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In 1930s Munich, danger lurks behind dark corners, and secrets are buried deep within the city. But Gretchen Müller, who grew up in the National Socialist Party under the wing of her "uncle" Dolf, has been shielded from that side of society ever since her father traded his life for Dolf's, and Gretchen is his favorite, his pet.
Uncle Dolf is none other than Adolf Hitler.
And Gretchen follows his every command.
Until she meets a fearless and handsome young Jewish reporter named Daniel Cohen. Gretchen should despise Daniel, yet she can't stop herself from listening to his story: that her father, the adored Nazi martyr, was actually murdered by an unknown comrade. She also can't help the fierce attraction brewing between them, despite everything she's been taught to believe about Jews.
As Gretchen investigates the very people she's always considered friends, she must decide where her loyalties lie. Will she choose the safety of her former life as a Nazi darling, or will she dare to dig up the truth—even if it could get her and Daniel killed?
Critical Praise for Prisoner of Night and Fog:
"Debut novelist Blankman’s account of life in Munich prior to Hitler’s 1933 elevation to the chancellorship is completely engrossing....Blankman creates riveting tension for her heroine and pulls readers through with an irresistible subplot featuring forbidden love."
-- Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Blankman's debut is beautifully written, full of suspense and intrigue...Readers will certainly enjoy this haunting and captivating work."
-- School Library Journal
"There is much to like here: the realistic changing of Gretchen’s ingrained beliefs, the icy fright of her psychotic Nazi brother, side roles for everyone from Rudolf Hess to Eva Braun, and Blankman’s exhaustive research. If it feels incomplete, that’s because (thankfully) more is coming."
-- Booklist
"I'm in awed envy of the daring with which Anne Blankman plunges into her difficult and sensitive subject matter. To read Prisoner of Night and Fog is to be immersed in a breathtaking evocation of Munich in the 1930s, where life is ordinary and skin-crawling by turns, and in the painful, hopeful story of one young girl's awakening conscience. It’s terrifying and incredible to think how much of this story is true."
-- Elizabeth Wein, award-winning author of Code Name Verity
"Prisoner of Night and Fog seamlessly blends the fascinating, terrifying facts of Hitler's rise to power with a gripping murder mystery. Gretchen is a brave and believable protagonist, and readers will become engrossed in her struggle to uncover the truth. I can't wait for the sequel."
-- Michelle Cooper, award-winning author of the Montmaray Journal series
"Prisoner of Night and Fog is a nail-biting visit to Adolf Hitler's inner circle in the early days of the Nazi party's rise to power. Gretchen Müller's reluctant transformation from star-struck protege to clear-eyed "race traitor" is poignant and believable, while the echoing tramp of jackboots grows louder and louder through the streets of old Munich."
-- Jennifer Armstrong, coauthor of In My Hands: Memories of a Holocaust Rescuer (with Irene Gut Opdyke)
"[A] remarkable book."
-- Jewish Book Council (starred review)
ISBN: 978-0062278814
Publisher: Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins
Publication Date: April 22, 2014
In 1930s Oxford, the days are long
and pleasant, the people simple and straight forward. Except for one.
The girl known as Gretchen Whitestone has a secret: she used to be part of Adolf Hitler’s inner circle. More than a year after she made an enemy of her old family friend and fled Munich,
she lives with a kindly English family, posing as an ordinary German immigrant, and is preparing to graduate from high school. Her love, Daniel Cohen, is a reporter in town. For the first time in her life, Gretchen is content.
But then, Daniel gets a telegram that sends him back to Germany, and Gretchen’s world turns upside down. When she receives word that Daniel is wanted for murder, she has to face the danger she thought she’d escaped—and return to her homeland.
Gretchen must do everything she can to avoid recognition and capture, even though
saving Daniel will mean consorting with her former friends, the Nazi elite. And as they work to clear Daniel’s name, Gretchen and Daniel discover a deadly conspiracy stretching from the slums of Berlin to the Reichstag itself. Can they dig up the explosive truth and get out in time—or will Hitler discover them first?
Acclaimed author Anne Blankman returns to the dangerous world of 1930s Germany in this thrilling sequel to Prisoner of Night and Fog.
Critical Praise for Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke:
"Will leave the reader breathless with each unpredictable plot twist. Highly recommended."
-- VOYA (starred review)
"Blankman once again expertly crafts a powerful story full of mystery, intrigue, romance, and edge-of-your-seat terror and suspense. The well-researched plotlines are fascinating, while the multi-dimensional cast of characters drive the story... A captivating historical fiction title."
-- School Library Journal
"Blankman's sequel to Prisoner of Night and Fog (2014) furthers her budding reputation as one able to seamlessly incorporate impressive amounts of research into a rich, surprising narrative... [T]he book's meld of romance, action, and thriller is utterly convincing... The mystery... twists effectively, ramping up to a real-life historical conspiracy. Bold and brave."
-- Booklist
"Fascinating... Suspenseful and clever, intertwining historical truth with action-packed shootouts."
-- Kirkus Reviews
ISBN: 9780062278845
Publisher: Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins
Publication Date: April 21, 2015
Six years have passed since England’s King Charles II returned from exile to reclaim the throne, ushering in a new era of stability for his subjects.
Except for Elizabeth Milton. The daughter of notorious poet John Milton, Elizabeth has never known her place in this shifting world—except by her father’s side. By day she helps transcribe his latest masterpiece, the epic poem Paradise Lost, and by night she learns languages and sword fighting. Although she does not dare object, she suspects that he’s training her for a mission whose purpose she cannot fathom.
Until one night the reason becomes clear: the king’s man arrive at her family’s country home to arrest her father. Determined to save him, Elizabeth follows his one cryptic clue and journeys to Oxford, accompanied by her father’s mysterious young houseguest, Antonio Vivani, a darkly handsome Italian scientist who surprises her at every turn. Funny, brilliant, and passionate, Antonio seems just as determined to protect her father as she is—but can she trust him with her heart?
When the two discover that Milton has planted an explosive secret in the half-finished Paradise Lost—a secret the king and his aristocratic supporters are desperate to conceal—Elizabeth is faced with a devastating choice: cling to the shelter of her old life or risk cracking the code, unleashing a secret that could save her father…and tear apart the very fabric of society.
“Blankman weaves religion, science, literary genius, poetry, and romance into a mystery that, if solved, could turn the world upside down.”
—Kirkus Reviews (starred)
“An unsought romance between Elizabeth and Antonio blooms amid the sword fights and court intrigue. But who can be trusted, and how far will the repercussions go once the riddle is solved? “
—School Library Journal
ISBN: 978-0062278876
Publisher: Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins
Publication Date: May 3, 2016
Like Ruta Sepetys for middle grade, Anne Blankman pens a poignant and timeless story of friendship that twines together moments in underexplored history in The Blackbird Girls.
On a spring morning, neighbors Valentina Kaplan and Oksana Savchenko wake up to an angry red sky. A reactor at the nuclear power plant where their fathers work--Chernobyl--has exploded. Before they know it, the two girls, who've always been enemies, find themselves on a train bound for Leningrad to stay with Valentina's estranged grandmother, Rita Grigorievna. In their new lives in Leningrad, they begin to learn what it means to trust another person. Oksana must face the lies her parents told her all her life. Valentina must keep her grandmother's secret, one that could put all their lives in danger. And both of them discover something they've wished for: a best friend. But how far would you go to save your best friend's life? Would you risk your own?
Told in alternating perspectives among three girls–Valentina and Oksana in 1986 and Rifka in 1941–this story shows that hatred, intolerance, and oppression are no match for the power of true friendship.
Critical Praise for The Blackbird Girls:
“A stunning look at a historical event rarely written about for young people, elevated by strong pacing, emotional depth, and intense, moving friendships that readers will root for.”
— School Library Journal (starred review)
“This book is an incredible tribute to those who suffered at the hands of cruelty and survived to tell a tale of love and friendship that transcends time and place.”
— School Library Connection (starred review)
“Out of the nuclear fallout springs a moving tale of love and loss.”
— Kirkus (starred review)
“A powerful, beautifully written, and unforgettable story that left me breathless.”
— Patricia Reilly Giff, Newbery Honor author of Lily’s Crossing and Pictures of Hollis Woods
“This unique novel by Anne Blankman brings powerful moments in history into sharp (and tear-inducing) focus… Not to be missed.”
—Jane Yolen, author of The Devil’s Arithmetic and Mapping the Bones
ISBN: 9781984837356
Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers/Penguin Random House
Publication Date: March 10, 2020