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

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