Celia Rees

I rather liked this little story. It's well told and I felt more gripped by the fact it was written in journal format, slowly unfolded, and dates uncertain, as though we were walking in the hazy shadows of memory where only certain seconds were pulled into startling clarity.

I was very taken with Mary, the not-quite a Witch by choice, except in name and stricken requests, who had become a Puritan by no means of her own. I cannot wait to see what book two has in store for me once I get my hands on it.… (mere)

Edith Graham is a single school teacher living a simple, dull life with trips to London as her major excitement. Leo, a distant cousin, lifelong friend, and sometimes lover, recruits her to work in post-war Germany. Her facility with the German language and education make her an ideal candidate for the efforts to re-establish education. However, she is also recruited to do a bit of spying on the side.

Kurt is an old friend of Leo and Edith's former lover. Evidence suggests that he was involved in medical experimentation in Nazi Germany. Leo wants Edith to see if she can track him down through his wife Elisabeth.

As if she doesn't have enough on her plate, Edith finds that there are more agendas in Germany as she is recruited or used by various groups--Nazi sympathizers, those who justice for the victims, and those seeking a political advantage. She sends coded messages to a female friend in recipes to subvert the more official channels as she navigates a complex world.

This book looks at the post-WWII era and the rise of the Cold War as the various allies--Russia, UK, and America seek to establish their supremacy within the German theater. This political jockeying led to various endeavors including the American Paperclip project that helped large numbers of high ranking Nazis to share their knowledge and expertise in exchange for immunity and the devastating impact of these actions on many of their victims.
… (mere)