The Bride's Trunk by Ingrid Dixon: A Book Review

The Bride’s Trunk: A Story of War and Reconciliation
Author: Ingrid Dixon
Genre: History, Nonfiction, Biography
Publisher: Cloudshill Press
Release Date: 2016
Pages: 228
Source: This book was given to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis: A true story of love and reconciliation in the aftermath of the Second World War.

Minny leaves Germany on a bitterly cold morning in December 1946 and travels to England to marry Jim, a British Intelligence Corps soldier in the Allied armies that defeated the Nazi regime in 1945 and occupied the devastated nation. She has survived British and American bombs and witnessed the destruction of Aachen, her ancient and beautiful city. How will a German woman cope in austere post-war Britain, where she is still regarded as the enemy?

Illustrated with almost 100 images and original documents, The Bride’s Trunk describes the adventures of an unremarkable piece of luggage and three generations of its owners, whose journeys across Europe are determined by the turbulent events of twentieth century history.

My Review: The Bride’s Trunk tells the true story of a young German woman who marries an English soldier shortly after WWII. One day during the great-war, Minny meets a British Intelligence officer. The two of them begin to fall in love with one another and start a courtship. After the war, Minny leaves her homeland of Germany to marry her husband in England. She does not know the language and the English are hostile to her because she is a German. Can Minny find happiness in her new life in England?

Minny is a very complicated woman. After reading, The Bride’s Trunk, I had mixed feelings about her. Minny is a very educated, intelligent, and ambitious woman. She is very studious in her academics and wants to become a chemist. However, the war prevented her from pursuing her dreams, and she was forced to choose another path.Thus, I found her love of academics to be admirable.

However, Minny was a very problematic woman. Minny had the same sentiments and beliefs as Hitler’s regime. She believed that everyone who lived in Germany should look alike with blonde hair and blue eyes. She was also very enthusiastic when Germany started the war and joined the Nazi party. Minny’s prejudice and insensitive beliefs made it hard for me to keep reading. I could not root for a woman like her to find love and happiness. I had hoped that the author would show that Minny had eventually changed her beliefs. However, the author never touched upon Minny’s beliefs after the war. Because of Minny’s beliefs, I had a hard time reading this biography.

Overall, this biography tells the story of war, beliefs, and reconciliation. The Bride’s Trunk was very easy to read with short chapters and many fascinating photos. However, I thought that Minny’s life after WWII was very rushed. While I was conflicted with Minny, I still found the biography to shed some light about women who fell in love and married former enemy soldier after the war. I recommend this book to those that love GI Brides, Bomb Girls, and Wartime Women.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Guest Post by Elisa DeCarlo: From Corsets to Chemises: Fashion as Liberation

Today's guest writer is Elisa DeCarlo. Elisa DeCarlo has published two novels, Strong Spirits and The Devil You Say as well as The Abortionist's Daughter . Her work is also in a number of anthologies. Elisa has also written and performed a number of solo shows across the country. In 2013, the Exit Press will publish an anthology of her stage work. Elisa was born in Westchester, NY, and grew up there and in New York City. As an actress, she has performed in television, radio and film. In her guest post, Elisa DeCarlo talks women's fashion in the 1910s. Be sure to check out my review of The Abortionist's Daughter soon. Thank you, Mrs. DeCarlo. From Corsets to Chemises: Fashion As Liberation In The Abortionist’s Daughter , which is set in 1916, the evolution of the main character, Melanie Daniels, is not only shown by her thoughts actions, but also her clothes. Since I am an obsessed fashion buff, I had to write about the clothes! Queen Victoria ...

Inanna, Queen of Heaven and Earth: Her Stories and Hymns from Sumer by Samuel Noah Kramer and Diane Wolkstein: A Book Review

Inanna, Queen of Heaven and Earth: Her Stories and Hymns from Sumer Author: Samuel Noah Kramer and Diane Wolkstein Genre: Nonfiction, History, Biography, Religion, Mythology Publisher: Harper Perennial Release Date: 1983 Pages: 256 Source: Personal Collection Synopsis: With the long-awaited publication of this book, we have for the first time in any modern literary form one of the most vital and important of ancient myths—that of Inanna, the world’s first goddess of recorded history and the beloved deity of the ancient Sumerians. The stories and hymns of Inanna (known to the Semites as Ishtar) are inscribed on clay tablets which date back to 2,000 B.C. Over the past forty years, these cuneiform tablets have gradually been restored and deciphered by a small group of international scholars. In this groundbreaking book, Samuel Noah Kramer, the preeminent living expert on Sumer, and Diane Wolkstein, a gifted storyteller and folklorist, have retranslated, order...

Blog Tour: Guest Post by Chantal Gadoury: Allerleirauh

Today's guest writer is Chantal Gadoury. She is the author of Allerleirauh , a retelling of the lesser known fairytale by the Brothers Grimm. In this guest post, she explores the history behind the Grimm's fairytale. I have a lifelong passion for fairytales, and I look forward to reviewing Allerleirauh soon! I hope this guest post gives you some insight into her fairytale retelling. Thank you, Mrs. Gadoury! Allerleirauh There’s always a story behind a story, whether we as the readers know that or not. Behind every great fairy tale, there is a place where it made origin; an event or person that influenced the past cultures to create the stories that we all know and love today. Even the untold fairy tales, like “Allerleirauh,” have a place in origin. It’s hard to say, “Yes! This is exactly how this story came to be,” but it can give a general idea of how a story might have been created. ...

History from a Woman's Perspective- A Book Blog

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