"Powerful and prescient, an important book everyone should read."
— Jamie Ford, New York Times bestselling author of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet
"The Women in the Castle is a vivid and gripping tale of endurance in the wake of World War II. The writing is magnificent, as is Shattuck’s ability to render unimaginable circumstances with tremendous clarity and compassion. A joy to read, this is a beautiful and important book."
— Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney, New York Times bestselling author of The Nest
"An intricate and intimate portrait of the lives of three women whose fates draw them together in WWII Germany. A wonderful, wonderful read."
— Janice Y.K. Lee, New York Times bestselling author of The Piano Teacher
"Fans of The Nightingale and other classic World War II stories will fall in
love with this compelling new perspective on women at war."
— Helen Simonson, New York Times bestselling author of
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand
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Three women, haunted by the past and the secrets they hold. Set at the end of World War II, The Women in the Castle is a powerful and propulsive story of three widows whose lives and fates
become intertwined. Read More»
Germany, 1945. The novel is primarily set during the aftermath of WWII and the Allied occupation of Germany
After the war the three women's lives are centered around Marianne von Lingenfels' castle (Burg Lingefels) in Bavaria, now in American occupation zone. A home that once hosted elaborate parties for the German elite, the castle served as a reminder of pre-war times, and also as the place where they begin their new, post-war lives.
Displaced Persons camps were established after World War II in Germany, Austria, and Italy. They were primarily used to house refugees from Eastern Europe and former inmates of the Nazi concentration camps.
Stalag VII-A: A Camp for Russian POWs.
Rheinwiesenlager: A group of camps built by the U.S. Army to hold captured German soldiers.
Jessica Shattuck is the award-winning author of The Hazards of Good Breeding, a New York Times Notable Book and finalist for the PEN/Winship Award, and of Perfect Life. Her writing has appeared in the New York Times, The New Yorker, Glamour, Mother Jones, Wired, and The Believer, among others. A graduate of Harvard University, she received her MFA from Columbia University. Shattuck now lives with her husband and three children in Brookline, MA.
