The German Wife - by Kelly Rimmer

About the Book

"Berlin, Germany, 1930. When the Nazis rise to power, Jèurgen Rhodes is offered a high-level position in their burgeoning rocket program. Jèurgen and his wife Sofie fiercely oppose Hitler's radical views, and joining his ranks is unthinkable. Yet it soon becomes clear that if Jèurgen does not accept the job, their income would be put on the line, and so would their lives. Huntsville, Alabama, 1950. Jèurgen is one of many German scientists pardoned and granted a position in America's space program. For Sofie, this is a chance to leave the horrors of her past behind. But when rumors about the Rhodes family's affiliation with the Nazi party spreads, idle gossip turns to bitter rage, and the act of violence that results tears apart a family and leaves the community wondering if it's an act of vengeance--or justice"--]cProvided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

"Skillfully researched and powerfully written, The German Wife will capture you from the first page." --Madeline Martin, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Bookshop in London

For fans of All the Light We Cannot See and The Tattooist of Auschwitz--from the New York Times bestselling author of The Things We Cannot Say and The Warsaw Orphan returns with a gripping novel inspired by the true story of Operation Paperclip: a controversial secret US intelligence program that employed former Nazis after WWII.

Berlin, 1930--When a wave of change sweeps a radical political party to power, Sofie von Meyer Rhodes's academic husband benefits from the ambitions of its newly elected chancellor. Although Sofie and Jürgen do not share the social views growing popular in Hitler's Germany, Jürgen's position with its burgeoning rocket program changes their diminishing fortunes for the better. But as Sofie watches helplessly, her beloved Berlin begins to transform, forcing her to consider what they must sacrifice morally for their young family's security, and what the price for their neutrality will be.

Twenty years later, Jürgen is one of the many German scientists offered pardons for their part in the war, and taken to America to work for its fledgling space program. For Sofie, this is the chance to exorcise the ghosts that have followed her across the ocean, and make a fresh start in her adopted country. But her neighbors aren't as welcoming or as understanding as she had hoped. When scandalous rumors about the Rhodes family's affiliation with Hitler's regime spreads, idle gossip turns to bitter rage, and the act of violence that results will tear apart Sofie's community and her family before the truth is finally revealed.

"An unforgettable novel that explores important questions highly relevant to the world today." --Christine Wells, author of Sisters of the Resistance

Don't miss Kelly Rimmer's newest novel, The Paris Agent, where a family's innocent search for answers brings a long-forgotten, twenty-five-year-old mystery featuring two female SOE operatives comes to light!

For more by Kelly Rimmer, look for:

• Before I Let You Go
• The Things We Cannot Say
• Truths I Never Told You
• The Warsaw Orphan
• The Midnight Estate (available July 22, 2025)

Review Quotes

"Skillfully researched and powerfully written, The German Wife will capture you from the first page and stay with you forever. Set in the frightening reality of Nazi-controlled Germany, amid the dusty fields of a failed farm during the depression and after the war in a community facing prejudice and segregation, this is a story of what happens when choices are stripped away and the painful sacrifices made for loved ones exact a high price. Kelly Rimmer always delivers a poignant story with real characters who lodge themselves in your heart--this book is no exception." --Madeline Martin, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Bookshop in London

"Once again, Kelly Rimmer has turned my emotions upside down. With every book of hers I read, I become a more thoughtful and empathetic person, but The German Wife is, without a doubt, the jewel in her crown." --Sally Hepworth, New York Times bestselling author of The Younger Wife

"The German Wife is a heart-wrenching, uplifting story about love and family and the choices people make in impossible situations. Kelly Rimmer writes with deep compassion for human flaws and frailty, bringing us insight into the rise of Nazism through the eyes of her protagonist, Sofie, the wife of a German rocket scientist who is forced to make a new life after the war in an American community that is hostile to her presence. An unforgettable historical novel that explores important questions highly relevant to the world today." --Christine Wells, author of Sisters of the Resistance

"In an intensely compelling story about what it means to be a family in the worst circumstances and with the darkest secrets, The German Wife is powerful novel for our time... If you love the work of Kristin Harmel and Pam Jenoff, you have found your next read." -Patti Callahan, New York Times bestselling author of Once Upon a Wardrobe

"Rimmer is masterful at combining rich detail and emotional resonance to create immersive, gripping historical fiction. The German Wife moves beyond the better-known stories to uncover the hidden horrors of the Second World War and what it was like for the women--and the men they loved--during that time. A must-read." --Jane Cockram, author of The Way From Here

"The phenomenal Kelly Rimmer does it again! The German Wife is the extraordinary tale of two women on different sides in World War II. By telling us the story through alternating viewpoints and shifting time periods, Rimmer slowly peels back the layers to show us the formation of two women who might appear, at first glance, to simply be a Nazi wife in hiding and a hostile American standing up for her country. But everyone is more than they seem, and the beauty of Rimmer's enthralling novel is in the characters' slowly-earned realization that when we paint an entire people with a broad brush, we are always wrong. The secondary characters--a dear Jewish friend who has to flee for her life; an American soldier permanently scarred by his devastating experiences, an elderly woman who risks her life to undermine Hitler--just add to the heartbreaking beauty of this book. A fascinating, absorbing, and vivid tale of love, loss, and the choices we make to protect our families. Fast-paced, emotional, and utterly riveting, The German Wife is a must-read for all historical fiction lovers." --New York Times bestselling author Kristin Harmel