyprus and Australia before returning to Oxford, where she studied for an MA and then a PhD in creative writing at Oxford Brookes University.
Carly now teaches at Oxford Brookes University as an associate lecturer in Creative Writing for first and second-year English literature students.
The Ringmaster’s Daughter is Carly’s debut novel and will be published by Bookouture in July 2020, with her second novel, The Watchmaker of Dachau coming out later that year. These texts are both true, epic, moving historical novels centred around survival, human suffering, and the finding of love within the backdrop of the desperate and uncertain times of 1940s Europe
Carly now teaches at Oxford Brookes University as an associate lecturer in Creative Writing for first and second-year English literature students.
The Ringmaster’s Daughter is Carly’s debut novel and will be published by Bookouture in July 2020, with her second novel, The Watchmaker of Dachau coming out later that year. These texts are both true, epic, moving historical novels centred around survival, human suffering, and the finding of love within the backdrop of the desperate and uncertain times of 1940s Europe
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews
September 15, 2023
3.75 Stars
Mia abandoned her life and journeyed to Germany upon receiving news that her beloved grandmother, Ilse, was hospitalized. Upon arrival, Mia received the devastating news of her grandmother's deteriorating health. Crushed, Mia decided to stay with Ilse to offer her love and support. While resting, her grandmother unconsciously called out for Szymon. A name Mia didn't recognize. Who's Szymon? Why would her grandmother be calling for him? Mia took it upon herself to search for Szymon, hoping he could ease her grandmother's mind.
The story started slow but became captivating after the first quarter, with a heartbreaking and memorable plot. Highly recommend to fans of WWII novels.
*** Thank you to NetGalley, Carly Schabowski, and Dreamscape Media for graciously sending me the audiobook to review. As always, all thoughts are my own.***
Mia abandoned her life and journeyed to Germany upon receiving news that her beloved grandmother, Ilse, was hospitalized. Upon arrival, Mia received the devastating news of her grandmother's deteriorating health. Crushed, Mia decided to stay with Ilse to offer her love and support. While resting, her grandmother unconsciously called out for Szymon. A name Mia didn't recognize. Who's Szymon? Why would her grandmother be calling for him? Mia took it upon herself to search for Szymon, hoping he could ease her grandmother's mind.
The story started slow but became captivating after the first quarter, with a heartbreaking and memorable plot. Highly recommend to fans of WWII novels.
*** Thank you to NetGalley, Carly Schabowski, and Dreamscape Media for graciously sending me the audiobook to review. As always, all thoughts are my own.***
September 4, 2023
Mia's beloved grandmother, the woman who raised her, is dying and Mia's rushes to Germany to spend her grandmother's last days with her. As her grandmother, Ilse, awakens in the hospital, she asks for someone named Szymon. Who is this person that Ilse seems so intent on seeing?
Mia returns to her grandmother's apartment and piqued by her grandmother's calls for Szymon, she decides to look for clues to his or her identity. Upon coming across a pack of postcards hidden away, Mia is flabbergasted when she finds the cards signed by Szymon.
Intrigued by this, Mia investigates and finds a world centered on the war, and a man Ilse is determined to rescue. He had been captured by the Nazis and Mia thinks he might still be alive. Turning over clues, she finds out some details about her grandmother's past, of how brave and courageous Ilse had been and how she was determined to rescue the person she loved.
Does she succeed? It is now 1999 so is this phantom person still alive? The intrigue and danger Ilse faces is the gist of this emotional and brave tale that brings a grandmother that Mia loved into a new light.
Of all the regrets one has in their lives, is this one that Mia might help fixing for Ilse.?
Thank you to Carly Schabowski, Dreamscape Media, narrated by Tamsin Kennard, and NetGalley for the ability to listen to this worthwhile tale some of which was based on fact.
Mia returns to her grandmother's apartment and piqued by her grandmother's calls for Szymon, she decides to look for clues to his or her identity. Upon coming across a pack of postcards hidden away, Mia is flabbergasted when she finds the cards signed by Szymon.
Intrigued by this, Mia investigates and finds a world centered on the war, and a man Ilse is determined to rescue. He had been captured by the Nazis and Mia thinks he might still be alive. Turning over clues, she finds out some details about her grandmother's past, of how brave and courageous Ilse had been and how she was determined to rescue the person she loved.
Does she succeed? It is now 1999 so is this phantom person still alive? The intrigue and danger Ilse faces is the gist of this emotional and brave tale that brings a grandmother that Mia loved into a new light.
Of all the regrets one has in their lives, is this one that Mia might help fixing for Ilse.?
Thank you to Carly Schabowski, Dreamscape Media, narrated by Tamsin Kennard, and NetGalley for the ability to listen to this worthwhile tale some of which was based on fact.
July 8, 2024
The Postcard by Carly Schabowski is a historical fiction novel that is written about the devastating impacts of World War II. Themes of this novel are about tale of love, loss, and the resilient human spirit. The story is about Alice, who discovers a postcard among her grandmother's belongings. This starts an interest into the past and uncovering family secrets.
The Postcard alternates between two timelines: Alice’s present-day quest to learn more about her grandmother's life and her grandmother’s experiences during the war. The author is did a good job with researched details, which brings to life the bravery and hardships those who lived through the war. The characters well developed, each dealing with their own forms of loss and longing.
Even with the above descriptions. This novel fell short for me. Felt like just another WW2 book.
The Postcard alternates between two timelines: Alice’s present-day quest to learn more about her grandmother's life and her grandmother’s experiences during the war. The author is did a good job with researched details, which brings to life the bravery and hardships those who lived through the war. The characters well developed, each dealing with their own forms of loss and longing.
Even with the above descriptions. This novel fell short for me. Felt like just another WW2 book.
August 31, 2023
As the author reveals in her letter to readers at the end of the book, The Postcard is inspired by a chance find in a Polish flea market and a true story of wartime sacrifice.
The standout parts of the book for me were the sections describing the experiences of cousins Szymon and Tadeusz during the Second World War. Chilling and often disturbing, these scenes had a real feeling of authenticity. I think we are probably all aware of the atrocities perpetrated by the Nazis, not just on Jewish people but on citizens of other occupied countries, but it doesn't make it any easier to read about. I couldn't help but think about the current situation in Ukraine as I was reading the scenes of the young cousins serving as soldiers on the front line.
I'll confess I found the young Ilse difficult to warm to because of her self-absorption and her inability to recognise - perhaps even blithe indifference to - the events unfolding around her. Of course, she wasn't alone in that. 'Everyone seemed happy with the Fuhrer and their new Germany, so if no one else seemed to care, it seemed pointless that she should worry about it too.' Even when she does realise what's going on - and the evidence is there under her nose - her motivation is partly the prospect of adventure. With the older Ilse it was a different matter. Her guilt and regret at the actions of her younger self was heartbreaking to witness, as was her determination to put things right.
My favourite character was Marlena who proves a steadfast friend to Ilse, a loyal confidante and a resolute individualist. I loved the way she supported Mia as she struggles to come to terms with the prospect of losing her grandmother, the woman who has brought her up since her parents' death. Attempting to discover the truth about her grandmother's early life provides a sort of distraction for Mia's from her own troubles. It's a journey the reader joins her on as the story moves back and forth in time until all the pieces of the jigsaw finally come together.
The Postcard is an emotional story about love, friendship and the choices that can change lives forever.
The standout parts of the book for me were the sections describing the experiences of cousins Szymon and Tadeusz during the Second World War. Chilling and often disturbing, these scenes had a real feeling of authenticity. I think we are probably all aware of the atrocities perpetrated by the Nazis, not just on Jewish people but on citizens of other occupied countries, but it doesn't make it any easier to read about. I couldn't help but think about the current situation in Ukraine as I was reading the scenes of the young cousins serving as soldiers on the front line.
I'll confess I found the young Ilse difficult to warm to because of her self-absorption and her inability to recognise - perhaps even blithe indifference to - the events unfolding around her. Of course, she wasn't alone in that. 'Everyone seemed happy with the Fuhrer and their new Germany, so if no one else seemed to care, it seemed pointless that she should worry about it too.' Even when she does realise what's going on - and the evidence is there under her nose - her motivation is partly the prospect of adventure. With the older Ilse it was a different matter. Her guilt and regret at the actions of her younger self was heartbreaking to witness, as was her determination to put things right.
My favourite character was Marlena who proves a steadfast friend to Ilse, a loyal confidante and a resolute individualist. I loved the way she supported Mia as she struggles to come to terms with the prospect of losing her grandmother, the woman who has brought her up since her parents' death. Attempting to discover the truth about her grandmother's early life provides a sort of distraction for Mia's from her own troubles. It's a journey the reader joins her on as the story moves back and forth in time until all the pieces of the jigsaw finally come together.
The Postcard is an emotional story about love, friendship and the choices that can change lives forever.
August 1, 2023
With as many World War 2 historical fiction books that I have read, I shouldn't be surprised at my reactions. I didn't think my reaction to The Postcard would be so extreme. But The Postcard left me speechless. The story had me wanting to roll up in a ball and cry hysterically. The story was a blunt reminder of how the war was very different from one person to the next, one city to the next. The details of war left me completely.
The story takes place in a town on the border of Germany and Poland. A walking bridge, that once connected the two countries, became a reminder of the horrors of war. Soon the Polish people are prisoners marching daily over the bridge to work in German factories. People that were once friends, co-workers, lovers can be seen marching over the bridge, no longer equals, no longer of value, now looked down upon.
Much of the story centers around Ilse. Her father owns munition factories in Germany. She is part of the German Elite. Even worse, she is selfish and self-centered. Her actions will have repercussions for years to come. As a reader I learned more about the war by learning about her mistakes. As a reader, I cried for those that were affected by her decisions. I did not shed a tear for her.
She did not experience the POW camps like the boys she knew and cared for before the war. The author's telling of their lives during the war were earth shattering. She did not suffer the aftermath of war, trying to begin again. The author's descriptions of the lack of homecoming, the loss of life, the continued suffering were heartbreaking. She did not suffer the horrible consequences of her actions. Denial was her friend and she needed to accept the consequences, the lack of forgiveness. She did not face her mistakes until it was almost too late.
Reading Ilse's story does give us small glimpses into the time period. I, for one, will never understand it all. I will never know it all. There were too many lives altered forever. The author's words painted a picture to help transport the reader to a time that many choose to forget. But we must never forget. We need to treat people better as a way to honor those that lost everything.
The Postcard was a very emotional read. This book had me in tears and kept me hooked until the final page. Even when I closed the book for the day, I could not stop thinking about the characters. I could not stop imagining what it must have been like. I do know that no matter what I think it was like, it was much, much worse. It is books like this one that help us understand enough to make sure it never happens again.
The story takes place in a town on the border of Germany and Poland. A walking bridge, that once connected the two countries, became a reminder of the horrors of war. Soon the Polish people are prisoners marching daily over the bridge to work in German factories. People that were once friends, co-workers, lovers can be seen marching over the bridge, no longer equals, no longer of value, now looked down upon.
Much of the story centers around Ilse. Her father owns munition factories in Germany. She is part of the German Elite. Even worse, she is selfish and self-centered. Her actions will have repercussions for years to come. As a reader I learned more about the war by learning about her mistakes. As a reader, I cried for those that were affected by her decisions. I did not shed a tear for her.
She did not experience the POW camps like the boys she knew and cared for before the war. The author's telling of their lives during the war were earth shattering. She did not suffer the aftermath of war, trying to begin again. The author's descriptions of the lack of homecoming, the loss of life, the continued suffering were heartbreaking. She did not suffer the horrible consequences of her actions. Denial was her friend and she needed to accept the consequences, the lack of forgiveness. She did not face her mistakes until it was almost too late.
Reading Ilse's story does give us small glimpses into the time period. I, for one, will never understand it all. I will never know it all. There were too many lives altered forever. The author's words painted a picture to help transport the reader to a time that many choose to forget. But we must never forget. We need to treat people better as a way to honor those that lost everything.
The Postcard was a very emotional read. This book had me in tears and kept me hooked until the final page. Even when I closed the book for the day, I could not stop thinking about the characters. I could not stop imagining what it must have been like. I do know that no matter what I think it was like, it was much, much worse. It is books like this one that help us understand enough to make sure it never happens again.
August 29, 2023
Throughout The Postcard, the new book from Carly Schabowski, there is a stifling and stilted atmosphere of things not said and now after many years secrets and truths cannot be left buried as the main character Ilse is nearing the end of her life. The weight of the burden she carries is felt by the reader with every turn of the page and that’s what makes you keep turning the pages to discover what has she kept hidden close to her chest since the war years. How has this affected how she has lived her life and also raised her granddaughter Mia, since the death of Mia’s parents in a car accident. Now as Ilse rests in a hospital bed knowing her time is near, will she be ready to reveal everything to Mia and will those she seeks acceptance and forgiveness from be willing to grant her this as she prepares to leave this world? Has too much water flown under the bridge for absolution to be granted to Ilse? Can Mia fill in the blanks to piece together the missing jigsaw pieces in her family story and in doing so can she too heal from her recent trauma?
The story is told in a dual timeline format moving back and forth between the present day and the 1940’s. In the present day Mia has arrived in Gorlitz, in Eastern Germany, which is very near to the Polish border. Mia has no job or boyfriend and we are drip fed titbits as to what has recently happened to her rather like we are slow fed snippets of the overall story which at times did prove frustrating as I waited for something monumental to happen which would drive the book on. Mia’s grandmother Ilse had returned to her home town after many years living in England where she had come as a refugee during the war. But Ilse was lonely and longed for her home place. Now Ilse has cancer and not long left and as Mia visits her hospital in a state of confusion and pain she cries out for a man named Szymon, a name which Mia has never heard before.
Mia finds postcards addressed to Szymon written by someone called Tadeusz. Her curiosity is aroused and combined with her grandmother calling out for Szymon Mia knows she needs to investigate further. To be honest, I think everything going on with her grandmother allowed Mia to focus on something else rather than her own problems and although there wasn’t an overwhelming sense of Mia really setting out and uncovering things rather that through friends of her grandmothers and eventually Ilse’s diary she discovers the truth, there was enough in the second half of the book to keep me invested.
Ilse has kept Szymon in the deep recesses of her mind along with many other memories she does not wish to revisit but slowly we learn of her childhood growing up in Gorlitz. She came from a well to do German family and her father ran a factory. Marlena is a long time friend of hers and still is in the present day. I will say I would have loved a solid confirmation on Ilse’s part regarding the Marlena situation. I felt left in a bit of a limbo with the reader having to make up their own mind. One hot summer Ilse and Marlena meet Syzmon and his cousin Tadeusz by the riverbank and Ilse’s world is transformed as boys and romance have entered it. She desperately wants to be in love but her thoughts are misplaced and this is where her selfishness affects others. She only ever thinks of herself and is not aware of the feelings of others and the repercussions of her actions. As she is German but Tadeusz and Szymon are Polish she has no idea nor do I think did she really care initially that as the war approached that they would be on opposite sides. She felt invincible and untouchable and that she was destined for great things.
Ilse’s family leave for Berlin and return after five years. It is 1942 and her homeplace is much changed with the continuing war. She has little or no relationship with her mother and has no concept of the danger that is on her doorstep. I think she returned believing she could pick up where she had left off with Tadeusz and Syzymon but they have signed up and are away fighting. To say much more around what happens to the two young men would give too much away but suffice to say something significant and impactful occurs and this for me is the turning point of the book where the plot wasn’t relying as much on being so character driven and just detailing how Ilse and Marlena spent their time. Now there was a sense of urgency and of wanting to do one’s bit but yet again I really saw Ilse’s sense of self coming to the fore. She believed danger was some form of excitement but yet at the same time she shielded herself from the realities of what was going on at her front door. It was like she was playing a game completely unaware of the ramifications of her actions for everyone involved. In a way she was a childish narcissist caring only for herself and what impact her choices would have on her own life. This will only lead to sins and regrets that she will carry through the rest of her life. She seeks redemption but is it too late or can Mia help bring the story full circle and by reading the postcards, asking questions and making people open up will everyone be happy with the eventual outcome?
By no means is this book action packed, instead I found the first half to be quite slow as it sets the scene for what is to come in the later half. I found it hard going and heavy at times as it was very character driven and I felt there was a lot of reading between the lines to decipher a deeper meaning as to what the characters were feeling and going through. At times, it felt as if nothing was really happening and I couldn’t sense in what direction the story was going to go but then around the midway point as I have found with several historical fiction books recently all of a sudden there was a complete turnaround and things really started to happen. My excitement grew. My interest was piqued, and little twists and turns were starting to appear and the sense of joining the dots together and unearthing secrets really started to become apparent. That’s not to say my opinion of Ilse changed at any point in the story as there were very little redeeming features, I could find about her despite the suffering and trauma she endured.
The Postcard asks the question what would a German woman do if her friends from before the war find themselves in danger and it did so in a very good manner despite in my opinion the shaky start. The bonds of friendship, the power of resilience and forgiveness are explored and I am glad that I stuck with it as all these characteristics come to the fore and I found myself gasping with the revelations and twists and that sprang forth as the book neared its conclusion. It’s not my favourite book by this author but is well worth the read for the story of friendship that evolves.
The story is told in a dual timeline format moving back and forth between the present day and the 1940’s. In the present day Mia has arrived in Gorlitz, in Eastern Germany, which is very near to the Polish border. Mia has no job or boyfriend and we are drip fed titbits as to what has recently happened to her rather like we are slow fed snippets of the overall story which at times did prove frustrating as I waited for something monumental to happen which would drive the book on. Mia’s grandmother Ilse had returned to her home town after many years living in England where she had come as a refugee during the war. But Ilse was lonely and longed for her home place. Now Ilse has cancer and not long left and as Mia visits her hospital in a state of confusion and pain she cries out for a man named Szymon, a name which Mia has never heard before.
Mia finds postcards addressed to Szymon written by someone called Tadeusz. Her curiosity is aroused and combined with her grandmother calling out for Szymon Mia knows she needs to investigate further. To be honest, I think everything going on with her grandmother allowed Mia to focus on something else rather than her own problems and although there wasn’t an overwhelming sense of Mia really setting out and uncovering things rather that through friends of her grandmothers and eventually Ilse’s diary she discovers the truth, there was enough in the second half of the book to keep me invested.
Ilse has kept Szymon in the deep recesses of her mind along with many other memories she does not wish to revisit but slowly we learn of her childhood growing up in Gorlitz. She came from a well to do German family and her father ran a factory. Marlena is a long time friend of hers and still is in the present day. I will say I would have loved a solid confirmation on Ilse’s part regarding the Marlena situation. I felt left in a bit of a limbo with the reader having to make up their own mind. One hot summer Ilse and Marlena meet Syzmon and his cousin Tadeusz by the riverbank and Ilse’s world is transformed as boys and romance have entered it. She desperately wants to be in love but her thoughts are misplaced and this is where her selfishness affects others. She only ever thinks of herself and is not aware of the feelings of others and the repercussions of her actions. As she is German but Tadeusz and Szymon are Polish she has no idea nor do I think did she really care initially that as the war approached that they would be on opposite sides. She felt invincible and untouchable and that she was destined for great things.
Ilse’s family leave for Berlin and return after five years. It is 1942 and her homeplace is much changed with the continuing war. She has little or no relationship with her mother and has no concept of the danger that is on her doorstep. I think she returned believing she could pick up where she had left off with Tadeusz and Syzymon but they have signed up and are away fighting. To say much more around what happens to the two young men would give too much away but suffice to say something significant and impactful occurs and this for me is the turning point of the book where the plot wasn’t relying as much on being so character driven and just detailing how Ilse and Marlena spent their time. Now there was a sense of urgency and of wanting to do one’s bit but yet again I really saw Ilse’s sense of self coming to the fore. She believed danger was some form of excitement but yet at the same time she shielded herself from the realities of what was going on at her front door. It was like she was playing a game completely unaware of the ramifications of her actions for everyone involved. In a way she was a childish narcissist caring only for herself and what impact her choices would have on her own life. This will only lead to sins and regrets that she will carry through the rest of her life. She seeks redemption but is it too late or can Mia help bring the story full circle and by reading the postcards, asking questions and making people open up will everyone be happy with the eventual outcome?
By no means is this book action packed, instead I found the first half to be quite slow as it sets the scene for what is to come in the later half. I found it hard going and heavy at times as it was very character driven and I felt there was a lot of reading between the lines to decipher a deeper meaning as to what the characters were feeling and going through. At times, it felt as if nothing was really happening and I couldn’t sense in what direction the story was going to go but then around the midway point as I have found with several historical fiction books recently all of a sudden there was a complete turnaround and things really started to happen. My excitement grew. My interest was piqued, and little twists and turns were starting to appear and the sense of joining the dots together and unearthing secrets really started to become apparent. That’s not to say my opinion of Ilse changed at any point in the story as there were very little redeeming features, I could find about her despite the suffering and trauma she endured.
The Postcard asks the question what would a German woman do if her friends from before the war find themselves in danger and it did so in a very good manner despite in my opinion the shaky start. The bonds of friendship, the power of resilience and forgiveness are explored and I am glad that I stuck with it as all these characteristics come to the fore and I found myself gasping with the revelations and twists and that sprang forth as the book neared its conclusion. It’s not my favourite book by this author but is well worth the read for the story of friendship that evolves.
September 1, 2023
The Postcard is an emotional WWII novel that is based on a true story. This is the story of four childhood friends who are separated by circumstance. Isle is part of the German elite, but her friends, Marlena, Szymon and Tadeusz, are from Poland. They all live right on the border which is connected by a walking bridge. They all grow up on the river and become friends and crushes until Isle is forced to move to Berlin with her family.
When Isle returns, her friends' lives are forever changed. The boys have joined the Polish army and Marlena is just trying to survive. Isle has a very hard time understanding all the caution as the war has had little effect on her life. Her choices and somewhat selfish attitude eventually cost one of her dear friend's freedom, while deserting the other when she was needed most.
As with any book set during the war, the descriptions of those imprisoned by the Nazi soldiers cuts deep. It was heartbreaking to read many of those parts of this story.
This story is told in dual timelines with several POVs. Mia, Isle's granddaughter, is the one who puts all the mystery back together. What really happened to Isle all those years ago? Why did Mia never know the girl who was once so full of love in her youth? The grandmother she knew was loving, but never affectionate. As her grandmother is in her deathbed, she finds the postcards and begins asking all the right questions.
This is a tale of secrets and just how heavy the consequences of our actions and choices can really be. It tells just how important family and forgiveness can be. And it tells us it's never too late to build a relationship with family once lost.
When Isle returns, her friends' lives are forever changed. The boys have joined the Polish army and Marlena is just trying to survive. Isle has a very hard time understanding all the caution as the war has had little effect on her life. Her choices and somewhat selfish attitude eventually cost one of her dear friend's freedom, while deserting the other when she was needed most.
As with any book set during the war, the descriptions of those imprisoned by the Nazi soldiers cuts deep. It was heartbreaking to read many of those parts of this story.
This story is told in dual timelines with several POVs. Mia, Isle's granddaughter, is the one who puts all the mystery back together. What really happened to Isle all those years ago? Why did Mia never know the girl who was once so full of love in her youth? The grandmother she knew was loving, but never affectionate. As her grandmother is in her deathbed, she finds the postcards and begins asking all the right questions.
This is a tale of secrets and just how heavy the consequences of our actions and choices can really be. It tells just how important family and forgiveness can be. And it tells us it's never too late to build a relationship with family once lost.
September 5, 2023
yeah…call me insensitive but i didn’t care much for those characters or the story. i called the plot twist on the grandpa super early on (it was a obvious as a nose on a face) and although i liked mia, her grandma’s flashbacks showed a very annoying and spoiled young woman. i know the point was that she would be unlikeable and selfish but she didn’t have any redeeming qualities either, her best friend was much more enjoyable and i couldn’t care less about those 2 guys. also, the “current time” chapters were set in 1999 and mia’s storyline, which i found more interesting than the grandma’s btw, were also way too modern for almost 24 years ago. her abusive relationship wouldn’t have been labeled that and the way it was dealt with was a very modern approach to the whole thing. not sure gym memberships were that big of thing at that time either and you probably would’ve tried to lose weight another way (you get my meaning, it’s the 90s/00s). anyway, this was marketed as an emotional read and i felt nothing at all. 2⭐️
thank you to netgalley and bookouture for the audiobook
thank you to netgalley and bookouture for the audiobook
September 8, 2023
I have read a lot of World War II novels, but this story took a completely different spin. You see travesties from not only the Polish view, but also the German view and the German citizens who attempted to help the innocent victims. Mia, the main character, finds her dying grandmother’s postcards and the story unfolds from there. As you become engrossed in the reading of the postcards, you can unfold the mystery of the grandmother’s childhood and why she seems to be a cold and distant guardian to Mia. You see present and past as the author melds both into a heartbreaking but redemptive story. As you learn about each character, the author did a wonderful job of showing their present-day personality and why each character has regrets that have affected the rest of their lives.
I have never read a novel by Carly Schabowski, so I was introduced to her beautiful and poetic writing. She wrote each character in a way that shows their humanity of having faults and selfishness that was realistic.
I listened to this book as an audiobook and the British narrator had a wonderful, smooth voice that was relaxing and enjoyable. She changed each character’s voice in a way that was easy to tell who was speaking.
Thank you Dreamscape Select for allowing me to enjoy this book through Net Galley.
I have never read a novel by Carly Schabowski, so I was introduced to her beautiful and poetic writing. She wrote each character in a way that shows their humanity of having faults and selfishness that was realistic.
I listened to this book as an audiobook and the British narrator had a wonderful, smooth voice that was relaxing and enjoyable. She changed each character’s voice in a way that was easy to tell who was speaking.
Thank you Dreamscape Select for allowing me to enjoy this book through Net Galley.
August 1, 2023
Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read "The Postcard" in exchange for my honest review.
Ms. Schabowski has once again crafted a touching and sensitive story that will transport the reader back in time to when friends and neighbours who have lived together for generations find themselves on different sides of the war.
We meet Mia and hear her story told in the present, her grandmother - Ilse's story is told in the past and in the present, Tadeusz tells his story in the past and present as well.
Mia finds letters and postcards addressed to her grandmother from Tadeusz and she sets out to find the message hidden in these postcards. Her beloved grandmother, her only family is in hospital. They had lived together in Cheltenham in England but her grandmother lonely for her home and friends and the ability to speak her own language moved back to Görlitz, Germany, on the border with Zgorzelec, Poland where she meets and becomes friends with cousins - Szymon and Tadeusz.
Along with her friend Marlena, the four of them become inseparable in 1937. Ilse's parents are wealthy and they shield Ilse from what is going on - they decide to move to Berlin and she has to leave her friend's behind. Upon her return she finds that things are very different. A great deal of the story is told from Ilse's memories of the war years as well as Tadeusz filling in the blanks of what happened to him and Szymon.
Ilse was a well to-do young woman who did not understand the dangers of war. She knew nothing about what was going on and was often foolish and did stupid things. To her life was a grand adventure, full of excitement. But for the cousins who were Polish life was not like that. Szymon is taken to Stalag VIII-A where he dreams of escape. Ilse learns that each decision that she made, each choice she made changed the lives of other people. The promises she made and broke, changed the lives of other people. Tadeusz fills in a lot of the missing pieces as to what happened to Szymon and him.
Ilse keeps a lot of secrets and doesn't tell her grand-daughter that she is dying, that she actually does have family. After her grandmother dies Mia creates a family of her own with her newly found grandfather and her "aunt" Marlena. She realizes that her grandmother cut herself off from life because of her guilt and regret - she had no room for joy or forgiveness of self.
There are parts of this book that are difficult to read but Ms. Schabowski writes so beautifully and sensitively. To them read at the end her notes how she did her research to craft this lovely story of family made the read all that more special.
Ms. Schabowski has once again crafted a touching and sensitive story that will transport the reader back in time to when friends and neighbours who have lived together for generations find themselves on different sides of the war.
We meet Mia and hear her story told in the present, her grandmother - Ilse's story is told in the past and in the present, Tadeusz tells his story in the past and present as well.
Mia finds letters and postcards addressed to her grandmother from Tadeusz and she sets out to find the message hidden in these postcards. Her beloved grandmother, her only family is in hospital. They had lived together in Cheltenham in England but her grandmother lonely for her home and friends and the ability to speak her own language moved back to Görlitz, Germany, on the border with Zgorzelec, Poland where she meets and becomes friends with cousins - Szymon and Tadeusz.
Along with her friend Marlena, the four of them become inseparable in 1937. Ilse's parents are wealthy and they shield Ilse from what is going on - they decide to move to Berlin and she has to leave her friend's behind. Upon her return she finds that things are very different. A great deal of the story is told from Ilse's memories of the war years as well as Tadeusz filling in the blanks of what happened to him and Szymon.
Ilse was a well to-do young woman who did not understand the dangers of war. She knew nothing about what was going on and was often foolish and did stupid things. To her life was a grand adventure, full of excitement. But for the cousins who were Polish life was not like that. Szymon is taken to Stalag VIII-A where he dreams of escape. Ilse learns that each decision that she made, each choice she made changed the lives of other people. The promises she made and broke, changed the lives of other people. Tadeusz fills in a lot of the missing pieces as to what happened to Szymon and him.
Ilse keeps a lot of secrets and doesn't tell her grand-daughter that she is dying, that she actually does have family. After her grandmother dies Mia creates a family of her own with her newly found grandfather and her "aunt" Marlena. She realizes that her grandmother cut herself off from life because of her guilt and regret - she had no room for joy or forgiveness of self.
There are parts of this book that are difficult to read but Ms. Schabowski writes so beautifully and sensitively. To them read at the end her notes how she did her research to craft this lovely story of family made the read all that more special.
August 30, 2023
The Postcard is an emotional and at times heartbreaking read that really tugged at my heart strings. Right from the prologue I was completely invested in this story and wanted desperately to find out what secrets were being hidden by these characters. The author has given us excellent characters in this story and I enjoyed reading from each of their different perspectives. I know this was mainly a book based on historical fiction but I did also like reading about Mia’s story and what she had to endure. The chapters based around the prisoners in the concentration camps were at times difficult to read and really brought tears to my eyes reading about how these poor people suffered during the worst of times. Overall for me this was an unputdownable and touching read that I highly recommend. 5⭐️
September 17, 2023
This book may be classified as a holocaust WWII story, but there are layers of themes. All the characters are dealing with trauma, some related to the war, but also domestic violence, betrayal, sexual orientation, guilt. There are also acts of heroism, bravery and kindness. And family tensions and reconciliation. Yes the main action takes place during WWII, characters are at a crucial time in the camps, and the experience is told in tragic and despairing detail at points. For me the first part of the book, where the characters are at least initially established, took too long. I kept wanting the book to get to the secrets that are hinted at and at times so slowly and teasingly revealed, though I understood that related to the traumas behind the secrets. But once the plot really started rolling, I could not put the book down. Hang in there, it is worth it.
April 26, 2024
A wonderfully written novel. Characters in the novel, both primary and secondary harbor secrets. These secrets have shaped each of their own lives as well as those other characters as well. As the big secret is revealed, each character must reveal their part of the secret so that their stories intertwine with each other. Sometimes the story goes to a different time period or setting, but the author makes these jumps seamlessly and the narrative doesn't miss a beat. Once each character's part of the secret is revealed then comes acceptance and ultimately forgiveness. The reader gets caught in the story and wants to read on to see how it all turns out. A masterful tale, well worth a read. I highly recommend it.
August 16, 2023
The Postcard is a well written novel following a granddaughter trying to understand what her grandmother did during WW2. Set in Tadeusz on the boarder of Poland and Germany. It tells of how only a few metres difference; lives became so different. How a young, naïve, self-centred girl changed the lives of those that loved her and its never to late to amend the mistakes you made and ask for forgiveness. Based on a true story, this page turning dual timeline will take you from the past to the present seamlessly. Carly Schabowski is becoming one of my favourite authors and doesn’t disappoint.
I would like to thank Bookouture, NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read this complimentary copy for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
I would like to thank Bookouture, NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read this complimentary copy for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
August 8, 2023
What an emotional read. A story of overcoming past mistakes, secrets, forgiveness and survival.
Author Carly Schabowski shares a heartbreaking and emotionally charged story that is hard to forget about.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Author Carly Schabowski shares a heartbreaking and emotionally charged story that is hard to forget about.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
July 30, 2023
I received a free e-arc of this book through Netgalley.
Set in a post-WWII world, Mia's only remaining family is her grandmother who has never been a very warm person. Mia visits Ilse and soon her whole idea of the world and her grandmother changes. POV changes between Mia, her grandmother Ilse, and Ilse's friends during WWII and afterwards. A book about making amends before it's too late.
Set in a post-WWII world, Mia's only remaining family is her grandmother who has never been a very warm person. Mia visits Ilse and soon her whole idea of the world and her grandmother changes. POV changes between Mia, her grandmother Ilse, and Ilse's friends during WWII and afterwards. A book about making amends before it's too late.
August 31, 2023
Twenty year old Mia was raised by her grandmother Ilse. Mia remembers the stories of happenings during World War Two as if it happened yesterday. So when Mia’s grandmother Ilse is hospitalized, Mia immediately returns to Germany to be by her side. Ilse briefly wakes up and asks for Szymon, a man she knew many years ago but Mia doesn’t know who he is. Why, after all this time, is Ilse so determined to see him? Mia returns to her grandmother’s apartment to see if she can find any information on who Szymon is. She discovers a stack of old, faded postcards inside an old suitcase. As she reads through the stack of postcards, she sees that they are all signed by Szymon. Mia must find Szymon and convince him that he needs to see Ilse one more time before it’s too late.
The Postcard written by author Carly Schabowski, is a wonderful time slip story. This emotional story is a heartbreaking and powerful story of past, present and future lives of people that survived the Great War and the stories that were kept secret for so many years. If you enjoy historical fiction with secrets revealed and the mystery of finding answers many years later, then this is the book for you.
The Postcard written by author Carly Schabowski, is a wonderful time slip story. This emotional story is a heartbreaking and powerful story of past, present and future lives of people that survived the Great War and the stories that were kept secret for so many years. If you enjoy historical fiction with secrets revealed and the mystery of finding answers many years later, then this is the book for you.
October 14, 2023
A Write to Review
Note: I received a copy of this book from Dreamscape Select via NetGalley.
Mia embarks on a poignant journey to uncover the secrets of her grandmother, Ilse, when she rushes to her side as she is hospitalized. When Ilse asks for a man named Szymon in her delirium, Mia is left puzzled and determined to unravel the mystery behind this request.
Upon searching her grandmother's apartment, Mia stumbles upon a bundle of faded postcards tied together, all signed by Szymon. These postcards reveal a story of childhood friendship, a profound young love, and a daring plan to rescue a man imprisoned by the Nazis on the brink of World War II. As Mia delves deeper into this hidden history, she begins to fathom the incredible bravery of her grandmother and the risks she took to save Szymon's life.
With each postcard and revelation, Mia peels back the layers of her grandmother's past, discovering the untold story of her experiences during the war. This journey of discovery not only reveals the truth about her grandmother's past but also alters Mia's perspective on her own life in ways she never expected.
This book provided a unique reading experience that can be both a blessing and a challenge, depending on your taste. It's not a fast-paced, action-packed story; rather, it takes its time in the first half to meticulously set the scene, creating a foundation for what unfolds later. This gradual build-up, while essential, can make it a bit tough to fully engage with the narrative initially.
The novel's narrative style leans heavily on character development, delving deep into their emotions and unspoken feelings, often requiring readers to read between the lines to grasp the underlying sentiments. It's a heavy, character-driven story that demands a certain level of patience and attentiveness. At times, the narrative shifts between different character perspectives, which can lead to moments of confusion, making it challenging to discern whose viewpoint we're experiencing at any given moment.
Mia, the central character, might be a bit hard to connect with for some readers, as her complexity and the intricacies of her emotions can be elusive. The mixed feelings that arise from the story can largely be attributed to the multifaceted personality of Ilse, which might prove vexing for some. Her actions and choices could be perceived as frustrating, making it difficult to empathize with her character.
In the end, this wartime narrative, despite its challenges, offers a poignant and heartbreaking tale filled with depth and rich emotions.
Note: I received a copy of this book from Dreamscape Select via NetGalley.
Mia embarks on a poignant journey to uncover the secrets of her grandmother, Ilse, when she rushes to her side as she is hospitalized. When Ilse asks for a man named Szymon in her delirium, Mia is left puzzled and determined to unravel the mystery behind this request.
Upon searching her grandmother's apartment, Mia stumbles upon a bundle of faded postcards tied together, all signed by Szymon. These postcards reveal a story of childhood friendship, a profound young love, and a daring plan to rescue a man imprisoned by the Nazis on the brink of World War II. As Mia delves deeper into this hidden history, she begins to fathom the incredible bravery of her grandmother and the risks she took to save Szymon's life.
With each postcard and revelation, Mia peels back the layers of her grandmother's past, discovering the untold story of her experiences during the war. This journey of discovery not only reveals the truth about her grandmother's past but also alters Mia's perspective on her own life in ways she never expected.
This book provided a unique reading experience that can be both a blessing and a challenge, depending on your taste. It's not a fast-paced, action-packed story; rather, it takes its time in the first half to meticulously set the scene, creating a foundation for what unfolds later. This gradual build-up, while essential, can make it a bit tough to fully engage with the narrative initially.
The novel's narrative style leans heavily on character development, delving deep into their emotions and unspoken feelings, often requiring readers to read between the lines to grasp the underlying sentiments. It's a heavy, character-driven story that demands a certain level of patience and attentiveness. At times, the narrative shifts between different character perspectives, which can lead to moments of confusion, making it challenging to discern whose viewpoint we're experiencing at any given moment.
Mia, the central character, might be a bit hard to connect with for some readers, as her complexity and the intricacies of her emotions can be elusive. The mixed feelings that arise from the story can largely be attributed to the multifaceted personality of Ilse, which might prove vexing for some. Her actions and choices could be perceived as frustrating, making it difficult to empathize with her character.
In the end, this wartime narrative, despite its challenges, offers a poignant and heartbreaking tale filled with depth and rich emotions.
August 2, 2023
This emotional story has a dual line and is told by several different POVs. It shows the lack of involvement of the Polish elite in contrast with the brutal lives of the Jewish residents and the prisoners of war. It's a story of love and forgiveness, the effect of keeping secrets and the effects of the war during and after.
Ilse was a youg woman living in Poland with her family. Her family was very rich and snobby and the war didn't seem to affect their lives. Ilse and her best friend Marlena enjoyed spending time walking across the bridge that connected Poland to Germany. They met two young boys and Ilse fell in love with one of them. When the war started, both young men joined the Polish Army. One of them became a deserter and the other ended up in a POW camp. Ilse is so immature that she thinks she can help rescue the friend in the camp without considering the danger that it would put him in. She ends up fleeing to the UK and later has a son. When her son and his wife die, she raises her granddaughter Mia and then when Mia started college, she moved back to her hometown in Poland. Mia stayed in England to work but when she lost her job and her boyfriend, she decided to go see her grandmother. She knew that Ilse had fallen but was not aware of her real health conditions. Her grandmother tells her a few things about her life in Poland during the war and she hears the rest from Marlena and one of the men who was part of her friends group in her younger days. Ilse's story shocks her and she vows to try to find the person that her grandmother had loved before the war. What she finds out makes her view her grandmother differently and she realizes that Ilse never really allowed herself to live life and be happy because of her guilt about things that happened during the war.
This book was beautifully written and well-researched. The characters were all easy to love - except for Ilse because she was so out of touch with what was going on and she wanted to do things her way no matter what the consequences might be. The story was very emotional and some of the descriptions of the POW camps were difficult to read but overall this was a fantastic book about forgiveness and love. This is my first book by this author but it definitely won't be my last.
Ilse was a youg woman living in Poland with her family. Her family was very rich and snobby and the war didn't seem to affect their lives. Ilse and her best friend Marlena enjoyed spending time walking across the bridge that connected Poland to Germany. They met two young boys and Ilse fell in love with one of them. When the war started, both young men joined the Polish Army. One of them became a deserter and the other ended up in a POW camp. Ilse is so immature that she thinks she can help rescue the friend in the camp without considering the danger that it would put him in. She ends up fleeing to the UK and later has a son. When her son and his wife die, she raises her granddaughter Mia and then when Mia started college, she moved back to her hometown in Poland. Mia stayed in England to work but when she lost her job and her boyfriend, she decided to go see her grandmother. She knew that Ilse had fallen but was not aware of her real health conditions. Her grandmother tells her a few things about her life in Poland during the war and she hears the rest from Marlena and one of the men who was part of her friends group in her younger days. Ilse's story shocks her and she vows to try to find the person that her grandmother had loved before the war. What she finds out makes her view her grandmother differently and she realizes that Ilse never really allowed herself to live life and be happy because of her guilt about things that happened during the war.
This book was beautifully written and well-researched. The characters were all easy to love - except for Ilse because she was so out of touch with what was going on and she wanted to do things her way no matter what the consequences might be. The story was very emotional and some of the descriptions of the POW camps were difficult to read but overall this was a fantastic book about forgiveness and love. This is my first book by this author but it definitely won't be my last.
September 8, 2023
Thank you to Dreamscape Select and Netgalley for the ARC audio. These are my own opinions. This story is told through multiple POVs and also has flashbacks to the past. The narrator, Tamsin Kennard, was wonderful and brought a lot of emotion to the story. The story follows Mia, Ilse (her grandmother), Marlena, Szymon and Tadeuz. Mia finds out her grandmother is put in the hospital and she goes to Germany to be with her. After all she is the woman who raised her after her parents died in an accident. When her grandmother calls out for someone that Mia does not know, she becomes curious about what her grandmother could be hiding. When she goes to her grandmother's flat she stumbles upon postcards with the same name, she is then taken on a journey back to WW2 with the help from Marlena (her grandmother's best friend), Tadeusz (a grumpy neighbor) and her grandmother. This is definitely a story of forgiveness and things that are left unsaid. The characters are not only looking for forgiveness from others but are learning to forgive themselves for the decisions that they had to make, both in the past and present. There were definitely things that were left unsaid between each other's characters. It makes you realize that life is short and we should tell people we love that we love them. We should also tell people the truth about why certain decisions were made before it is too late. I loved the multiple POVs when they were telling the story of what happened during WW2. It helped me see the story from all angles. It helped show why the character did what they did. With each character telling their own story. The characters were well thought out and relatable. You couldn't help hoping that each character finds peace and forgiveness. This story had my heart firmly gripped in it's grasp and wouldn't let go. Finding out that it is based on a true story made me want to learn more. I will definitely be reading more from this author. 4 stars!
This is a review of the audiobook.
This is a review of the audiobook.
October 12, 2023
My husband's parents and family were WWII war refugees from Poland, and landed in Australia. Since so many of them died before I met him, and the past was not talked about in his household, I now can't get enough of stories set during WWII, especially when they have a Polish element.
This story is set in a German town right on the border with Poland, and before the war came, residents went freely from one place to the other via a bridge. Thus, does German IIse and her friend, Marlena, find themselves meeting Polish cousins Syzmon and Tadeusz. What follows is the stuff of every teenager who discovers the opposite sex for the first time, and feelings stir that can be mistaken for true love. Although this part of the story moved more slowly and with less drama, I felt the author did an admirable job of bringing to life those feelings of teenage crushes and the very strong emotions they evoke. (At least in the era I grew up in.)
Then the war reaches the little town and the book becomes darker and more action packed. Something happens back in time that will impact all four of the teenagers lives. At the start of the book, Mia, Iise's granddaughter, has come to Germany from England because her Grandmother is dying. Mia wants to unlock this secret from the past before her grandmother is gone.
I struggled at the beginning to get immersed in this book, but once I did and got past a certain point, I found it very interesting. I feel the author was able to set a real mood of the time, with the setting and the characters. They all felt very real. I would rate this 3.75, only because of a slow start. It could be argued that this more calm start was needed, to set the backdrop for the huge changes that came after the war, however. In that regard, there was a Before and an After.
Thank you to NetGalley, Bookoutre, and the author for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This story is set in a German town right on the border with Poland, and before the war came, residents went freely from one place to the other via a bridge. Thus, does German IIse and her friend, Marlena, find themselves meeting Polish cousins Syzmon and Tadeusz. What follows is the stuff of every teenager who discovers the opposite sex for the first time, and feelings stir that can be mistaken for true love. Although this part of the story moved more slowly and with less drama, I felt the author did an admirable job of bringing to life those feelings of teenage crushes and the very strong emotions they evoke. (At least in the era I grew up in.)
Then the war reaches the little town and the book becomes darker and more action packed. Something happens back in time that will impact all four of the teenagers lives. At the start of the book, Mia, Iise's granddaughter, has come to Germany from England because her Grandmother is dying. Mia wants to unlock this secret from the past before her grandmother is gone.
I struggled at the beginning to get immersed in this book, but once I did and got past a certain point, I found it very interesting. I feel the author was able to set a real mood of the time, with the setting and the characters. They all felt very real. I would rate this 3.75, only because of a slow start. It could be argued that this more calm start was needed, to set the backdrop for the huge changes that came after the war, however. In that regard, there was a Before and an After.
Thank you to NetGalley, Bookoutre, and the author for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
August 23, 2023
The Postcard by Carly Schabowski is a powerful dual timeline novel that totally consumed me.
The action is set during World War II and in 1999 in a small town that straddles the German/Polish border. It is a heartbreaking read as we hear of the horrors that the Poles suffered. As the novel opens in 1937 life is carefree and there is a gaiety as Germans and Poles exist side by side. As war looms, the atmosphere becomes oppressive as the Poles are hunted down and persecuted.
There are those who cannot stand idly by. “I don’t want to be like the others. I don’t want to do nothing, say nothing.” Unfortunately, youthful enthusiasm fails to project forwards to anticipate the consequences of actions.
The reader travels to Bergen Belsen as we witness the absolute horrors of mans inhumanity to man. We ‘meet’ Janek, a brave Pole, who sees goodness even though He walks through hell on earth. He believes that as long as we take control of our minds, we can never be in captivity. The Nazis can take bodies but not minds, without permission.
Lives have been held captive by thoughts of bitterness and unforgiveness. One can never live in freedom until forgiveness is given.
The novel is written in alternating points of view. We become intimately acquainted with the characters who are all well drawn, likable and realistic.
Carly Schabowski invades our hearts and our emotions with her tale. The horrors of war are not always found on the battlefield but in the black hearts of fellow human beings.
The Postcard was a powerful read. It’s a tale that must be read in memory of the six million innocents who died and of those who survived.
I received a free copy from the publishers. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.
The action is set during World War II and in 1999 in a small town that straddles the German/Polish border. It is a heartbreaking read as we hear of the horrors that the Poles suffered. As the novel opens in 1937 life is carefree and there is a gaiety as Germans and Poles exist side by side. As war looms, the atmosphere becomes oppressive as the Poles are hunted down and persecuted.
There are those who cannot stand idly by. “I don’t want to be like the others. I don’t want to do nothing, say nothing.” Unfortunately, youthful enthusiasm fails to project forwards to anticipate the consequences of actions.
The reader travels to Bergen Belsen as we witness the absolute horrors of mans inhumanity to man. We ‘meet’ Janek, a brave Pole, who sees goodness even though He walks through hell on earth. He believes that as long as we take control of our minds, we can never be in captivity. The Nazis can take bodies but not minds, without permission.
Lives have been held captive by thoughts of bitterness and unforgiveness. One can never live in freedom until forgiveness is given.
The novel is written in alternating points of view. We become intimately acquainted with the characters who are all well drawn, likable and realistic.
Carly Schabowski invades our hearts and our emotions with her tale. The horrors of war are not always found on the battlefield but in the black hearts of fellow human beings.
The Postcard was a powerful read. It’s a tale that must be read in memory of the six million innocents who died and of those who survived.
I received a free copy from the publishers. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.
September 20, 2023
Thank you to Netgalley for granting me access to the audiobook version of this propulsive story, wonderfully narrated by Tamsin Kennard.
This novel captured my attention from the very start. Mia, who lost her parents at a young age, is raised by her beloved grandmother Ilse, who is originally from Poland. In 1999, Ilse's lifelong friend Marlene discovers Ilse has fallen, and when she is hospitalized, Mia comes over from England to see her. As it turns out, Ilse is quite ill, and when she is in the hospital, she mentions the name of Symon, for the first time. Who is he and who is he to her grandmother are questions that Mia needs to investigate, beginning with the possessions in Isle's apartment.
Yes, this story is one in which a family member's secrets are revealed, but it is done so in a way that
you really want to learn what the secrets are. Of course, World War II was a terrible time for so many, and that trauma resonates for many families to this day. Yet there is much love in this story, and deep friendship as well.
Tamsin Kennard is a new narrator to me, and I so enjoyed listening to her. There is a slight urgency
to her pacing, and a warmth in her voice that compels listeners to hear just one more chapter. I will
seek out more of her narrations, and more from this author as well.
My very minor quibble with this book was the occasional mentions of contemporary rock or punk songs in the contemporary chapters, which took me out of the story for a moment. I guess it set the year for that chapter, but as the thrust of the story is the past, it was a little unsettling to me.
This novel captured my attention from the very start. Mia, who lost her parents at a young age, is raised by her beloved grandmother Ilse, who is originally from Poland. In 1999, Ilse's lifelong friend Marlene discovers Ilse has fallen, and when she is hospitalized, Mia comes over from England to see her. As it turns out, Ilse is quite ill, and when she is in the hospital, she mentions the name of Symon, for the first time. Who is he and who is he to her grandmother are questions that Mia needs to investigate, beginning with the possessions in Isle's apartment.
Yes, this story is one in which a family member's secrets are revealed, but it is done so in a way that
you really want to learn what the secrets are. Of course, World War II was a terrible time for so many, and that trauma resonates for many families to this day. Yet there is much love in this story, and deep friendship as well.
Tamsin Kennard is a new narrator to me, and I so enjoyed listening to her. There is a slight urgency
to her pacing, and a warmth in her voice that compels listeners to hear just one more chapter. I will
seek out more of her narrations, and more from this author as well.
My very minor quibble with this book was the occasional mentions of contemporary rock or punk songs in the contemporary chapters, which took me out of the story for a moment. I guess it set the year for that chapter, but as the thrust of the story is the past, it was a little unsettling to me.
September 5, 2023
A dual timeline World War II novel. This was my first Carly Schabowski book and I enjoyed this emotional novel.
Holding the faded postcard in her trembling hands, Mia begins to read the one story her grandmother could never tell her, revealing a secret that will change her own life forever…
When her beloved grandmother, Ilse , is taken into hospital, Mia drops everything to travel to Germany and care for the woman who raised her. But when her grandmother briefly wakes up and asks for a man called Szymon , Mia is confused. Who is he? And why does her grandmother need to see him so desperately?
Later that night, Mia returns to her grandmother’s apartment to search for clues. She soon discovers a small parcel hidden inside one of Ilse’s suitcases. When she removes the wrapping, she finds a stack of faded postcards neatly bound together, signed with a name that makes her heart stop in her Szymon .
Desperate to find Szymon before it is too late, Mia unearths a story her grandmother never told of childhood friendship and heartbreaking young love on the eve of the Second World War, and of a plan to rescue a young man imprisoned by the Nazis. Mia can’t quite believe her grandmother was so brave, and risked so much to save this man’s life… But did she succeed?
As the final pieces of the past come together, Mia realizes that she is about to find out what really happened to her grandmother during the war. But she doesn’t expect to uncover a secret that will change everything…
Based on a true story, this page-turning and emotional wartime novel follows one woman’s brave decision to save the man she loves from the Nazis.
Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read "The Postcard" in exchange for my honest review.
Holding the faded postcard in her trembling hands, Mia begins to read the one story her grandmother could never tell her, revealing a secret that will change her own life forever…
When her beloved grandmother, Ilse , is taken into hospital, Mia drops everything to travel to Germany and care for the woman who raised her. But when her grandmother briefly wakes up and asks for a man called Szymon , Mia is confused. Who is he? And why does her grandmother need to see him so desperately?
Later that night, Mia returns to her grandmother’s apartment to search for clues. She soon discovers a small parcel hidden inside one of Ilse’s suitcases. When she removes the wrapping, she finds a stack of faded postcards neatly bound together, signed with a name that makes her heart stop in her Szymon .
Desperate to find Szymon before it is too late, Mia unearths a story her grandmother never told of childhood friendship and heartbreaking young love on the eve of the Second World War, and of a plan to rescue a young man imprisoned by the Nazis. Mia can’t quite believe her grandmother was so brave, and risked so much to save this man’s life… But did she succeed?
As the final pieces of the past come together, Mia realizes that she is about to find out what really happened to her grandmother during the war. But she doesn’t expect to uncover a secret that will change everything…
Based on a true story, this page-turning and emotional wartime novel follows one woman’s brave decision to save the man she loves from the Nazis.
Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read "The Postcard" in exchange for my honest review.
August 24, 2023
I had mixed feelings about The Postcard by Carly Schabowski.
It is a novel with two timelines - one set in the world of today and one set in late 1930's to early 1940's - and has two main characters with a number of significant supporting characters. The two main characters are Mia, a woman in her early 20's, and her grandmother Ilse, who we are introduced to in Mia's world of today as an aged, dying woman with secrets. It is definitely Ilse as a very emotional, self-centered, strong willed teenager who is the main character in the late 1930's to early 1940's storyline.
The characters were well-written and all of the historical situations and references were described extremely well. My mixed feelings about the book are due to the nature of Ilse's personality and actions which were annoying to me and the fact that overall the book was just so well written that it had me staying up late each night to see what would be happening next. Even the book's ending left me wondering if there would be a sequel which would pick up Mia's story starting where this book left off.
I realize that my strong reaction to Ilse's personality was due to having known someone like that in real life. However, if a person really enjoys well-written WWII novels with realistic pictures of life during that time and intriguing storylines and won't be turned-off by Ilse's personality, then this would be a good book for them to read.
It is a novel with two timelines - one set in the world of today and one set in late 1930's to early 1940's - and has two main characters with a number of significant supporting characters. The two main characters are Mia, a woman in her early 20's, and her grandmother Ilse, who we are introduced to in Mia's world of today as an aged, dying woman with secrets. It is definitely Ilse as a very emotional, self-centered, strong willed teenager who is the main character in the late 1930's to early 1940's storyline.
The characters were well-written and all of the historical situations and references were described extremely well. My mixed feelings about the book are due to the nature of Ilse's personality and actions which were annoying to me and the fact that overall the book was just so well written that it had me staying up late each night to see what would be happening next. Even the book's ending left me wondering if there would be a sequel which would pick up Mia's story starting where this book left off.
I realize that my strong reaction to Ilse's personality was due to having known someone like that in real life. However, if a person really enjoys well-written WWII novels with realistic pictures of life during that time and intriguing storylines and won't be turned-off by Ilse's personality, then this would be a good book for them to read.
September 5, 2023
Szymon… the name comes out of her mouth before Ilse realizes who she’s speaking about. Once his name comes to surface everything else must be explained as well. The childhood spent down by the river and playing near the cemetery has been pushed aside to reveal what else has occurred at the river which will never be forgotten. Young love is turned into something different. The young Ilse seeks adventure as a young German girl but her polish friends just want to seek freedom. Szymon and Tadeusz head to the front to fight for their homeland in Poland while the others try to make sense of the world around them. One of them escapes with their life as the other is taken to a POW work camp. As the friends come together to help the other find freedom the others begin to learn that freedom doesn’t just mean being out of the camp. A deal is struck with the “devil” and turns their plan inside out.
As Mia, Marlena, Ilse and Tadeusz reveal parts of themselves and their past that hasn’t been spoken of in years they start to find healing with acceptance of the past and possibly forgiveness.
You’ll fall in love with this novel and each character in it. You’re not just reading a story as your heart becomes invested you’re taken back to the past to relive the events. I couldn’t put it down and had to see how each character would find their version of freedom. This is a must read and share with everyone.
As Mia, Marlena, Ilse and Tadeusz reveal parts of themselves and their past that hasn’t been spoken of in years they start to find healing with acceptance of the past and possibly forgiveness.
You’ll fall in love with this novel and each character in it. You’re not just reading a story as your heart becomes invested you’re taken back to the past to relive the events. I couldn’t put it down and had to see how each character would find their version of freedom. This is a must read and share with everyone.
September 16, 2023
TRIGGER WARNING: Nazi brutality, domestic abuse
Mia heads to the Poland-Germany border to visit her dying grandmother Ilse. Ilse cries out for Szymon and Mia finds a series of postcards between Szymon and Tadeusz at Ilse's home. Can she find Szymon and bring her grandmother solace in her final days?
The Postcard is a dual timeline historical novel set in 1999 and during the 1930s and 40s.
Mia's parents died years ago. Now she has escaped a violent relationship but her heart endures more heartache as her beloved grandmother lies dying in hospital. Ilse wants forgiveness for the past but also reassurance that Mia will be looked after in the future. Secrets from the past need to be exposed and atoned for but time is running out.
The book is written from multiple perspectives, both in the first and third person, in the 1930s/40s and 1999. I felt a little separated from the emotion of the book, possibly due to the varying viewpoints. The pace is quite slow at the beginning as we get to know Ilse in the past and present. The plot speeds up as the wartime secrets begin to be revealed to us and to Mia.
I thought that the angle of the book showing the Polish experience of the Nazi regime was quite fresh. The brutality is described almost objectively as the characters have become immune to the suffering in order to survive mentally and physically.
The Postcard is an interesting and well researched historical novel.
Mia heads to the Poland-Germany border to visit her dying grandmother Ilse. Ilse cries out for Szymon and Mia finds a series of postcards between Szymon and Tadeusz at Ilse's home. Can she find Szymon and bring her grandmother solace in her final days?
The Postcard is a dual timeline historical novel set in 1999 and during the 1930s and 40s.
Mia's parents died years ago. Now she has escaped a violent relationship but her heart endures more heartache as her beloved grandmother lies dying in hospital. Ilse wants forgiveness for the past but also reassurance that Mia will be looked after in the future. Secrets from the past need to be exposed and atoned for but time is running out.
The book is written from multiple perspectives, both in the first and third person, in the 1930s/40s and 1999. I felt a little separated from the emotion of the book, possibly due to the varying viewpoints. The pace is quite slow at the beginning as we get to know Ilse in the past and present. The plot speeds up as the wartime secrets begin to be revealed to us and to Mia.
I thought that the angle of the book showing the Polish experience of the Nazi regime was quite fresh. The brutality is described almost objectively as the characters have become immune to the suffering in order to survive mentally and physically.
The Postcard is an interesting and well researched historical novel.
September 9, 2023
A heartwrenching story of love and grief in Germany during World War II. Shared in dual timelines, the story starts with Mia in 1999 as her grandmother Ilse, the woman who raised her, is taken to the hospital. Mia learns her grandmother is dying, but when she’s briefly conscious and asks for someone Mia has never heard of, she returns back to Ilse’s house for clues and discovers a stack of postcards, taking her back to the start of the war nearly 60 years before. As the novel goes back to that time on the eve of the Second World War, it goes from childhood friendship to young love and hardship, as Isle works to save the man she loves from the Nazis, and the resulting fallout of the war and grief. This is based on a true story.
It’s a beautiful wartime story full of heartbreak, though I did find it hard to follow at times with some of the back and forth between characters and whose perspective we were getting at the moment.
Tamsin Kennard narrates this novel beautifully though, bringing the stories to life.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Select for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. This is out now.
It’s a beautiful wartime story full of heartbreak, though I did find it hard to follow at times with some of the back and forth between characters and whose perspective we were getting at the moment.
Tamsin Kennard narrates this novel beautifully though, bringing the stories to life.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Select for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. This is out now.
August 24, 2023
The Postcard
By: Carly Schabowski
Mia was raised by her grandmother after her parents died. Now her grandmother is in the hospital in Germany and as Mia’s life has had a lot of challenges lately, she flies over to take care of her.
When her grandmother sees her, she seems confused and ask her about a man called Szymon. Since Mia is staying at her grandmothers, she starts cleaning her apartment and finds clues to the man called Szymon on a postcard. In fact there are many postcards.
Her grandmothers friend Marlena knows of this person but is reluctant to talk. Mia is sent on one incredible journey to find out what happened to this person and what made her grandmother who she is today. She gets some difficult news about her grandmother’s health. Can she find Szymon and will Marlena help her?
I absolutely was so invested in Mia and her grandmothers story. Full of compassion, childhood memories, the war and so much more. Thank you Bookouture for this advanced copy. This is based on a true-story with makes it even more emotional. Due out August 29th.
By: Carly Schabowski
Mia was raised by her grandmother after her parents died. Now her grandmother is in the hospital in Germany and as Mia’s life has had a lot of challenges lately, she flies over to take care of her.
When her grandmother sees her, she seems confused and ask her about a man called Szymon. Since Mia is staying at her grandmothers, she starts cleaning her apartment and finds clues to the man called Szymon on a postcard. In fact there are many postcards.
Her grandmothers friend Marlena knows of this person but is reluctant to talk. Mia is sent on one incredible journey to find out what happened to this person and what made her grandmother who she is today. She gets some difficult news about her grandmother’s health. Can she find Szymon and will Marlena help her?
I absolutely was so invested in Mia and her grandmothers story. Full of compassion, childhood memories, the war and so much more. Thank you Bookouture for this advanced copy. This is based on a true-story with makes it even more emotional. Due out August 29th.
September 24, 2023
The Postcard by Carly Schabowski
Narrated by Tamsin Kennard
1999 - Görlitz, Germany - Mia was raised by her grandmother, Ilse, in England, after her parents died. They spent all their time together until the last several years, when Ilse had moved back to Görlitz, her hometown, where her best and only friend still lived. Mia would visit but as she always was, Ilse was stern, stoic, not at all one to share feelings or memories with Mia. It is only when Mia is summoned to Ilse's deathbed that she finds Ilse ready to tell Mia about her past, her regrets and all the ways guilt has weighed her down in life. Also sharing a past full of regrets and guilt is a surly old man who lives below Ilse's apartment, a man that Mia will come to know, as he shares his part in that past. We get to hear and read the POVs of this elderly man, Ilse's best friend, Marlena, and Ilse, herself.
1937 onward - Görlitz, Germany and Zgorzelec, Poland, two neighboring border towns - Fifteen year old Mia is the daughter of a wealthy German couple and she is clueless to what is going on around her even as people/families are being taken away and never seen again. She's bored with her old childish pastimes and longing for something new and she finds that something new when she meets two cousins, Syzmon and Tadeusz. The blond headed young men could almost be twins, or at least brothers, they look so much alike. Fickle Ilse decides she's in love with one of them to quickly realize she's not in love, flitting from one obsession to another, not realizing are caring who she might hurt or the destruction she causes with all her impulsive and selfish actions.
It's hard to like young Ilse as she can only think about herself and what makes her happy. She's even cruel to her best friend, not stopping to see how she stomps on the feelings of everyone. When her family moves to Berlin, she leaves a hole in three hearts, while Ilse has no idea of what is really going with her friends or the world.
When she comes back to Görlitz things have changed drastically although Ilse hardly notices most of the changes, only the changes that affect her directly. When one of the cousins needs to be rescued she selfishly wants to be involved. She sees everything as a game or as an adventure in the books she likes to read. Even at the age of twenty, Ilse is still selfish and only thinking of what she wants.
Now, in 1999, she wants to confess to all she has done and not done. The story comes out in pieces, over a few days. Marlena can/will tell a bit of the story but mostly it needs to come from Ilse and her downstairs neighbor. The story is heartbreaking but it needs to be told for so many reasons. I felt for this foursome, wish things could have been different, but know that war time removes the ability to fix many regrets even if one wanted to do so before it's too late. Tamsin Kennard does a fantastic job with the audiobook narration and gave each of the characters the emotional voices they needed to tell their stories.
Pub Sep 1 2023
Thank you to Dreamscape Select, Hachette UK - Bookouture, and NetGalley for this ARC.
Narrated by Tamsin Kennard
1999 - Görlitz, Germany - Mia was raised by her grandmother, Ilse, in England, after her parents died. They spent all their time together until the last several years, when Ilse had moved back to Görlitz, her hometown, where her best and only friend still lived. Mia would visit but as she always was, Ilse was stern, stoic, not at all one to share feelings or memories with Mia. It is only when Mia is summoned to Ilse's deathbed that she finds Ilse ready to tell Mia about her past, her regrets and all the ways guilt has weighed her down in life. Also sharing a past full of regrets and guilt is a surly old man who lives below Ilse's apartment, a man that Mia will come to know, as he shares his part in that past. We get to hear and read the POVs of this elderly man, Ilse's best friend, Marlena, and Ilse, herself.
1937 onward - Görlitz, Germany and Zgorzelec, Poland, two neighboring border towns - Fifteen year old Mia is the daughter of a wealthy German couple and she is clueless to what is going on around her even as people/families are being taken away and never seen again. She's bored with her old childish pastimes and longing for something new and she finds that something new when she meets two cousins, Syzmon and Tadeusz. The blond headed young men could almost be twins, or at least brothers, they look so much alike. Fickle Ilse decides she's in love with one of them to quickly realize she's not in love, flitting from one obsession to another, not realizing are caring who she might hurt or the destruction she causes with all her impulsive and selfish actions.
It's hard to like young Ilse as she can only think about herself and what makes her happy. She's even cruel to her best friend, not stopping to see how she stomps on the feelings of everyone. When her family moves to Berlin, she leaves a hole in three hearts, while Ilse has no idea of what is really going with her friends or the world.
When she comes back to Görlitz things have changed drastically although Ilse hardly notices most of the changes, only the changes that affect her directly. When one of the cousins needs to be rescued she selfishly wants to be involved. She sees everything as a game or as an adventure in the books she likes to read. Even at the age of twenty, Ilse is still selfish and only thinking of what she wants.
Now, in 1999, she wants to confess to all she has done and not done. The story comes out in pieces, over a few days. Marlena can/will tell a bit of the story but mostly it needs to come from Ilse and her downstairs neighbor. The story is heartbreaking but it needs to be told for so many reasons. I felt for this foursome, wish things could have been different, but know that war time removes the ability to fix many regrets even if one wanted to do so before it's too late. Tamsin Kennard does a fantastic job with the audiobook narration and gave each of the characters the emotional voices they needed to tell their stories.
Pub Sep 1 2023
Thank you to Dreamscape Select, Hachette UK - Bookouture, and NetGalley for this ARC.
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