Fragments of a Woman the debut novel from Emma Venables is coming later this year from Aderyn Press and it sounds really good. It’s set in 1930s Berlin and promises to shine light on a different aspect of the era: what it was like to be a woman in Germany at that dangerous time. I’m grateful to Rebecca at Aderyn Press for sending me a copy and to Julia Forster for asking me to be part of the blogtour. At the beginning of June, I’ll be sharing a guest feature where we will learn more about the author and also my review. In the meantime, let’s find out more about the book.
About the book
Five women, trapped by duty, fighting to survive…
Gentle Ingrid puts her life at risk when she tries to save her beloved daughter from her husband’s zealous beliefs.
Liesel, a lesbian, marries a gay man in hopes that they can feign the ideal marriage and, in doing so, protect each other from persecution.
Lovesick Greta, spurned by Liesel and lost, joins the Resistance, then disappears.
Gisela, a prostitute once contentedly in control of her own destiny, is incarcerated at Ravensbrück, where she must fight for a future she cannot yet imagine.
While Lore, craving a life beyond Berlin, wifedom and motherhood, steps down a dark and dangerous path.
Exploring themes of motherhood, identity, trauma, fascism, and survival, Fragments of a Woman offers a nuanced and heartbreaking exploration of what it meant to be a woman living under National Socialist rule.
About Emma Venables
Emma Venables’ short and flash fiction has been widely published in magazines and journals. Her short story, ‘Woman at Gunpoint, 1945’ was a runner-up in the Alpine Fellowship Writing Prize 2020. She has a PhD in Creative Writing and has taught at Royal Holloway, University of London and Liverpool Hope University.
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