Summary and Reviews of The Good American by Ursula Maria Mandel

The Good American by Ursula Maria Mandel

The Good American

A Novel Based On True Events

by Ursula Maria Mandel
  • Critics' Consensus (1):
  • Readers' Rating (1):
  • Paperback:
  • Feb 2001, 249 pages
  • Rate this book

About This Book

Book Summary

The story of a young American pilot and a destitute but spirited young mother who, in 1948, takes the courageous decision to rescue her sister's small daughter out of Berlin on the very day the Russians blockade the city.

The hauntingly beautiful manuscript of a novel, written by the daughter of his father's mistress and reconstructed from a childhood memory, becomes the catalyst of change for a man who cannot forgive his father's infidelity. The manuscript tells the story of a young American pilot and a destitute but spirited young mother who, in 1948, won't take no for an answer when she decides to whisk her sister's small daughter out of Berlin on the very day the Russians blockade the city.

Membership Advantages
  • Reviews
  • "Beyond the Book" articles
  • Free books to read and review (US only)
  • Find books by time period, setting & theme
  • Read-alike suggestions by book and author
  • Book club discussions
  • and much more!
  • Just $60 for 12 months or $20 for 3 months.
  • More about membership!

Reviews

Media Reviews

Davina - BookBrowse
Set in post war Germany just as the iron curtain is falling, and in 1990s America, this book within a book tells the story of a young woman's desperate, and ultimately successful, attempt to rescue her niece from Berlin, just before the Russian blockade is completed. She is helped by the 'Good American' - an army officer who falls in love with her. Based in large part on Mandel's own mother, this book is an inspirational and poignant read. I find myself replaying many of the scenes again and again - the children playing in the burnt out buildings with chalk from the ruined chandeliers, the old man and his books and many others. This book deserves a wide audience - I highly recommend it to all readers.

Membership Advantages
  • Reviews
  • "Beyond the Book" articles
  • Free books to read and review (US only)
  • Find books by time period, setting & theme
  • Read-alike suggestions by book and author
  • Book club discussions
  • and much more!
  • Just $60 for 12 months or $20 for 3 months.
  • More about membership!

Read-Alikes

Read-Alikes Full readalike results are for members only

If you liked The Good American, try these:

  • A Woman In Berlin jacket

    A Woman In Berlin

    by   Anonymous

    Published 2006

    About this book

    The diary of a young woman, recording her and her neighbors' experiences as, for six weeks in 1945, Berlin fell to the Russian army.

  • A Thread of Grace jacket

    A Thread of Grace

    by Mary Doria Russell

    Published 2005

    About this book

    More by this author

    Set in Italy during the dramatic finale of World War II, Russell's ambitious and engrossing novel tells the little known story of how Italian citizens saved more than 43,000 Jews during the last 20 months of WWII.

We have 6 read-alikes for The Good American, but non-members are limited to two results. To see the complete list of this book's read-alikes, you need to be a member.
Search read-alikes
How we choose read-alikes
Membership Advantages
  • Reviews
  • "Beyond the Book" articles
  • Free books to read and review (US only)
  • Find books by time period, setting & theme
  • Read-alike suggestions by book and author
  • Book club discussions
  • and much more!
  • Just $60 for 12 months or $20 for 3 months.
  • More about membership!

BookBrowse Book Club

  • Book Jacket
    The Cover Girl
    by Amy Rossi
    Find them early enough, and they will always be her girls.

Members Recommend

  • Book Jacket

    The Magician of Tiger Castle
    by Louis Sachar

    The author of Holes returns with a magical adult debut about forbidden love and a kingdom on the brink of collapse.

  • Book Jacket

    Too Old for This
    by Samantha Downing

    A retired killer's secret is at risk when a visitor arrives—her only option? Another murder.

  • Book Jacket

    This Here Is Love
    by Princess Joy L. Perry

    Three people—two enslaved, one indentured—struggle to overcome the limits and labels of their painful shared pasts.

  • Book Jacket

    A Club of One's Own
    by BookBrowse

    Dreaming of starting or reviving a book club? A Club of One’s Own is the essential guide to doing it right.

Win This Book
Win All the Men I've Loved Again

All the Men I've Loved Again by Christine Pride

Christine Pride's solo debut explores a woman's love triangle in her 20s that unexpectedly resurfaces in her 40s.

Enter

Book
Trivia

  • Book Trivia

    Can you name the title?

    Test your book knowledge with our daily trivia challenge!

Wordplay

Solve this clue:

I N R S

and be entered to win..