Book Review
The Girls of the Glimmer Factory by Jennifer Coburn
Historical Fiction | WWII | Holocaust
A couple of years ago, I stumbled across Jennifer Coburn’s novel Cradles of the Reich, a dark story centred around the Lebensborn maternity homes in Nazi Germany. The book has stuck with me to this day, and I can’t count the number of friends I’ve loaned my copy to. So, when I saw that Coburn had a new novel hitting the shelves in 2025, it immediately became one of my most-anticipated reads for the year.
One of the reasons that I hold such a deep love for historical fiction, is that it often introduces readers to important and frequently overlooked pieces of history. And The Girls of the Glimmer Factory does just that. This book is based on the real story of Theresienstadt — a Jewish ghetto and way station to death camps in the east, that also played an important role in propaganda for the Germans. The author has done an intensive amount of research into the subject and that definitely comes across on the page. Coburn weaves a narrative that feels authentic and genuine, exploring historical fact through fiction, and forcing us to confront an incredibly dark and heartbreaking historical truth.
The story alternates between two main characters: Hannah (a Jewish prisoner at Theresienstadt) and Hilde (a true believer in the Nazi cause, working for the Reich.) Both points of view are painful to read (for their own reasons) but both shed light on different aspects of what was happening during this time period. The author also takes time to really explore the characters’ inner motivations, feelings, and experiences — resulting in two completely opposite, but very well-done, character portraits.
For those who have read Coburn’s previous novel, Cradles of the Reich, the character of Hilde will be familiar. I wasn’t expecting to see this character again, and I was a little surprised, but also intrigued, to encounter her again in this novel. While some of her back story is shared here in The Girls of the Glimmer Factory and this book can certainly be read as a standalone, I would highly recommend reading Cradles of the Reich first. I also thoroughly appreciated Coburn’s notes at the end of the book regarding the character of Hilde, and why she chose to give that character a voice.
With its meticulous research and beautiful writing, this book is a heavy and unforgettable read within the WWII historical fiction genre. It is haunting, heartbreaking, and full of hope, friendship, and resilience. And just like Coburn’s previous novel, this is another five-star story that has earned a permanent spot on my bookshelf.
Recommended for:
Fans of WWII historical fiction
This post contains affiliate links; as an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Copy of the book provided courtesy of the publisher, Sourcebooks. All opinions expressed are my own.
About the book:
(From the publisher): From the author of Cradles of the Reich comes a poignant and inspiring tale of resistance, friendship, and the dangers of propaganda, based on the real story of Theresienstadt, for fans of The Forest of Vanishing Stars and The German Wife.
Hannah longs for the days when she used to be free, but now, she is a Jewish prisoner at Theresienstadt, a model ghetto where the Nazis plan to make a propaganda film to convince the world that the Jewish people are living well in the camps. But Hannah will do anything to show the world the truth. Along with other young resistance members, they vow to disrupt the filming and derail the increasingly frequent deportations to death camps in the east.
Hilde is a true believer in the Nazi cause, working in the Reich Ministry of Enlightenment and Propaganda. Though they’re losing the war, Hilde hasn’t lost faith. She can’t stop the Allied bombings, but she can help the party create a documentary that will renew confidence in Hitler’s plans for Jewish containment. When the filming of Hitler Gives a City to the Jews faces production problems due to resistance, Hilde finds herself in a position to finally make a name for herself. And when she recognizes Hannah, an old childhood friend, she knows she can use their friendship to get the film back on track.