A pleasant surprise. I wasn't sure what to expect, but this was an enthralling read. I couldn't put it down and read it in a couple of hours. The writing is straight-forward and beautifully simplistic. I'm not a big fan of first-person narrative, but it worked here, although the present tense was a bit awkward. Marta and Paul aren't fully developed characters, but still garnered my interest and sympathy. I cared about what happened to them, and anxiously turned each page.

I found the historical aspect fascinating, especially from the European viewpoint as the eastern bloc fell to communism. This is a sequel to The Kommandant's Girl, which I haven't read yet. However, it stands alone well. Easily recommended.