The German Girl

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Before everything changed, young Hannah Rosenthal lived a charmed life. But in 1939, Berlin is transformed; her family's possessions are taken, and they are no longer welcome in their familiar surroundings. Hannah and her best friend, Leo Martin, make a pact to face whatever comes together. Hope arrives with the SS St. Louis, a ship offering Jews safe passage out of Germany. After a frantic visa search, the Rosenthals and Martins board the luxurious liner bound for Havana. Life aboard the St. Louis feels surreal, filled with masquerade balls and exquisite meals, but soon, ominous rumors from Cuba shatter their fragile sense of safety. As impossible choices arise and unthinkable sacrifices are made, the ship that once symbolized salvation threatens to become their doom. Decades later, in New York City, on her twelfth birthday, Anna Rosen receives a mysterious package from her great-aunt Hannah in Cuba. Its contents inspire Anna and her mother to journey to Havana to uncover their family's tragic past, a quest that will help Anna find her place and purpose in the world. The narrative spans from pre-war Berlin to revolutionary Cuba and post-9/11 New York, culminating in a deeply moving conclusion in present-day Havana.