Bruce Gardner’s historical novel, The Rocket Man's Daughter, takes readers into the tumultuous heart of Nazi Germany, weaving a gripping narrative of courage, sacrifice, and moral reckoning against the backdrop of World War II. Set in Berlin from 1934 to 1945, the novel follows Klara Neumann, a determined young woman and aspiring psychiatric nurse whose father, Erich Neumann, is a prominent rocket scientist caught in the machinations of the Third Reich. As Hitler tightens his grip on power, Klara witnesses the brutal realities of Nazi persecution, particularly against her Jewish friends. Gardner captures the escalating tensions and moral dilemmas faced by individuals like Klara, torn between loyalty to family, compassion for persecuted friends, and resistance against tyranny.

Bruce Gardner’s The Rocket Man's Daughter excels in its portrayal of Klara’s inner conflict as she navigates the treacherous opposing views of her sister Elke, a fervent supporter of Hitler, and the menacing SS officer Gerhard Bremmer. Gardner’s characters are vividly presented, each grappling with their own moral choices and motivations. Klara’s journey from a young woman to a courageous member of the Berlin resistance is both inspiring and heart-wrenching as she confronts the horrors of war and the atrocities committed in the name of ideology. The historical detail is meticulous, offering readers a richly textured portrayal of life in Nazi Germany and the harsh realities faced by those who dared to resist. It is a perfect example of historical fiction, melding fictional characters with true events. It is so well written with a remarkable pace that kept me turning pages without realizing it. This is a must-read for fans of historical thrillers and anyone who enjoys relaxing with a good book. My only regret is that I can’t give it more than five stars.

The Rocket Man's Daughter: A Novel of Family, Faith, and Resistance in Nazi Germany by Bruce Gardner begins as Hitler seizes control in Germany. Klara Neumann, daughter of esteemed rocket scientist Erich Neumann, witnesses the rise of National Socialism's brutality. Determined to protect Jewish friends from persecution, Klara risks detection by her Führer-following sister, Elke, and SS officer Gerhard Bremmer. Amid wartime chaos and her father's involvement with Dr. Wernher von Braun's rocket team, Klara joins a Berlin resistance group inspired by anti-fascist Dietrich Bonhoeffer. With Berlin under Allied bombardment and the V-2 missile in production, Klara faces constant peril. As the Soviets advance, Klara confronts the horrors of Nazi fanaticism and Soviet reprisals, testing her faith and familial bonds amidst international intrigue for her father's expertise.

“The second we walk you through that side door... you will have placed yourself on a harder and more dangerous path than anything you’ve experienced so far in life.” The Rocket Man's Daughter by Bruce Gardner is a bracing story of a young woman's rebellious spirit against Nazi indoctrination and her response to totalitarianism. Gardner bases this novel on two intersecting points. The first is a family that has personality galore, and I loved the mixed bag of characters. Her intellectual father, torn between scientific pursuit and political pressure, a deeply devoted and quietly resistant mother, and a sister who is fatalistic in her devotion to Hitler's party but, to her credit, does have momentary bouts of loyalty to Klara. The second is Christianity, which is prevalent throughout the novel without being heavy-handed and shines most brightly during dialogue exchanges. The writing is descriptive and the suspense is thick, particularly as Klara's work as an insurgent becomes impossible to hide, making this a book that was nearly impossible for me to put down.

Set in Berlin during World War II, The Rocket Man’s Daughter by Bruce Gardner relates the fortunes of the Neuman family, father Erich, mother Gertrude, and their three children Walther, Elke, and Klara. As Hitler rises to power, party loyalty and joining the ‘right’ associations become more and more important. Klara is not as convinced as her older brother and sister, and Erich can see no way forward without pledging his loyalty to the Führer. His work is vital to the development of what would become the V2 ballistic missile, although his real passion was to enable a rocket that would one day explore space. Klara’s best friends from early childhood are Jewish, and as the net tightens against the section of society Hitler blames for all Germany’s problems, she takes enormous risks to help them. As part of her nursing training, Klara’s work takes her to an asylum and, to her horror, she witnesses the early extermination of those disabled and mentally challenged patients who are not contributing to society. She joins the resistance movement, the only one in her family to secretly despise and deplore Hitler and his rule. Elke is a fanatical follower of the German leader, and tension rises between them. Walther joins up and is sent off to fight in Russia. Each family member is living on a knife edge, struggling to survive under near-impossible circumstances.

There are numerous twists and turns and lots of high tension in The Rocket Man’s Daughter and I found it almost impossible to put the book down. I have read many stories set in this period, but Bruce Gardner does not, like so many in this genre, follow the pattern of exploring both sides of the conflict. He features only one German family as they become more and more embroiled in a country under a Führer determined to dominate the world with his Thousand-Year Reich. The reader is taken through to the end of the battle for Berlin, the first time I have ever read about this aspect of the war as the Russians advanced right into the city of Berlin. There was also lots of information about the development of the early rockets at the Peenemünde facility. Another feature I liked is the chapter headings, giving the dates each time and the length of time passing. This is a huge plus for readers on electronic devices and makes it easy to follow the timeline. I’d also like to applaud the explanatory footnotes at the end of each page where applicable. An exciting book that moves very quickly, with characters you care about and many nail-biting, emotional, and horrific scenes that bring these times in history vividly to life. A book I highly recommend.

The Rocket Man's Daughter by Bruce Gardner follows a young German woman and her quest to survive and save her friends and family in Nazi-ruled Germany. It's 1934, Berlin. Klara Neumann is the daughter of Erich Neumann, a physicist who works in a rocket development program under Dr. Wernher von Braun. Unlike her sister, Elke, who is a die-hard follower of Hitler and a member of the BDM, Klara is disillusioned with the Nazi regime and tries to help her Jewish friends, Sophie and Jakob. As the years pass, Klara becomes a psychiatric nurse and joins the Circle, a small resistance group that works against the Nazis at considerable risk to their lives. Now, as the Allied and the Russian forces converge on Berlin, Klara's and her father's only hope lies with the Americans.

The Rocket Man's Daughter is a moving tale of family, war, faith, and survival against all odds set against the backdrop of Nazi-ruled Germany. Bruce Gardner draws upon actual historical events and personalities to deliver an epic and gripping World War II story that celebrates the resilient nature of the human spirit, demonstrating its ability to find hope amid adversity. With a large cast of characters and an immersive narrative, the author weaves a captivating plot with twists and turns galore. There is plenty to enjoy in this fascinating portrayal of World War II as Gardner never shies away from touching upon the horrors and atrocities committed by the Nazis, and later, the Russians. The stakes always felt high because of the realistic and gritty tone of the narrative, and you're never sure if your favorite characters will make it out alive. In conclusion, this book is an absolute treat for historical fiction readers.