Child of the Ruins

People are disappearing. I spoke to my neighbour yesterday, we laughed at some nonsense, and today he is gone. We only discovered he was missing because the dog wouldn’t stop howling and we all knew he would never leave his beloved pet. So I am careful, extremely careful.

Two families divided by war.
An entire city on the edge of disaster.

‘I was blown away not just by the gripping story, which had my heart thumping at times, but the sheer eloquence of writing. It is a story of the strength of the human spirit, and of love which will not be defeated. I know I will be recommending it to everyone’ LESLEY PEARSE

1948, Berlin. World War II has ended and there is supposed to be peace; but Russian troops have closed all access to the city. Roads, railway lines and waterways are blocked and two million people are trapped, relying on airlifts of food, water and medicine to survive. The sharp eyes of the Russian state police watch everything; no one can be trusted.

Anna and Ingrid are both searching for answers – and revenge – in the messy aftermath of war. They understand that survival comes only by knowing what to trade: food; medicine; heirlooms; secrets. Both are living in the shadows of a city where the line between right and wrong has become dangerously blurred.

But they cannot give up in the search for a lost child …

‘An impressively researched, powerfully emotional tale of two women surviving post-war Berlin … Child of the Ruins will have you gripped in suspense from the first line to the last’ LOUISE CANDLISH

‘In Kate’s inimitable style we are immediately drawn into this impeccably researched and terrifying period of history. Stunning from the very first line, this is a masterclass in historical fiction writing. An absolute triumph!’ DINAH JEFFERIES

‘An absolutely stunning book from the Queen of Historical Fiction. Emotional, powerful, meticulously researched, sharp writing, just wonderful’ LOUISE SWANSON

‘There is only one word to describe Child of the Ruins and that is awesome. It is compelling and evocative, thrilling and yet hugely touching. Kate Furnivall has really steeped herself in the period and faced the horrors of those times. I congratulate her’ DILLY COURT

‘An extraordinarily tense and gripping story set in a city brought to its knees in the aftermath of war, where life is cheap and crusts of bread are currency. The plotting is ingenious and the writing beautifully atmospheric’ GILL PAUL

‘Unforgettable characters negotiate desperate times in this vivid, brave and suspenseful novel set in the chaos of war torn Berlin. The final twist made me gasp!’ RACHEL HORE

‘Gripping from the very first page, Child of the Ruins is a powerful and emotionally intense reminder that heartache and hardship linger long after a war ends. Highly recommend!’ TERESA DRISCOLL

I have just finished reading Child of the Ruins and now I am bereft. Such an emotionally powerful and compelling story, told with skill and impeccable research. I was immersed from beginning to end’ ROSANNA LEY

‘Each page and each word made me feel as though I was in Berlin at the end of the Second World War, alongside a mother searching for her son. Kate Furnivall has a gift for description, heartbreak and joy. I defy anyone not to read beyond the first killer sentence’ JANE CORRY

‘Atmospheric and compelling’ CAROL McGRATH

‘A harrowing and compelling portrait of Berlin in the aftermath of World War Two, told through the interconnecting stories of two courageous women struggling to survive in the rubble of their war-torn city’ FIONA VALPY

‘A beautifully written and atmospheric portrayal of life in Berlin in the aftermath of WW2, with exquisitely-drawn characters and a storyline that is both powerful and heart-breaking. Kate has become one of my favourite writers and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next’ B.A. PARIS


‘Brilliantly written and incredibly moving. I was gripped from the first page’ MILLY JOHNSON