Anja the Liar

by Thomas Moran

Hiding the secret about how she survived German-occupied Krakow during World War II, Anja enters a marriage of convenience with Axis soldier Walter and journeys with him to his family farm in the Italian Alps, where their growing relationship is tested by the arrival of an old war comrade. 10,000 first printing.

Genres: Fiction

336 pages, Hardcover

First published October 29, 2003

About the author

Journalist and author. Lives in New York, Woodstock, NY, and Europe. Also writes under the pseudonym of Michael Crow.

Reviews

[Lia Jacobson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really really liked this book (I find the WWII period surprisingly a very good setting for romance. It was done very well, though the beginning is slow. I like the historical aspect of it as well. Anja the Liar's main character Anja is a conflicted main character who is at odds with her own identity in a place where the only thing you have to prove your name is a piece of paper.
The WWII era is fascinating to me because it's when the world went crazy. Beforehand, people paid attention to frivolous things like class and status, and even materialistic wealth. But during WWII, suddenly everything changed and absolutely nothing mattered except for staying with your family and getting away with your life.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

i really liked this book, though i felt a little held back by something. it's somewhere between a good beach read and a really thoughtful novel. so it has the potential to be a really great book, if that's how you'll have it.

[Andrew]

A very good novel about two people who seem irretrievably damaged by World War II and their roles in it, and how they attempt to build a life together afterwards. Moran poses some very tough questions about ethics in war and the choices that are (inevitably?) made.

[Kirkley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprisingly a really great book that I randomly picked up at the Strand bookstore for $2. Think historical fiction with some really fucked up characters taking center stage.

[Sharron · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first half of this story warranted 5 stars. Great character development and excellent period and place detail. Having read Ian Buruma’s superb work, “Year Zero: A History of 1945”, I appreciated the care Thomas Moran took in crafting this story. But the second half seemed to have been written by someone else as it took on an altogether different, rather soap opera like dimension. Unfortunate.

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

REALLY enjoyed this book

[Sasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Europe post-WWII made for a surprisingly acceptable backdrop for this not-quite-love story. I had a few initial guesses of how things might unfold, then the novel took a turn as characters were forced to face their pasts and consider the futures they at one point thought they'd never have.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Starts slow and becomes an engrossing tale of loss, love, betrayal. There is no pat ending, no redemption, only brutal honesty and consistency. A great read.

[Luke · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Vera Sophia · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Let us both go on imagining then. Eventually, perhaps, if we repeat this small deception over and over again, we will discover satisfaction in ourselves, not in fading dreams of others".