V.S. Alexander. (2018). The Taster. Kensington Books.

V.S. Alexander. 2018. The Taster. Kensington Books.

V.S. Alexander, The Taster. Kensington Books, 2018.

V.S. Alexander. The Taster. Kensington Books, 2018.

OverDrive Product Record

sortTitle

Taster

crossRefId

3376962

images

• cover:
  • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-100/6852-1/{B1EF4BE5-320F-4726-9469-AC9C827D6598}Img100.jpg
  • type: image/jpeg
• thumbnail:
  • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-200/6852-1/{B1EF4BE5-320F-4726-9469-AC9C827D6598}Img200.jpg
  • type: image/jpeg
• cover150Wide:
  • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-150/6852-1/B1E/F4B/E5/{B1EF4BE5-320F-4726-9469-AC9C827D6598}Img150.jpg
  • type: image/jpeg
• cover300Wide:
  • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-400/6852-1/B1E/F4B/E5/{B1EF4BE5-320F-4726-9469-AC9C827D6598}Img400.jpg
  • type: image/jpeg

formats

1. • identifiers:
     1. • type: ISBN
        • value: 9781496712288
     2. • type: PublisherCatalogNumber
        • value: 555388
   • name: Adobe EPUB eBook
   • id: ebook-epub-adobe
2. • identifiers:
     1. • type: ASIN
        • value: B072BLVMNX
     2. • type: PublisherCatalogNumber
        • value: 555388
   • name: Kindle Book
   • id: ebook-kindle
3. • identifiers:
     1. • type: ISBN
        • value: 9781496712288
     2. • type: PublisherCatalogNumber
        • value: 555388
   • name: OverDrive Read
   • id: ebook-overdrive

mediaType

eBook

primaryCreator

• role: Author
• name: V.S. Alexander

id

b1ef4be5-320f-4726-9469-ac9c827d6598

title

The Taster

starRating

4

dateAdded

2018-01-19T11:12:00-05:00

contentDetails

1. • href: https://link.overdrive.com/?websiteID=141&titleID=3376962
   • type: text/html
   • account:
     • name: Sacramento Public Library (CA)
     • id: 1151

OverDrive MetaData

isPublicDomain

False

formats

1. • fileName: TheTaster_9781496712288_3376962
   • partCount: 0
   • fileSize: 636255
   • identifiers:
     1. • type: ISBN
        • value: 9781496712288
     2. • type: PublisherCatalogNumber
        • value: 555388
   • rights:
     1. • type: Copying
        • value: 0
     2. • type: Printing
        • value: 0
     3. • type: Lending
        • value: 0
     4. • type: ReadAloud
        • value: 0
     5. • type: ExpirationRights
        • value: 0
   • name: Adobe EPUB eBook
   • isReadAlong: False
   • id: ebook-epub-adobe
   • onSaleDate: 1/30/2018
   • samples:
     1. • source: From the book
        • formatType: ebook-overdrive
        • url: https://samples.overdrive.com/?crid=b1ef4be5-320f-4726-9469-ac9c827d6598&.epub-sample.overdrive.com
2. • fileName: TheTaster_3376962
   • partCount: 0
   • fileSize: 0
   • identifiers:
     1. • type: PublisherCatalogNumber
        • value: 555388
     2. • type: ASIN
        • value: B072BLVMNX
   • name: Kindle Book
   • isReadAlong: False
   • id: ebook-kindle
   • onSaleDate: 1/30/2018
   • samples:
     1. • source: From the book
        • formatType: ebook-overdrive
        • url: https://samples.overdrive.com/?crid=b1ef4be5-320f-4726-9469-ac9c827d6598&.epub-sample.overdrive.com
3. • fileName: TheTaster_9781496712288_3376962
   • partCount: 0
   • fileSize: 621363
   • identifiers:
     1. • type: ISBN
        • value: 9781496712288
     2. • type: PublisherCatalogNumber
        • value: 555388
   • name: OverDrive Read
   • isReadAlong: False
   • id: ebook-overdrive
   • onSaleDate: 1/30/2018
   • samples:
     1. • source: From the book
        • formatType: ebook-overdrive
        • url: https://samples.overdrive.com/?crid=b1ef4be5-320f-4726-9469-ac9c827d6598&.epub-sample.overdrive.com

keywords

1. • value: Jewish
2. • value: Historical
3. • value: maroon
4. • value: Alexander
5. • value: Fiction
6. • value: novels
7. • value: Religion
8. • value: Historical Fiction
9. • value: European
10. • value: Holocaust
11. • value: tea
12. • value: dark
13. • value: Alternate History
14. • value: fiction books
15. • value: woman
16. • value: Jewish fiction
17. • value: tea cup
18. • value: Jewish books
19. • value: historical novels
20. • value: teacup
21. • value: religious books
22. • value: historical fiction novels
23. • value: historical fiction wwii
24. • value: best wwii books
25. • value: historical fiction books
26. • value: purple dress
27. • value: books historical fiction
28. • value: ww2 historical fiction
29. • value: wwii romance novels
30. • value: jewish novels
31. • value: historical novels of wwii
32. • value: wwii fiction novels
33. • value: wwii romance fiction novels
34. • value: books fiction

creators

1. • role: Author
   • fileAs: Alexander, V.S.
   • bioText: V.S. Alexander is an ardent student of history with a strong interest in music and the visual arts. Some of V.S.'s writing influences include Shirley Jackson, Oscar Wilde, Daphne du Maurier, or any work by the exquisite Brontë sisters. V.S. lives in Florida and is at work on a new historical novel for Kensington.
   • name: V.S. Alexander

publishDate

2018-01-30T00:00:00-05:00

isOwnedByCollections

True

title

The Taster

fullDescription

Amid the turbulence of World War II, a young German woman finds a precarious haven closer to the source of danger than she ever imagined—one that will propel her through the extremes of privilege and terror under Hitler's dictatorship . . .
 
In early 1943, Magda Ritter's parents send her to relatives in Bavaria, hoping to keep her safe from the Allied bombs strafing Berlin. Young German women are expected to do their duty—working for the Reich or marrying to produce strong, healthy children. After an interview with the civil service, Magda is assigned to the Berghof, Hitler's mountain retreat. Only after weeks of training does she learn her assignment: she will be one of several young women tasting the Führer's food, offering herself in sacrifice to keep him from being poisoned.
 
Perched high in the Bavarian Alps, the Berghof seems worlds away from the realities of battle. Though terrified at first, Magda gradually becomes used to her dangerous occupation—though she knows better than to voice her misgivings about the war. But her love for a conspirator within the SS, and her growing awareness of the Reich's atrocities, draw Magda into a plot that will test her wits and loyalty in a quest for safety, freedom, and ultimately, vengeance.
Vividly written and ambitious in scope, The Taster examines the harrowing moral dilemmas of war in an emotional story filled with acts of extraordinary courage.
 
Praise for V.S. Alexander's The Magdalen Girls
 
"Fans of Barbara Davis and Ashley Hay will enjoy this tenderhearted story of sinner, saints, and redemption."
—Booklist
 
"Alexander has clearly done his homework. Chilling in its realism, his work depicts the improprieties long abandoned by the Catholic Church and only recently acknowledged. Fans of the book and film Philomena will want to read this." —Library Journal

reviews

1. • premium: False
   • source: Gill Paul, USA Today bestselling author of The Secret Wife
   • content: "An absorbing, well-researched story that brings to life an extraordinary period in history, told from within the inner circle of one of the twentieth-century's most notorious characters."
2. • premium: False
   • source: Booklist
   • content: "Alexander tells the thrilling stories of Magda's rise through the upper echelon of Nazi loyalists, the intrigue and rumors swirling around the German war effort, and the downfall of the party, in 1945. He does not glorify Hitler and the horrors of the Nazis but marries history and fiction in an attempt to humanize the citizens swept up in the turbulence of the times. This haunting and engrossing novel will appeal to fans of Anthony Doerr and Kristin Hannah."
3. • premium: False
   • source: Library Journal
   • content: "Alexander's intimate writing style gives readers openings to wonder about what tough decisions they would have made in Magda's situation. The 'taster's' story adds to a body of nuanced World War II fiction such as Elizabeth Wein's Code Name Verity, Anthony Doerr's All the Light We Cannot See, and Tatiana de Rosnay's Sarah's Key. Book clubs and historical fiction fans will love discussing this and will eagerly await more from Alexander."
4. • premium: True
   • source:
   • content:

     November 15, 2017
     A young German woman is recruited for an unusual position on Hitler's staff.In 1943, alarmed by increasing Allied air raids on Berlin, Magda Ritter's parents send her to Berchtesgaden, a remote Bavarian Alpine town. When she arrives, Magda's uncle Willy, a staunch Nazi, wangles her a position at The Berghof, Adolf Hitler's nearby mountain citadel. After a grueling interview process, during which Magda must downplay her lack of Nazi sympathies, she is hired, but she's startled to learn that her duties will involve tasting Hitler's meals to ensure that he's not being poisoned. Her training includes learning to recognize the characteristics of various poisons, including the almond scent of cyanide. She falls in love with Karl, a handsome SS officer, who, she learns with mixed relief and alarm, is plotting against Hitler. Karl shows her photographic proof of Nazi crimes, of which Magda, like most ordinary Germans, or so she believes, was completely unaware. Magda's roommate, Ursula, is also part of the resistance, and, when a poisoning plot against Hitler goes awry, Ursula drinks the cyanide-laced tea intended for the Fuhrer. Karl and Magda escape suspicion. In fact, the Fuhrer takes a special interest in the young couple, whom he views as ideal Aryan breeding stock. Their nuptials are hosted by Hitler and his mistress, Eva Braun, and shortly thereafter, the newlyweds are transferred to Wolf's Lair, Hitler's forest hideout. As war rages on and defeat appears imminent, Magda's fate will depend on the success of her continuing masquerade as a loyal Hitler retainer. For such a fraught story, the pacing is curiously episodic and static. Magda's hatred of Hitler--who on his occasional appearances is characterized as, at worst, self-deluded--is less than convincing, particularly while she enjoys the privileges her proximity to him confers.The last days of the Reich have never seemed so quotidian.

     COPYRIGHT(2017) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

5. • premium: True
   • source:
   • content:

     January 1, 2018
     

     Magda Ritter is pressed into service for her country and, now, every meal could be her last. She is one of a handful of young women given the dubious honor of tasting Adolf Hitler's food, protecting the paranoid dictator from death by poisoning. Pampered compared to most in wartime Germany, the girls lives on a knife's edge of fear and suspicion. Alexander (The Magdalen Girls) brings a little-known tidbit of history alive while developing the character of Magda from political ambivalence to active participant in the resistance movement. Readers will root for the young woman, at times unbelievably naive, other times shockingly brave, as she navigates the dangerous Third Reich just a dinner plate away from the Fuhrer himself. Alexander's intimate writing style gives readers openings to wonder about what tough decisions they would have made in Magda's situation. The "taster's" story adds to a body of nuanced World War II fiction such as Elizabeth Wein's Code Name Verity, Anthony Doerr's All the Light We Cannot See, and Tatiana de Rosnay's Sarah's Key. VERDICT Book clubs and historical fiction fans will love discussing this and will eagerly await more from Alexander.--Christine Barth, Scott Cty. Lib. Syst., IA

     Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

6. • premium: True
   • source:
   • content:

     March 5, 2018
     Alexander’s uneven novel depicts Hitler’s final years from the perspective of one of his servants. In 1943, 25-year-old Magda Ritter is sent from Berlin to escape the Allied bombardment. She goes to live with her uncle and aunt in Berchtesgaden, where her uncle uses his connections to get Magda a government interview. Within a few weeks, Magda is driven to Hitler’s Alpine retreat and only then learns that she will be one of the women who will taste his food to test it for poisons. Magda begins the novel as a fairly naïve young woman, but SS Capt. Karl Weber, whom she comes to love, reveals evidence of Nazi atrocities to her, instilling in her a hatred of Hitler. While Karl takes part in plots against Hitler, Magda does not. Her disgust with Hitler and her love for Karl (who, as a Nazi officer, feels inappropriately positioned as a romantic hero) never really translate to compelling emotional stakes, giving the story an anemic feeling. Alexander (The Magdalen Girls) has placed his fictional protagonist in a pivotal historical position but fails to make the most of it.

7. • premium: True
   • source:
   • content:

     December 1, 2017
     In the chaos of early 1940s Germany, Magda Ritter is sent from her family's home in Berlin to live with her aunt and uncle in Berchtesgaden. Determined to bring in a little money, Magda interviews at the local government office and is quickly offered a mysterious position. Magda arrives at the secluded mountain retreat of Adolf Hitler and other high-ranking SS officers. Magda is to become one of Hitler's tasters, looking for the sights and smells of deadly poisons before sampling his daily meals. The job is nerve-jangling, but Magda's tireless work does not go unnoticed. Alexander tells the thrilling stories of Magda's rise through the upper echelon of Nazi loyalists, the intrigue and rumors swirling around the German war effort, and the downfall of the party, in 1945. He does not glorify Hitler and the horrors of the Nazis but marries history and fiction in an attempt to humanize the citizens swept up in the turbulence of the times. This haunting and engrossing novel will appeal to fans of Anthony Doerr and Kristin Hannah.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)

popularity

767

links

• self:
  • href: https://api.overdrive.com/v1/collections/v1L1BWwAAAA2I/products/b1ef4be5-320f-4726-9469-ac9c827d6598/metadata
  • type: application/vnd.overdrive.api+json

id

b1ef4be5-320f-4726-9469-ac9c827d6598

starRating

3.9

images

• cover:
  • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-100/6852-1/{B1EF4BE5-320F-4726-9469-AC9C827D6598}Img100.jpg
  • type: image/jpeg
• thumbnail:
  • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-200/6852-1/{B1EF4BE5-320F-4726-9469-AC9C827D6598}Img200.jpg
  • type: image/jpeg
• cover150Wide:
  • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-150/6852-1/B1E/F4B/E5/{B1EF4BE5-320F-4726-9469-AC9C827D6598}Img150.jpg
  • type: image/jpeg
• cover300Wide:
  • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-400/6852-1/B1E/F4B/E5/{B1EF4BE5-320F-4726-9469-AC9C827D6598}Img400.jpg
  • type: image/jpeg

isPublicPerformanceAllowed

False

languages

1. • code: en
   • name: English

subjects

1. • value: Fiction
2. • value: Literature
3. • value: Historical Fiction

publishDateText

01/30/2018

otherFormatIdentifiers

1. • type: ISBN
   • value: 9781496712271

mediaType

eBook

shortDescription

Amid the turbulence of World War II, a young German woman finds a precarious haven closer to the source of danger than she ever imagined—one that will propel her through the extremes of privilege and terror under Hitler's dictatorship . . .
 
In early 1943, Magda Ritter's parents send her to relatives in Bavaria, hoping to keep her safe from the Allied bombs strafing Berlin. Young German women are expected to do their duty—working for the Reich or marrying to produce strong, healthy children. After an interview with the civil service, Magda is assigned to the Berghof, Hitler's mountain retreat. Only after weeks of training does she learn her assignment: she will be one of several young women tasting the Führer's food, offering herself in sacrifice to keep him from being poisoned.
 
Perched high in the Bavarian Alps, the Berghof seems worlds away from the realities of battle. Though terrified at first, Magda gradually becomes used to her...

sortTitle

Taster

crossRefId

3376962

publisher

Kensington Books

bisacCodes

1. • code: FIC014000
   • description: FICTION / Historical / General
2. • code: FIC025000
   • description: Fiction / Psychological
3. • code: FIC045000
   • description: Fiction / Family Life / General