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Back The German Wife
Chapters (61)
  1. Cover
  2. About the Author
  3. Praise
  4. Dedication
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. A NOTE FROM KELLY
  58. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  59. The German Wife - Reader's Guide
  60. Discussion Questions
  61. Booklist

My breath hitched in my throat. I forced myself to keep walking, but my every instinct was to leave the store and run. Not from Avril, but from my past. Avril was watching me closely, and I realized I had to say something. I drew in a breath.

“Early in the Nazi years, Jürgen and I decided to flee,” I began softly. “We were going to take our family and escape. They had a listening device in our home, overheard our plan, and took Jürgen in the middle of the night.” Avril covered her mouth with her hand as she gasped in shock. “I don’t want you to feel sorry for us, Avril. We made some mistakes, and I wish with all my heart that we had done more. But our situation was far from simple, and at the time, we did the best we could. I just want you to understand that those men controlled every aspect of our lives.”

“I’m so sorry, Sofie,” she said sadly. “It sounds like you and Jürgen have been to hell and back.” She cleared her throat delicately. “So…there’s no truth to the rumors, then?”

An instinct sounded. Why was she pressing this when I was clearly not ready to discuss it? I had only known Avril for a few weeks. She’d been so kind in that time, but we were a long way from the kind of trusted relationship where I could share Jürgen’s secrets with her. I decided I’d neither admit to anything, nor would I lie. That only left me with the option to flatter her and try to deflect.

“I’m so grateful for your friendship,” I said honestly. “I really don’t know what I’d have done without you.”

“Don’t you even mention it,” she said. “You know I just love to chat with you and to hear about your life. I just want you to be happy here.”

“I will be happy in time. I’ll make this work, one way or another, because this country is our home now. Besides, there’s no option to go back to Germany even if things are tricky here at times.” She gave me a questioning look, and I laughed uneasily, kicking myself for what I’d almost given away. Jürgen couldn’t leave, because if he did, he’d likely be arrested. “I just meant Jürgen won’t leave, and I won’t leave without him.” We continued along the aisles, and after a moment, I turned to her and asked carefully, “Did you say Lizzie Miller is telling people these things?”