The Willow Wren Audiobook By Philipp Schott cover art

The Willow Wren

A Novel

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The touching and nuanced portrait of the rise and fall of Nazi Germany through the eyes of a resourceful German boy.

Ludwig is an odd and introverted child, growing up in Hitler’s Germany. While Ludwig’s father, Wilhelm, is a senior Nazi and a true believer, Ludwig escapes the unfolding catastrophe by withdrawing into nature and books. Eventually, when the Allied bombing campaign intensifies, Ludwig is sent to a Hitler Youth camp, where his oddness makes him a target for bullying.

As the war turns against Germany, the Hitler Youth camp becomes ever more severe and militaristic, and the atmosphere spirals towards chaos. After the Nazis abandon the camp, Ludwig returns home, and his father is presumed dead. With Ludwig’s mother descending into depression, the 11-year-old bears increasing responsibility for the survival of the family as starvation sets in under Russian occupation. Soon, it will be impossible to leave the Russian zone, so Ludwig decides that he must rally his despondent mother and lead her and his three younger siblings in an escape attempt to the west.

Based on a true story, The Willow Wren is a unique, touching exploration of extremism, resilience, and the triumph of the small.

©2021 Philipp Schott (P)2021 ECW Press Historical Fiction 20th Century Literary Fiction Biographical Fiction Genre Fiction

Critic reviews

“Philipp Schott pulls off the considerable feat of creating empathy for his characters without ever resorting to easy excuses for their sometimes indefensible choices...a fine, nuanced storytelling achievement.” (Frederick Taylor, historian and best-selling author of Exorcising Hitler: The Occupation and Denazification of Germany)
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What a wonderful work for those of us who have lived after these “staggering” events!
I am so grateful for the true history from the inside of Nazi Germany from a child’s perspective and so much more!
This book is a jewel for those of us who have been bewildered by the thought of a people actually “going down that road” with a “madman” and his “henchmen”. Thank you Philipp again your family will always be endeared to my heart.

Plilipp, thank you!!!

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