Wednesday, April 25, 2012

The Sunny Hours - Rosemarie Dalheim


3/5 Stars

Born in Hannover in 1924, Rosemarie Dalheim and her family moved to England three years later. With a flourishing business employing five people, the Dalheims were considered ‘desirable aliens’ and soon granted permanent residence. Settling in Hull, life felt safe and secure in those sunny, pre-war days. 

However, with Hitler’s rise to power and the growing tension and hostility within Europe, Rosemarie and her family suddenly fell under suspicion and scrutiny, even by former friends and colleagues. Having a German accent in England was now a very undesirable thing indeed.

Despite attempting to maintain a sense of normality and stability in those challenging times, the inevitable finally happened – war broke out and the Dalheims were interned in a camp on the Isle of Man. 

The Sunny Hours is a tale of divided loyalties, and the struggle for acceptance and belonging. With warmth and humour Rosemarie Dalheim recounts the confusion and uncertainty of a young girl, feeling both British and German, growing up in Britain during World War II.


An amazingly well written story of a German child's experience of being interned in Britain during WWII, and a glimpse of the start of Nazi Germany through the innocent eyes of a child.

Currently Reading: Switched - Amanda Hocking
Read in 2012: 5/20

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