The Girls of the Glimmer Factory
  • Published: 23 April 2025
  • ISBN: 9781728277318
  • Imprint: Sourcebooks Landmark
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 320
  • RRP: $37.00

The Girls of the Glimmer Factory

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From the author of Cradles of the Reich, an intriguing story of childhood friends forced onto opposite sides of a propaganda war in a "model" ghetto in WWII Czechoslovakia, Hitler's "gift to the Jews."

"A gripping, powerful read. A valuable lesson for our own times." — Heather Morris, New York Times bestselling author of The Tattooist of Auschwitz

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.
  • Published: 23 April 2025
  • ISBN: 9781728277318
  • Imprint: Sourcebooks Landmark
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 320
  • RRP: $37.00
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About the author

Jennifer Coburn

Jennifer Coburn is the author of Cradles of the Reich, a historical novel about three very different women living at a Nazi Lebensborn breeding home at the start of World War ll.

She has also published a mother-daughter travel memoir, We'll Always Have Paris, as well as six contemporary women's novels. Additionally, Jennifer has contributed to five literary anthologies, including A Paris All Your Own.

Jennifer lives in San Diego with her husband, William. Their daughter, Katie is currently in graduate school. When Jennifer is not going down historical research rabbit holes, she volunteers with So Say We All, a live storytelling organization, where she is a performer, producer, and performance coach. She is also an active volunteer with Reality Changers, a nonprofit that supports low-income high school students in becoming the first in their families to attend college.

Also by Jennifer Coburn

Cradles of the Reich
We'll Always Have Paris
The Holiday
See all

Praise for The Girls of the Glimmer Factory

A gripping, powerful read. A valuable lesson for our own times.

Heather Morris, New York Times bestselling author of The Tattooist of Auschwitz

The Girls of the Glimmer Factory is an incredibly well-researched story of two former friends on different sides of Nazi oppression during WWII. A powerful piece of literature that highlights what prisoners of Theresienstadt endured and the insidious nature of Nazi propaganda. Jennifer Coburn has done it again with this gripping historical fiction that readers will love!

Madeline Martin, New York Times bestselling author The Last Bookshop of London

A haunting page-turner of a story about friendship, bravery, and resistance, The Girls of the Glimmer Factory brilliantly illustrates the need to combat propaganda as it threatens to gloss over evils. Written in shimmering prose, this deeply researched, must-read historical novel is acutely relevant to our present day.

Jennifer Rosner, author of Once We Were Home and The Yellow Bird Sings

In The Girls of the Glimmer Factory, Jennifer Coburn illuminates a tale of once-friends caught on opposite sides of the war against the backdrop of the Theresienstadt concentration camp. Vividly researched and memorably written, this book offers an original and unflinching look at loyalty, choices, consequences and redemption.

Pam Jenoff, New York Times bestselling author of Codename Sapphire

When an unexpected illness puts an end to Hannah Kaufman's plans to flee Czechoslovakia and the Nazi's Final Solution, she becomes a prisoner at Theresienstadt, the so-called model Jewish ghetto. After her path crosses with Hilde Kramer, a German friend from Hannah's youth who's now firmly ensconced in the Nazi Party, Hannah spots an opportunity to turn the Nazi propaganda film Hilde's making on its head. The Girls of the Glimmer Factory delivers to readers a compelling and moving tale about the power of propaganda to foster and perpetuate malevolence -- and the ability of even the most unlikely people to fight back.

Marie Benedict, New York Times bestselling author of The Mystery of Mrs. Christie and The Other Einstein

A timely story about the dangers of propaganda and the life-or-death fight for truth, The Girls of the Glimmer Factory exposes a little-known aspect of WWII that will enthrall readers. Coburn delivers a heartfelt story of courage where two women film-makers use their talents to take their destinies, and the lives of millions of innocents, into their own hands. Gripping!

Heather Webb, USA Today and international bestselling author of Queens of London