Emily's Hampstead Heath Walking Book Club - November - The Past is Myself

In 1934, a young English woman, Christabel Burton, married a German man, Peter Bielenberg, and adopted German citizenship, thinking that Hitler was a bad joke: ”I can assure you,” said Peter, “the Germans won’t be so stupid as to fall for that clown.” What follows is a compelling portrait of daily life in Nazi Germany for an Englishwoman who despised Hitler, while knowing that dissent meant death. She raises children, shelters from devastating Allied bombings, and pleads with the Gestapo to release her husband after he’s caught in a plot to bring down Hitler. This is a fascinating and unique perspective on life in Nazi Germany, which also raises important questions about what goes unsaid.

Find out masses more about all our books on our substack: https://emilyswalkingbookclub.substack.com

N.B. Please ensure that you have read the book BEFORE coming on the walk - or it risks spoiling the event for other walkers. If you've don't quite have time to read the book, please consider instead joining the Monday evening Zoom, for which reading the book isn't a prerequisite.

Host or Publisher Emily Rhodes