I really liked this book. I kept wanting to see what was going to happen next. The only part I did not like was the ending. I was a little disappointed with the ending.

All I know who have read this book, loved it. It is a great story, which leads to great discussions....Great book club read. Very quick and enjoyable read!

Everyone enjoyed this book, although due to the difficult nature of the topic, enjoy is a difficult word to use. It's a story worth telling, and it's told very well by this first time author. All of our readers were moved by the story and it lead to an interesting discussion.

I thought it was a very interesting book. Being a history major, it was kind of refreshing to see the Holocaust and WWII through the eyes of a German. There is so much out there from a Jewish perspective, that one might forget what it might have been difficult for regular Germans too.

This was a wonderfully written fictional account of the Holocaust. So many are written pertaining to how the Jews were affected, but this was the first one I read concerning how some Germans were affected. The main characters of Anna and her daughter Trudy became so real to me. I loved this book!

We have read several books relating to WWII but found this one very well written and spellbinding.

Just a must read for any who have in interest in the goodness of people and the tremendous difficulties of living in the time of evil...Hitler's "regime"

A deep look at an evil era that did terrible things not only to Jews but to their own people. Great read right up to last chapter when they kind of throw things in. Makes for good talk groups.

This story of a young German woman's survival in during WWII was gripping. The effect of her actions on both her future and her daughter's future is insightful. What would we sacrifice to save those we love? Food for thought.

it was okay. i think the author could have done a better job of going into more detail with regards to the mother and daughter as they grew older in the story

This is a book about survival. It asks us to consider to what lengths any of us would go in order to save our children and ourselves. What humilations would we endure? Likewise, it considers culpability. Are those who turn a blind eye to atrocities guilty, too? Ultimately, it asks us not to judge.

Some will find Those Who Saved Us upsetting. However, it is well worth the read.

Both of my book clubs have read this and both discussions have been engaging and interesting with many different perspectives raised.

also heartbreaking. Not so long ago, that's amazing. Good for discussions.

Those who Save Us made me grapple with what I would do to save those I love and also question how much of my present behavior is shaped by past "baggage." Excellent discussion book.

This is a dark read about a difficult time period. The insight into the characters led to a lot of interesting discussion about what you would do for your own safety, for your family, for those you love. You can never really know how you would react to such extreme tragedies but the author tries to help us understand the motivation behind individual's actions. Given the subject matter, it was a difficult read at times but worth the effort.

Our club really liked this book and had a wonderful discussion, beginning with the question, "What would I have done?" We were impressed with the author's writing and her "total immersion" writing process.

A few questions were left unanswered and that made for a poor ending. But, overall, our book club liked this book.

Well written and an awesome first novel! Story was well-developed but seemed just a little too "pat" at the end. But, the subject was intriguing and broke to focus many interesting side effects of the Nazi occupation of Germany.

Content was difficult at times. I was disappointed with the ending.

This fictional account of one German woman's fight for survival during WWII and her daughter's search for answers was brilliant and brutal. It was a fascinating observation of the human spirit during on of the world's darkest periods of history.

We always hear of the atrocities the Jewish race endured during World War II, however, very rarely do we see a glimpse into life as a German citizen during this time. "Those Who Save Us" tells a story of the overwhelming conditions that the Germans faced at the hands of their own government; murder, rape, cruelty, starvation and constantly living under a scrutiny of suspicion. This novel was a great surprise; very well written and a truly a page turner. What would you endure to save those you love? Please note that the scenes of rape and cruelty are quite explicit.

3 1/2 stars. Compelling yet at times quite difficult to read. This story is unique as it is told from the German perspective. I'm naturally drawn to read things from this period of history and I've often wondered about this partiular perspective as you don't see it very often. The story of this mother and daughter, what they go through, what they've learned, how they've honored the memories and carried the burden and responsibility of having the stories of those who lived through those times told, is both poignant and disturbing. Blum's prose was at times quite lyrical and beautifully written. On the other hand, for me, at times, the sexual content seemed to be too much the focal point and the descriptions a bit more graphic than necessary. Otherwise this book would easily have earned a 4 Star rating.

A good balance of the subplot mother-daugher relationship and the main narrative makes this book interesting, with a wealth of information for book club discussions.

This book displays the lengths a person is willing to go through to survive and protect a love one. It shows that there are no winners in war, only survivors.

The book opens with the funeral of Jack in a small town in Minnesota. As the widow and her daughter Trudy rush home from the funeral to prepare a luncheon for their neighbors, who never attend. Trudy realizes that even in her grief as a widow, her mother, Anna, cannot open up and share her emotions.

The story then backtracks to Anna's life during WWII in Germany. Those Who Save Us follows the story of Anna, a young girl who just lost her mother and lives with her Inaffectionate, unemotional father. Her life consists of housework and chores, as she is seen by her father as nothing more than a substitute for his dead wife. Anna begins to vist the local doctor, Max, the only person who will discuss her mother's death and ask about her feelings. Max, a Jewish man with whom she falls in love, and to whom she bears a child. Following his arrest, Anna is forced to begin life on her own and goes to great lengths to provide for her half Jewish child in Nazi Germany.

Powerful. Left me thinking about the characters days after I finished the book.

If you ever wondered what you personally would do in WW2 - Read this book - the lengths the Mother goes to save and try and raise her baby is amazing. Makes you think of how many other untold stories are there.

The book was interesting and the characters well drawn, but there were a lot of gaps in the story that left us wanting answers. There also were more graphic bedroom scenes than were necessary for us to understand the actions of the characters.