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Welcome to my stop on the blog tour celebrating the release of The Prisoner’s Wife by Maggie Brookes! Thank you to Berkley Publishing for the invitation! Stay tuned for information on how to win a copy at the bottom of this post!

About the Book:

Inspired by the true story of a daring deception that plunges a courageous young woman deep into the horrors of a Nazi POW camp to be with the man she loves.

In the dead of night, a Czech farm girl and a British soldier travel through the countryside. Izabela and prisoner of war Bill have secretly married and are on the run, with Izzy dressed as a man. The young husband and wife evade capture for as long as possible–until they are cornered by Nazi soldiers with tracking dogs.

Izzy’s disguise works. The couple are assumed to be escaped British soldiers and transported to a POW camp. However, their ordeal has just begun, as they face appalling living conditions and the constant fear of Izzy’s exposure. But in the midst of danger and deprivation comes hope, for the young couple are befriended by a small group of fellow prisoners. These men become their new family, willing to jeopardize their lives to save Izzy from being discovered and shot.

The Prisoner’s Wife tells of an incredible risk, and of how our deepest bonds are tested in desperate times. Bill and Izzy’s story is one of love and survival against the darkest odds.

My Thoughts:

Bill is an escaped prisoner of war and British. Izabela is Czech. The two are married and on the run.

Izzy dresses as a man to draw less attention to herself, and they are successful for a time until the Nazis ultimately catch up to them.

Izzy and Bill are taken to a POW camp, with Izzy still in disguise. They are constantly afraid, and the camp is disgusting and dangerous. The silver lining? The couple make friends with the other prisoners who work to keep them all safe.

The Prisoner’s Wife is based on a true story! It’s a beautiful story of friendship and friends as family. It’s about grit, survival, and taking chances for love. I absolutely loved these characters and this story.

I received a gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

About the Author:

Maggie Brookes is a British ex-journalist and BBC television producer turned poet and novelist.

The Prisoner’s Wife is based on an extraordinary true story of love and courage, told to her by an ex-WW2 prisoner of war. Maggie visited the Czech Republic, Poland and Germany as part of her research for the book, learning largely forgotten aspects of the war.

The Prisoner’s Wife is due to be published by imprints of Penguin Random House in the UK and in the US in May 2020. Publication in other countries, including Holland, Italy, Portugal, Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic will follow.

As well as being a writer, Maggie is an advisory fellow for the Royal Literary Fund and also an Associate Professor at Middlesex University, London, England, where she has taught creative writing since 1990. She lives in London and Whitstable, Kent and is married, with two grown-up daughters.

She has published five poetry collections in the UK under her married name of Maggie Butt. Poetry website: www.maggiebutt.co.uk

Have you read The Prisoner’s Wife, or is it on your TBR? Happy Reading! ~ Jennifer THR