The Taster

Amid the turbulence of World War II, a young German woman finds a precarious haven closer to the source of danger than she ever imaginedone that will propel her through the extremes of privilege and terror under Hitlers dictatorship . . . In early 1943, Magda Ritters 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 dutyworking for the Reich or marrying to produce strong, healthy children. After an interview with the civil service, Magda is assigned to the Berghof, Hitlers mountain retreat. Only after weeks of training does she learn her assignment: she will be one of several young women tasting the Fhrers 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 occupationthough 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 Reichs 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. Alexanders 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