Finding Clara: a page-turning epic set in the aftermath of World War II

Brought to you by Penguin. _____________________________________________ 'FINDING CLARA is the kind of novel we need now more than ever, [and] achieves what the best historical fiction can . . . pushing us to see ourselves in that past, demanding: Who would you have been then? What would you have done? Unflinching and absorbing, [it] does not let you look away.' Sarah Blake, New York Times bestselling author of THE POSTMISTRESS _____________________________________________ 1946. The ruins of Essen, Germany. A place that can't quite believe the Second World War has been lost. There's Clara. Once a wartime icon and heiress to the Falkenberg iron works, she now finds herself on the run from the Allied authorities, accused by the zealous Allied occupiers of complicity in her father's war crimes. There's Jakob. A charming black marketeer, badly wounded in the war but determined to help what's left of his family survive the peace. There's Willy. A teenage boy diligently guarding a mine full of Wehrmacht supplies, his only friend a canary named Gertrud. Convinced the war isn't over, he refuses to surrender his post. When Clara returns to her hometown expecting to find her best friend, she finds everything she once knew in ruins. But in war-ravaged Germany, it's not just the buildings that are scarred: everyone is changed, everyone lives in the wreckage of their own past. To survive, Clara must hide who she is. But to live, she must face up to the truth of what she's done. _____________________________________________ 'What a great debut! It still haunts me, days after finishing it.' Liz Trenow, author of The Poppy Factory and The Silk Weaver 'Anika Scott's finely drawn characters in FINDING CLARA bring to life not only the struggle to rise from the ashes of war, but also the depth of resolve often required to gain redemption. Illuminating and beautifully rendered.' Susan Meissner, author of The Last Year of the War 'Meticulously researched and plotted like a noir thriller, Finding Clara tells a different story of WWII - of characters grappling with their own guilt and driven by the question of what they could have done to change the past.' Jessica Shattuck, author of The Women in the Castle 'A moving story of courage and everyday heroism rising to meet unbearable challenges.' Alex Marwood, author of The Wicked Girls _____________________________________________ © Anika Scott 2020 (P) Penguin Audio 2020

About the Author :
Anika Scott lives with her husband and two daughters in Essen, Germany, where her debut novel is set. She grew up in Michigan, USA and has degrees in International Politics and Journalism. She began her career wanting to be a CIA agent and had security clearance from an internship at the State Department in Washington, but CIA applications included never being able to write stories or keep a diary. Anika loves stories too much for that, and so became a journalist instead. She was staff on the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Chicago Tribune before becoming a freelance journalist in Germany: her work has appeared widely in the US and European media. She runs an online resource about post-war German history at www.postwargermany.com

Review :
Fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz will be fascinated by Scott’s portrayal of post-war Germany. FINDING CLARA is the kind of novel we need now more than ever. Set in Germany, eighteen months after the war, reckonings of every sort are playing out and Anika Scott deftly builds a world in which all the shades of gray--Nazi collaboration and complicity among civilians--are brought to life. FINDING CLARA achieves what the best historical fiction can, asking us to see the past, and then pushing us to see ourselves in that past, demanding: Who would you have been then? What would you have done? Unflinching and absorbing, FINDING CLARA does not let you look away. Meticulously researched and plotted like a noir thriller, Finding Clara tells a different story of WWII — of characters grappling with their own guilt and driven by the question of what they could have done to change the past. Anika Scott’s epic novel offers a captivating tour through the reckoning years that followed WWII when clarifying identities, unearthing truths, and facing judgements was the only way to rebuild a life. The novel’s heroine marches along the razor’s edge between the leviathan of the past and a future full of mine shafts. I will never forget her unending struggle to rise above the dark lineage thrust upon her and her battle to stay connected to the deep binds of love, responsibility, and compassion. Anika Scott’s finely drawn characters in FINDING CLARA bring to life not only the struggle to rise from the ashes of war, but also the depth of resolve often required to gain redemption. Illuminating and beautifully rendered. Anika Scott’s riveting novel compellingly explores the nature of innocence and guilt, and the human desire for redemption. A terrific book with historical detail skillfully woven into the fabric of the story. An absolute must-read for all fans of World War II fiction! What a great debut! It still haunts me, days after finishing it. I felt as though I was walking through the rubble of Essen and shivering in the bitter cold right alongside Clara Falkenberg. In this haunting and atmospheric novel, Anika Scott delivers a nuanced and emotional look at the often un-talked about side of WWII – the devastation of German towns and cities and the weight of conscience on those who remain. [It's] is a powerful reminder that no one gets out unscathed. Scott’s magnetic debut follows one woman’s quest for survival amid the devastation of post-WWII Germany . . . Fans of WWII fiction will be intrigued by Scott’s exploration of how war changes the moral compass of its victims. [An] extraordinary novel