Chocolate Cake with Hitler

by Emma Craigie | History |
ISBN: 1906021899 Global Overview for this book
Registered by kinedi of Rushyford, County Durham United Kingdom on 7/4/2016
Buy from one of these Booksellers:
Amazon.com | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon DE | Amazon FR | Amazon IT | Bol.com
This book is in the wild! This Book is Currently in the Wild!
4 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by kinedi from Rushyford, County Durham United Kingdom on Monday, July 4, 2016
Helga's childhood as the eldest of five children in Germany's First Family has been a gilded one, accompanying her parents to parties and rallies, moving between the city and their idyllic country estate. But the war has changed everything. And now, as defeat closes in on the Germans, Helga must move into a bunker in the heart of Berlin with her family and key members of the crumbling Nazi leadership - to be with their beloved Hitler. There is chocolate cake for tea every day with Uncle Leader, but Helga cannot help noticing that all is not well among the grown-ups. As each day passes, her underground world becomes increasingly tense and strange. There are tears and shouting behind slammed doors, and when even the soldiers who have been guarding them take their leave, Helga is faced with a terrible truth. Perhaps her perfect childhood has not been all that it seemed

Journal Entry 2 by kinedi at Rushyford, County Durham United Kingdom on Tuesday, August 9, 2016
Quite chilling and mesmerizing read ! The author mentions she drew a lot of inspiration from the film ''Downfall'' which in my opinion is one of best German films ever made about Hitler's Downfall. The lead actor Bruno Ganz got a lot critism at the time for portraying Hitler as a human being and in this book, Helga very much so describes ''Uncle Leader'' as a human being who farts when he sits down on the sofa and how he likes to eat 3 slices of chocolate cake at once. Perhaps that makes the whole story even more chilling and sad because sadly we all know what was going to happen to the Goebbels kids and how Helga perhaps as the oldest had an inkling too. I found this book quite emotional but I am glad it had been written and should be read by a lot of people !

Journal Entry 3 by kinedi at Filmhouse Cinema in Edinburgh, Scotland United Kingdom on Wednesday, March 14, 2018

Released 6 yrs ago (3/18/2018 UTC) at Filmhouse Cinema in Edinburgh, Scotland United Kingdom

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

Welcome to Bookcrossing.

Thank you for catching this book! I hope that you enjoy it and will consider exploring this site and possibly joining. It is free and loads of fun, as you can track your released books in their travels, possibly all over the world!

Please feel free to keep this book for as long as you wish, and whenever you're ready, pass it on. Then watch its journey - you'll be alerted by email each time someone makes a new journal entry. It's all confidential, free and fun (and addictive - but in a GOOD way)!

You may remain anonymous, but if you choose to join the site, I hope that you will consider using me, kinedi, as the one who referred you.


Congratulations on finding a Bookcrossing book and Happy Reading!!!


Journal Entry 4 by wingLittleSuzwing at Edinburgh, Scotland United Kingdom on Sunday, March 18, 2018
Picked up at meetup, thanks

Journal Entry 5 by wingLittleSuzwing at Edinburgh, Scotland United Kingdom on Saturday, August 11, 2018
A chilling story that was hard to put down. We'll never know Helga's real thoughts down there in the bunker, but Craigie has attempted to piece together one version of how it might have been based on surviving witness testimony. Just so very sad for her and the other children. I rage against the parents who could do this.

Journal Entry 6 by wingLittleSuzwing at Charlotte Square in Edinburgh, Scotland United Kingdom on Saturday, August 11, 2018

Released 5 yrs ago (8/12/2018 UTC) at Charlotte Square in Edinburgh, Scotland United Kingdom

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

To be released at the Book Festival meetup tomorrow.

If you are new to bookcrossing - welcome and congratulations for finding a book! Please leave a journal entry to let me and any other readers know where it has gone and what you thought of it.

Journal Entry 7 by wingCassandra2020wing at Roslin, Scotland United Kingdom on Monday, August 13, 2018
Picked up at the Old Gang BookFest meetup - thanks!

Journal Entry 8 by wingCassandra2020wing at Roslin, Scotland United Kingdom on Wednesday, December 12, 2018
Chocolate Cake with Hitler by Emma Craigie - Good

Oh, this was an interesting read (and the last of my parallel read with Muriel Spark's short stories). It's a fictionalised version of Helga Goebbels' life as if written by her.

It begins with a photograph being taken of Helga and 'uncle leader'. The author has taken the body language of the child as she leans away from Hitler and spun a whole story of Helga and her life and how it ended in a bunker in Berlin as the Russians approached.

Obviously, there's no way of really knowing what happened in her life or what actually took place in the bunker, but the author has taken a number of known events and a number of real characters and created something very readable and plausible. Makes me wonder what sort of adults the Goebbels children might have become. What isn't a surprise is that the adults were perfectly prepared to murder these children rather than getting them to safety. That Edda Goering and Albert Speer's children survived proves that they did not all have to die.

Obviously, there's no way of really knowing what happened in her life or what actually took place in the bunker, but the author has taken a number of known events and a number of real characters and created something very readable and plausible. Makes me wonder what sort of adults the Goebbels children might have become. What isn't a surprise is that the adults were perfectly prepared to murder these children rather than getting them to safety. That Edda Goering and Albert Speer's children survived proves that they did not all have to die.

Journal Entry 9 by wingCassandra2020wing at Filmhouse Cinema in Edinburgh, Scotland United Kingdom on Saturday, December 15, 2018

Released 5 yrs ago (12/16/2018 UTC) at Filmhouse Cinema in Edinburgh, Scotland United Kingdom

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

Bringing to the Old Gang meetup for Poodlesister's visit.

Although this book is registered at www.bookcrossing.com, you don't have to be a member. It's perfectly OK to just take the book and enjoy it. Of course, if you can visit the website and let us know that you've picked it up, that would be even better - you don't even have to join, you can add your comments anonymously - you can also post your review when you've read it, then return it or pass it on to someone else.

If you do join Bookcrossing, you'll be able to see what happens to it afterwards - for ever!

Journal Entry 10 by wingPoodlesisterwing at Walthamstow, Greater London United Kingdom on Sunday, December 23, 2018
Picked up at the Edinburgh Old Gang Meet Up on 16th December.

Journal Entry 11 by wingPoodlesisterwing at Walthamstow, Greater London United Kingdom on Saturday, April 13, 2019
An interesting read.

Released 4 yrs ago (4/22/2019 UTC) at Stratford Station Books for London Shelf in Stratford, Greater London United Kingdom

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

Putting on the community bookshelf at Stratford Station.

Are you sure you want to delete this item? It cannot be undone.