The Diplomat's Wife (Paperback)

by Pam Jenoff (Author)
Key Phrases: café bombing, Foreign Office, Eastern Europe, Marek Andek (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Jenoff's stirring sequel to her debut, The Kommandant's Girl, chronicles the perilous post-WWII adventures of Marta Nederman, a member of the Polish resistance and best friend of the earlier book's heroine. When the Allies liberate Dachau, where Marta has been imprisoned and tortured by the Gestapo, Paul Mattison, a handsome American soldier, tenderly gives the weakened Marta a drink of water. Later, at a refugee camp outside Salzburg, Austria, Marta befriends Rose, another recovering survivor. After Rose's sudden death, Marta is able to use Rose's visa to travel to London. When en route Marta runs into Paul in Paris, the passion between the pair ignites. They promise to meet in two weeks, but tragedy ensues when Paul's plane crashes in the English Channel. Pregnant with Paul's baby, Marta marries Simon Gold, a British diplomat. Two years later, Marta goes on a dangerous mission to Poland, where a Communist takeover is imminent and where the seesaw plot takes more than one surprise twist. Historical romance fans will be well rewarded. (May)
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From Booklist
After working in the Jewish resistance in Kraków, Poland, Marta Nedermann is rescued from a Nazi prison by American soldiers. A simple gesture of human comfort by a soldier named Paul is etched in her mind, and when she sees him again in a camp for displaced persons in Salzburg, Marta is overjoyed. They meet again in Paris and become engaged, only to have Paul die in a plane crash. Marta is now scared, pregnant, and alone in a strange city. Simon Gold, an English diplomat, needs her language skills, and he wants her as well. They marry, and two years later, the English government taps Marta for help in finding a traitor in the British intelligence corps, sending her on an undercover mission that entails revisiting her past. Jenoff gives readers a thrilling and intense look at the beginning of the cold war as well as a heartrending love story about two very brave people as she continues the story of the heroic resistance members from The Kommandant’s Girl (2007). --Patty Engelmann

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Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Mira Books (May 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0778325121
• ISBN-13: 978-0778325123
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #107,240 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Definitely a Page Turner!! , July 15, 2008

By	Dream Reader - See all my reviews

I thought this book was excellent. It grabbed me from the first page and I practically read the entire book in one sitting. I simply couldn't put it down. I thought the characters were well developed and the story line twists were always exciting. The setting of the story, post WW II Europe, was also very interesting. There aren't alot of contemporary novels (that I'm aware of) that showcase what happened after the war ended and communism began to take over in the east. The author did a great job of balancing between historical elements and fictionalization. The story was also very romantic. Loved it!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Diplomats Wife, July 21, 2008

By	S. M. Pierrot (Olney, MD) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Excellent story, weaves true history with an exciting plot. Enjoyed it so much, I ordered the other book, by this same author. P. Jenoff is an outstanding writer. So glad to have recently learned of her.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Melodramatic and poorly written, March 3, 2009

By	Becky Thatcher "BookLover" (Jackson, MS) - See all my reviews

I was very disappointed in this book. Nothing about it was believable, from the rescue of Marta and subsequent Love-At-First-Sight meeting with Paul, to the dastardly husband, to the entrance of Dava. The dialogue was contrived, the characterizations were forced, and the plot was absurd. The only saving grace was that I was traveling when I read the book, and I certainly didn't have to concentrate or use my brain to follow the plot line. It was mindless, at best.