Welcome to the penultimate day of the blog tour for The Postcard by Carly Schabowski, published on 29th August by Bookouture. My thanks to Jess at Bookouture for inviting me to take part in the tour and for my digital review copy via NetGalley. Do check out the posts by my tour buddies for today, Kristin at Kristin’s Novel Cafe and over on Instagram, Christine and Ellen.
About the Book
When her beloved grandmother, Ilse, is taken into hospital, Mia drops everything to travel to Germany and care for the woman who raised her. But when her grandmother briefly wakes up and asks for a man called Szymon , Mia is confused. Who is he? And why does her grandmother need to see him so desperately?
Later that night, Mia returns to her grandmother’s apartment to search for clues. She soon discovers a small parcel hidden inside one of Ilse’s suitcases. When she removes the wrapping, she finds a stack of faded postcards neatly bound together, signed with a name that makes her heart stop in her Szymon .
Desperate to find Szymon before it is too late, Mia unearths a story her grandmother never told of childhood friendship and heartbreaking young love on the eve of the Second World War, and of a plan to rescue a young man imprisoned by the Nazis. Mia can’t quite believe her grandmother was so brave, and risked so much to save this man’s life… But did she succeed?
As the final pieces of the past come together, Mia realizes that she is about to find out what really happened to her grandmother during the war. But she doesn’t expect to uncover a secret that will change everything…
Format: ebook (368 pages) Publisher: Bookouture
Publication date: 29th August 2023 Genre: Historical Fiction
Find The Postcard on Goodreads
Purchase links
Amazon | Kobo
Link provided for convenience only, not as part of an affiliate programme
My Review
As the author reveals in her letter to readers at the end of the book, The Postcard is inspired by a chance find in a Polish flea market and a true story of wartime sacrifice.
The standout parts of the book for me were the sections describing the experiences of cousins Szymon and Tadeusz during the Second World War. Chilling and often disturbing, these scenes had a real feeling of authenticity. I think we are probably all aware of the atrocities perpetrated by the Nazis, not just on Jewish people but on citizens of other occupied countries, but it doesn’t make it any easier to read about. I couldn’t help but think about the current situation in Ukraine as I was reading the scenes of the young cousins serving as soldiers on the front line.
I’ll confess I found the young Ilse difficult to warm to because of her self-absorption and her inability to recognise – perhaps even blithe indifference to – the events unfolding around her. Of course, she wasn’t alone in that. ‘Everyone seemed happy with the Fuhrer and their new Germany, so if no one else seemed to care, it seemed pointless that she should worry about it too.’ Even when she does realise what’s going on – and the evidence is there under her nose – her motivation is partly the prospect of adventure. With the older Ilse it was a different matter. Her guilt and regret at the actions of her younger self was heartbreaking to witness, as was her determination to put things right.
My favourite character was Marlena who proves a steadfast friend to Ilse, a loyal confidante and a resolute individualist. I loved the way she supported Mia as she struggles to come to terms with the prospect of losing her grandmother, the woman who has brought her up since her parents’ death. Attempting to discover the truth about her grandmother’s early life provides a sort of distraction for Mia from her own troubles. It’s a journey the reader joins her on as the story moves back and forth in time until all the pieces of the jigsaw finally come together.
The Postcard is an emotional story about love, friendship and the choices that can change lives forever.
In three words: Emotional, dramatic, powerful
Try something similar: The Lost Girl in Paris by Jina Bacarr
About the Author
Carly Schabowski worked as a journalist in both North Cyprus and Australia before returning to Oxford, where she studied for an MA and then a PhD in creative writing at Oxford Brookes University. Carly now teaches at Oxford Brookes University as an associate lecturer in Creative Writing for first and second-year English literature students.
Connect with Carly
Twitter | Instagram
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