The Love That I Have by James Moloney

The Love That I Have Reviews

• 
  Brenda

  Margot Baumann was sixteen years of age when she began working in the mailroom of the concentration camp close to her home. Germany 1944 and Margot knew Hitler was great, and the Jews were not. Her parents, two brothers – who were both fighting for the fatherland – and sister Renate along with Margot had no reason to believe otherwise. But in the mailroom, it was her job to burn the letters the Jews wrote to their loved ones, and gradually Margot’s horror at the cruel burning of letters, as well as the treatment the prisoners were receiving changed her views.
  
  But when Margot slipped a few letters into her pocket, her only intention was to forward them on – until she read one. The prisoner Dieter Kleinschmidt was writing a love letter to his girl who was in Auschwitz – her name was also Margot. And so, Margot’s deception began…
  
  What would be the outcome once the war was over? What would happen to those prisoners-of-war?
  
  The Love That I Have by Aussie author James Moloney is my first by this author, and what a wonderful, heartfelt and emotional journey he took me on. Love, loss, courage and bravery; this phenomenal WWII story will stay with me for a long time to come. The ending was exceptionally well done – I have no hesitation in highly recommending The Love That I Have to fans of historical fiction.
  
  With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read and review.
  
• 
  Heidi

  Apart from my usual preferred genre of mystery / suspense, I have a weakness for historical novels set during WW2 and can never resist a new angle on this dark chapter in human history. When I saw that James Moloney’s new novel, The Love That I Have, was being compared with The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, which is one of my all-time favourite novels, I knew I had to read it!
  
  It is perhaps no surprise that Moloney, a successful children’s author, would choose a sweet and naive sixteen-year-old girl as his main protagonist in a story of hope and love. Don’t we all remember that turbulent time in our teens, on the cusp of adulthood, when all of life still lay ahead of us and anything was possible? Even in the darkest of times, teenage girls will still swoon over handsome young men and dream of meeting their one true love, their happily-ever-after, even if the world around them is rapidly disintegrating.
  
  At sixteen, Margot Baumann is an innocent when it comes to love, and with youthful optimism she believes that it will always triumph over adversity. I really enjoyed seeing how the foundations of the political views she has been indoctrinated with under Hitler’s reign slowly crumble when she is being confronted with those purest of human emotions – the will to survive and love. Love expressed in the words of Konzentrationslager prisoners, whose letters she secretly reads in the camp’s mail room. Letters that will never make it to their intended recipients, because Margot, the camp’s new mail clerk, has been tasked with burning them. Her moral dilemma is very well explored here – on one hand she has been told that Jews are not really human, but on the other hand she can see that their letters prove otherwise. These are people just like her brother, who is imprisoned in a POW camp in Russia, writing home to their loved ones, voicing their hope of seeing them again. One of the letters that fall into Margot’s hands is from a political prisoner called Dieter Kleinschmidt, expressing his love and longing for his girlfriend, whose name coincidentally is also Margot. I could easily imagine that a young naive girl could fall in love with a person’s letters – and that she would act impulsively to “save” the young man who has captured her heart with his writing. I really liked Margot – she was sweet and innocent and courageous.
  
  My own sixteen-year-old self would have been totally enamoured by this story and the idea of pure love through the written word, the meeting of two souls at a time when death was only ever a heartbeat away. However, my old cynical self was not so easily swayed, pointing out the plot holes and the implausibility of some of Margot’s actions. I was reading this book like a split personality, the little angel on one shoulder whispering: “How sweet, how beautiful!” Whilst the little devil on the other sneered disdainfully: “This would never work – this could never happen!” This novel is not marketed as a YA novel, although I thought that it would probably work better for a less cynical, younger audience than the seen-it-all jaded reader that I am. Perhaps there is a reason I prefer dark and sinister murder mysteries! So, whilst parts of the story captured my heart and offered a fresh new angle to an episode in history that has featured in thousands of books, there was a lot of suspension of disbelief necessary for me to go along with parts of the plot.
  
  In summary, The Love That I Have offers a unique angle to one of the darkest chapters of human history, with a courageous and innocent heroine that reinforces the message that love can indeed triumph over hate and adversity. With a young teenage cast and a rich historical setting, it will appeal to a younger audience or lovers of the genre who are looking for a different approach to your typical holocaust novel in which the “good” and the “bad” are clearly defined. However, readers who find it difficult to suspend disbelief may struggle with certain parts of this story.
  
  Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins Australia for the free electronic copy of this novel and for giving me the opportunity to provide an honest review.
  
  
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• 
  Amanda - Mrs B's Book Reviews

  *
  https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com
  Respected Australian author James Moloney, who has an impressive back catalogue of children’s books makes his adult fiction debut with his new novel, The Love That I Have. This is a powerful story, that takes us to the dying days of World War II Germany, reminding us that love and hope can be found in moments of great despair.
  
  The Love That I Have introduces the principal character of Margot Baumann. Margot is sixteen years old and has recently left school to take over the reins of her older sister’s job in the mail room of a German prison. But what Margot and many members of the German population do not realise is that the prison she is sorting mail for is actually a concentration camp. There are many German citizens who work at this ‘prison’. Most are unaware of the brutality and the awful camp conditions. For Margot, her job involves dealing with the mail that comes into the camp. She is under strict orders to burn all prisoner letters. This is a cruel act that horrifies her. So, to save her soul, Margot commits an act of defiance, she manages to save a number of letters. Some would call this stealing, but for Margot, the letters provide a sense of hope in the face of utter despair. Through the letters Margot becomes acquainted to Dieter Kleinschmidt. Dieter’s letters to another Margot moves this young woman greatly. Dieter’s letters have the power to change Margot beyond recognition and they become the catalyst for a huge act of courage.
  
  Historical fiction, namely World War II based fiction and stories revolving around the holocaust are always stories I gravitate towards. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that as soon as I saw early book buzz around The Love That I Have, I knew I had to get my hands on this book as soon as it released. As with many holocaust of World War II themed books it is always problematic to state that you ‘enjoyed’ the book. Rather, I think it is best to say, I appreciated what Moloney offers his readers.
  
  The Love That I Have have been compared to some pretty weighty and popular World War II titles that feature the holocaust. From The Book Thief, to The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas and All the Light I Cannot See. I can see the lines of similarity, but The Love That I have provides us with yet another different angle on this regrettable chapter of our world history. I would say The Love That I Have is an adult fiction novel, with clear YA tendencies. It is also a historical romance, along with a defined coming of age story. But what moved me the most about this book was the fact that it brought to the table another chapter of history that we may not have been aware of.
  
  I have read many books now on World War II and the holocaust but they tend not to focus on the later stages of the war, especially from the German citizen’s perspective. Moloney presents us with a unique angle and a fresh take on an overly covered chapter from our history books. Moloney exposes the ideologies of the German people, their political mindset and how this all had to come crashing down in the dying stages of the war. Margot, the principal character, is a protagonist who comes full circle. Margot’s world view flips as she witnesses first hand the atrocities committed by her once beloved Nazi party and the figurehead, Adolf Hitler.
  
  Margot is a completely agreeable character. The audience is meant to love her, and they do. We become completely swept up in Margot’s own views of romance, compassion and hope. Margot is initially presented as quite young and naive, ignorant to the terrible acts of brutality going on around her. However, she is forever changed by the job she takes up in the mail room. She suddenly transforms, takes risks, summons all the courage she can and challenges the world in which she has lived. The secondary character set that feature in this novel compliment Margot. I found them surprising in their own special ways. Especially when Moloney shows us an alternative presentation of German guards.
  
  Moloney’s first effort for an adult fiction novel is one that will move you. It is delicately written, thoroughly researched and comes with an added extra of an epistolary aspect to the storyline. Dividing the perspectives of both leads, Margot and Dieter, draws us carefully into the tale. I did observe some plausibility issues in the plot, but I was happy to overlook this myself as I appreciated this novel as a whole.
  
  In summary, The Love That I Have is a youthful and tender account of a heartbreaking period in world history. Books such as this one serve to bridge the gap, ensuring current generations are aware of the effects of this dark chapter in our shared history.
  
  *Book ‘M’ of the a-z author challenge 2018
• 
  Sharon Metcalf

  James Moloney is described as an Australian author with over 50 titles to his name, many of which were written for young people.   Though The Love That I Have was historical fiction, to a certain extent it explains the YA feel to this book.     This is great for a couple of reasons.   First and foremost, as many readers have said before, it's so important that we Never Forget the holocaust.   If this books helps a whole new generation of readers learn about the atrocities of Nazi Germany, of the millions of lives heartlessly stolen - and I feel sure it will - then this is an important read.    The second reason is more selfish.     I'm definitely partial to the YA genre and I was quite taken by this story which gave me yet another perspective on this period.
  
  With a great opening sentence Moloney instantly made me sit up and listen and I kept listening.   "For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved three things: the long summer holidays, my brother Walther and Adolf Hitler.".    It's 1944 and Margot is a sixteen year old German girl, completely in awe of the Fuhrer and excited about starting a new job woking for the Reich.   Her two brothers are in the war and her family couldn't be more proud of them.    One brother is in a prisoner of war camp and she loves the exchange of letters between them.   Her job is in the mailroom at Sachsenhausen konzentrationslager (better known to us a concentration camp).  She is shocked to learn her job is to burn the letters the prisoners have written, imagining how she would feel if this was to happen to her brothers letters home.   Before long she has started reading some of the letters and strikes up a letter writing relationship with Dieter a young prisoner.   This book was not only their story but it showed the progression from adoration to hatred as Margots eyes were opened to the realities (and she witnessed first hand) what Hitler really stood for.  
  
  As with almost every WWII book I've read I learnt new information about this period.        So many times whilst reading  Margot and Dieters story I'd find myself wondering if this was based on fact and Googling to find out.  I sincerely hope other readers have this same response.    A very worthwhile, educational and moving story.
  
  My thanks to James Moloney, HarperCollins Publishers Australia and NetGalley for the opportunity of reading this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
• 
  Kylie

  Whew. As is often the case with books set in WW2, this is a hearbreaking story with just enough touching moments to restore your faith in humanity. I couldn't put it down.
• 
  Tilly Booth

  A historical fiction, war-based romance novel? James Moloney, you know just what I love!
  
  Upon starting this book my expectations dropped pretty low...I wasn't a fan of the writing style and it didn't hook me as much as I hoped it would. However, I pushed through and sure enough I was sucked into this novel as it took turns I didn't expect it to. The blurb doesn't give away even half of what happens in this book and I loved that. I won't give anything away but if you pick up this book and you're not feeling...keep going!
  
  I didn't feel much depth to the characters but there was still an array of them and they were all so different from one another. Family members, friends and others al stood out against each other and having Margot as the main character was wonderful. Her innocence and naivety was portrayed really well. She was a flawed character who was trying her damned hardest. I really felt for her at times. I was hooked on this because because her character is described as loving Hitler. I think that's why I stuck with this book for so long because I haven't read a book from the perspective before set during WWII. I did feel like there was a blanket kind of put over the entire story which is why I'm giving it a 4 stars but it's was still an enjoyable read that featured the heartbreak and ache of war, losing loved ones and overcoming or learning to live with the trauma and damage that was caused.
  
  If you're a fan of historical fiction romances, GET IT!
• 
  Brooke - One Woman's Brief Book Reviews

  **
  www.facebook.com/onewomansbbr
  
  *4.5 stars*
  
  The Love That I Have by James Moloney. (2018).
  
  At 16, Margot has left school to commence work in the mailroom of a concentration camp in Germany in 1944. Margot is shielded from most of the brutality but is shocked when she is told to burn the prisoners' letters instead of sending them. She decides to steal some letters to send on, only to find herself drawn to their words of hope, despair and love. This is how Margot comes to know Dieter when she reads his beautiful and passionate letters to his girlfriend, coincidentally also named Margot so it's like the love letters are for her.
  
  I tend to mainly avoid holocaust books these days, purely because I've read quite a few and I sometimes feel 'overdone' with it. But, the blurb of this book stood out to me and I couldn't not pick it up. I'm glad I did because it was a haunting yet beautiful story. We get to experience Margot's viewpoint for the majority of the book with a section devoted to Dieter's point of view. The book is well-written and I could picture the events happening as I read them; as a female who was 16 once I could easily relate to Margot.
  I imagine readers from young adult upwards who enjoy historical fiction with a touch of romance will greatly appreciate this moving story.
• 
  Alisha Brook

  Beautiful. Heartbreaking. Enlightening. Amazing.
  
  Review to come.
• 
  K.

  Trigger warnings: concentration camps, death, violence, Holocaust, war, gun violence.
  
  3.5 stars.
  
  I wanted desperately to love this. But I found myself mildly unsettled by the fact that it takes the knowledge that there's a German boy of pure German blood in Sachsenhausen for Margot to see the other prisoners as human beings. Dieter's weren't the first letters she read and yet it took seeing her name on a letter for her to join the dots that these were people. So I appreciated what the story was trying to do, but at the same time it just made me a little uncomfortable at times.
  
  I also wished we'd gotten slightly more of her sister's story than we did...
  
  That said, it's a very compelling story dealing with the final days of the war and the last third or so gave me a lot of feelings. So...??
• 
  Claire Louisa

  What an absolutely moving love story set in one of the most terrible times and places in history. I found this hard to put down whilst at the same time there were times I didn't want to read any further as my heart was breaking. I think this story and the feelings it has left in me will stay with me for quite a while.
  
  Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins publishers for a copy in return for an honest review.
• 
  Carole

  The first part of this story is told by Margot, a German girl who works in the mailroom at Sachenshausen and reads letters written by the prisoners. She is particularly drawn to the love letters written by Dieter to his girlfriend in Auschwitz, also called Margot, and when she realises there is no chance that this girl will ever receive Dieter's letters, she decides to pretend to be the other Margot and reply to him as a way of keeping his despair at bay. Margot then goes even further and finds a way to help keep him alive. The second part of the book is written by Dieter in the immediate aftermath of the German defeat and I found this part a bit less convincing and more like a vehicle to move the story along. But there is a lot to like about this novel: there is plenty about the nature of love and the horrors and reality of war, especially how it affected German families. It reminded me a bit of The Boy in the Stripped Pyjamas due to Margot's naivety. While the main characters are older teenagers, this book is more like a YA crossover. Recommended for secondary school libraries - both your staff and students will enjoy it.
• 
  Nildene

  4.5/5
  
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  Full review to come!
• 
  Melissa Sargent

  
  When I received book mail this week, I opened my parcel to discover a copy of THE LOVE THAT I HAVE by James Moloney inside. It’s always such a thrill to receive a book, and cracked it open in an excited rush, intending to read the first few pages and then move on to other work. But this novel had other plans for me and by midday I had finished the book and was a sobbing mess in the kitchen.
  
  THE LOVE THAT I HAVE combines two things I particularly love in a book; a love story and correspondence. The art of writing a letter is becoming lost in our technical and gadget driven world. Writing a letter takes time, thought and concentration, the search for the right words, it gives the writer space to say exactly what is meant, to choose beautiful paper, luscious ink, a beautiful pen. Letters can also be hastily written in times of crisis or urgent need, scratched on the back of receipts or napkins, recording sense of movement and action forever. There is simply something that a letter has that an email or text can never replicate. It’s the writing, the connection of personality and thought all the way from the brain to the fingers, expressed in words but also in the curve of a letter, the slant of script. A letter is as individual as the letter writer, a piece of themselves they send across oceans and mountains.
  
  It’s 1944 and 16 year old Margot Baumann takes up her sister Renate’s job in the mailroom of a large local prison in Germany. Margot is shielded from the camp’s brutality as the mailroom is outside prison walls and her questions of other staff are deflected or selectively answered. But Margot is a clever girl and has a heart in search of love in the world. She soon discovers the prison is actually Sachsenhausen concentration camp, and the mail that she is required to burn is from prisoners to their loved ones far away.
  
  She’s tormented by the thought that people who love these prisoners are agonising while waiting to discover they are safe, in the same way she is waiting for word from her much loved brother Walther. She can’t refuse to burn the letters but she can create a small act of defiance as a compromise. In an act of daring, Margot steals some letters to read and send on from the outside world so that loved ones will receive them.
  
  This is how she discovers Dieter Kleinschmidt’s letters to Margot Lipsky, a prisoner in Auschwitz and begins a dangerous correspondence that will shatter the innocence of her youth. So much of this story is memorable, but one scene near the end of the novel (between Margot and her mother) left me bereft and brought the story full circle.
  
  Described to me as a cross between All The Light We Cannot See and The Book Thief, ALL THE LOVE THAT I HAVE is a tender and yet unflinching story of love and the necessity of hope in dark times. And the handwritten words, those expressions of the deepest heart in moments of despair, still have that power, will continue to have that power; the dead deserve to be remembered.
  
  Melissa
  LOVEthatBOOK
  
  www.melissa-sargent.com
  
• 
  Helen - Great Reads & Tea Leaves

  5*
  https://greatreadsandtealeaves.blogsp...
  
  
  ‘The dead should know they are loved. He’s right, and that’s why I can’t destroy these remaining letters. Among them are the most loving I’ve come across, and too much love has been burned, tossed aside, ignored and forgotten for me to treat them so cruelly.’
  
  I loved this book. A story that is so authentically regaled, it is as if you are reading a memoir. Those of us who never tire of diving into this tragic period in history, will find something fresh in Moloney’s tale. A simple yet compelling story, with a well weaved plot that will make everything seem so real. War is horrific, whatever side you are on, yet the bravery expressed through pure love and devotion from this tale will touch your heart.
  
  ‘This is something I want to do just for me, to fill an emptiness inside me I wasn’t even aware of until I started reading letters from that barrel. I want to be in love like he is. There, I’ve said it, so I’ll say the rest. I want someone to love me the way he loves this other Margot.’
  
  The fresh aspect I found is that neither Margot nor Dieter were Jews. So once again you are presented with a youthful German perspective from both in and outside the camps. Dieter, a young German who was caught up defending others and consequently punished and Margot so fresh faced and eager for life. Push away logistics of ‘how’ things were achieved, and just immerse yourself in the power of passion. Here is a young girl blinded by the Hitler youth, yet through gradual revelation, will have the blinkers removed and risk all to do what she feels is right. I was shocked by after war events - fear of the Russians and how quickly fingers were pointed at seeming collaborators. The story of Margot and Dieter is sure to sit with you for some time.
  
  ‘If I ever get to meet him, I’ll be looking into the face of a dreamer like myself.’
  
  If you are at all inclined to read historical fiction then The Love That I Have is a moving tale, none least of which is the power of words and how love can feed a soul when so much appears lost. An innocent heroine filled with courage who set out to prove that love could and would triumph over hate.
  
  ‘Maybe there is no God, only a giant set of scales, and now that the world is weighed down by hatred and war, it is up to people like us to balance things out so the whole planet doesn’t tip over into darkness.’
  
  
  
  This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.
  
  
• 
  Carolyn Scarcella

  I’m so excited to read for the first time, one of Australia author James Moloney, who wrote the book called “The Love That I Have” by J. Moloney. I’m glad I did read his book. It was beautifully written and a moving love story set in one of the most terrible times and places in history. He tells the story that shows, love, loss, courage, bravery and determination. The ending was a phenomenal twist that we didn’t see that coming once again. The story, Margot, 16, she’s bored with school took her sister’s job as a Mailroom. A young innocent German girl who works at a concentration camp in Sachsenhausen in 1944. She soon realises she learns her job is to burn letters that the prisoners have written back home to their loved ones. She learns she must not contact with the prisoners. She decides to read one of the prisoners’ letters, Dieter Kleinschmidt was writing a love letter to his girl who was in Auschwitz – her name was also Margot. Did she find him? Did he lose her? You can decide?
• 
  Sophie

  The dead should know that they are loved
  A really beautiful, sad and endearing historical fiction..........
  Wow this book was incredible! So much happened, I learnt a lot about WWll and more about what happened straight after the war.
  The Love That I Have is so dear to me, I honestly loved the two main characters and I think their love is beautiful. Some parts at the start were quite slow but the ending of the book was so perfect, it made my heart happy but also break. It was a lovely book to listen too and everytime I thought it could finish, more plot twists would intervene. Many parts were very emotional and I had tears in my eyes. It was just real, special, important and beautiful 💕💔💕
• 
  Claire

  Read if you loved All That I Am, All the Light You Cannot See, the Book Thief... literally any WW2 drama
  
  Contains romance, false identity, concentration camps, love letters
  
  16 year old Margot shows up to her first day of work in the mailroom at a concentration camp in what would later become Poland. She can't help herself but to read some of the letters the prisoners write & she finds herself softening her ideas about the people inside the camp to the point where she starts to look for a particular prisoner's letters
  
  A neat & tidy look at the events that took place in Germany in 1944 & 1945 through the eyes of a very sweet & sheltered young German girl
• 
  Tamara

  Man. This book hit me right in the feels. I read the first half via an ARC a couple of months ago, and only over the past 2 days got around to finishing it. I don’t know if I was just in a different head space for the first half, or if it’s a grower, and gets genuinely more compelling as it hits its stride, but I just finished this on the train on the way home and I’m sitting here in tears. It’s billed as a book in the same vein as The Book Thief and The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, and I’d certainly agree genre-wise that that’s the case. Not quite as impactful as Book Thief for me (but not much is really!) A good read, and I’m glad I persisted.
• 
  Jayne Downes

  A great love story set in Germany and during the Holocaust of World War 2. I loved the clever twist in the plot which I wasn't expecting. It will be enjoyed by both adults and young adults who enjoy this genre.
• 
  Sharon

  Review to follow.
• 
  Sam

  Beautiful story. Might be my favourite book of the year!
• 
  Win

  A very dark period of time in history made very readable by James Moloney.
• 
  Kate

  I finished this in a few hours, but have been thinking about it for days.
  It was the love story I was looking for in The Tattooist of Auschwitz but that was let down by the writing. I ended up wishing James Maloney had written that book.
  
  I do feel this has more of a young adult feel, even though it is promoted as an adult novel. An interesting look into a teen's life during the latter stages of WW2, someone who has proudly believed and supported Hitler and showing the changes. I liked that more than one character was shown to be not all good or all evil (Thomas Meier).
  
  While sure, it seems farfetched at times, there are enough true life stories of remarkable deeds and coincidences during the Holocaust to make it work.
• 
  Debbie Lamb

  A beautifully written story about the power of love in a desperate and desolate time where all hope seems to be lost.
  
  Margot is exquisitely crafted as a young German girl who blindly believed in the Hitler propaganda until she begins working in the concentration camp just outside her town. She innocently believes her job in the mail room is to do what she is charged to do, sort the mail and send it on. When she is told to burn them instead, this horrifies her and she begins 'saving' some from the pile she retrieves each day. When she opens a letter addressed to her namesake, another Margot in Auschwitz, so begins a series of events that change her life forever and that of the writer of the letter.
  
  Moloney doesn't shy away from the horrors of the concentration camp but he manages to convey to the reader that although this hell was lived every day by prisoners, there was hope and this is where the writing of letters spurs the hope on.
  
  The development of the relationship between Margot and Dieter is beautiful and the glimmers of humanity spattered across the storyline make a heart sing with joy.
  
  A wonderful book.
• 
  Jeannette

  Book blurb...
  'WINTER CALLS FOR A GOOD BOOK, AND WE'VE FOUND ONE TO RIVAL THE BOOK THIEF'
  - The Australian Women's Weekly
  Margot Baumann has left school to take up her sister's job in the mailroom of a large prison. But this is Germany in 1944, and the prison is Sachsenhausen concentration camp near Berlin.
  Margot is shielded from the camp's brutality as she has no contact with prisoners. But she does handle their mail and, when given a cigarette lighter and told to burn the letters, she is horrified by the callous act she must carry out with her own hands. This is especially painful since her brother was taken prisoner at Stalingrad and her family have had no letters from him. So Margot steals a few letters, intending to send them in secret, only to find herself drawn to their heart-rending words of hope, of despair, and of love.
  This is how Margot comes to know Dieter Kleinschmidt - through the beauty and the passion of his letters to his girlfriend.
  And since his girlfriend is also named Margot, it is like reading love letters written for her.
  From award-winning Australian author James Moloney, comes a fresh and compelling story about love, loss and profound bravery. For fans of The Book Thief, this powerful and heartbreaking story set during WW2 stays with you long after the final page is read.
  MORE PRAISE FOR THE LOVE THAT I HAVE:
  'a beautiful, heartbreaking and affecting read. ... Definitely one for book club, just don't forget the tissues.' - Australian Women's Weekly
  
  'a heartbreaking, harrowing and deeply hopeful story ... for readers of The Book Thief, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas' - Books+Publishing
  
  'A compelling and emotionally charged story of young love and survival, bravery and humanity. The closing months of the Second World War in Germany are seen from a surprising and fresh perspective. I was holding back tears from page 72.' - Shona Martyn, Spectrum Editor, The Sydney Morning Herald
  
  My thoughts…
  In the blurb above there is much advance praise from heavy players in the book biz. Having read this story I absolutely understand why.
  This heartbreaking tale reminds me how grateful I am to live such a privileged life in Australia.
  This story and the characters are so authentically told I was expecting an author’s note at the end to say the plot was based on some fact, or on a piece of history—an important story from the past that needed telling.
  There seems to be a growing trend towards this sort of wartime tale. I can only assume from the absence of any author’s note (unless it isn’t included in the ARC copy I received) that the story — a simply beautiful and skilfully plotted novel -- is courtesy of the author's imagination.
  Horrific in its war-time setting, the story could not seem more real to me.
  The bravery in this story will make you cry, as will the love and devotion that finds its way through the terrible times that existed during the Second World War in Germany.
  Thank you, James Moloney, and HarperCollins, for The Love That I Have.
  This is a must read if you are at all inclined to historical fiction. I put this story up there with Laren Chater's The Lace Weaver and Kate Quinn’s The Alice Network. Don’t stop at one. Read them all. Highly recommended. Could NOT put this latest novel down (except to make coffee, stoke the warming fire, and grab a hot meal and feel grateful! You’ll understand this after you’ve read the novel.)
  
  This review is also published on my Blog
  http://www.readroundoz.wordpress.com
• 
  AusRomToday

  The Love That I Have is a delicately written novel that focuses on an almost naively idealistic Margot Baumann, a young German woman working in the mailroom of Sachsenhausen concentration camp near Berlin in 1944. Having had brothers in the war, including one who was captured and held prisoner at Stalingrad, Margot is dismayed by the fact that prisoners’ letters to their loved ones are routinely destroyed by the Germans, a task she is quickly enlisted to perform. Against the rules, Margot secretly smuggles letters from the prison and forwards them on to the prisoners’ families with the belief that the prisoners' should be afforded the dignity of having their mail sent on to their families and loved ones. In doing this, Margot connects with a prisoner Dieter Kleinschmidt with whom she starts communicating through letters and eventually through face-to-face visits. Through a series of lucky/unlucky coincidences, Margot is able to positively affect Dieter's life in the camp which in the end saves his life.
  
  The Love That I Have is novel that encapsulates with the greatest of empathy, the vulnerability, compassion, and difficulties faced by both imprisoned and 'free' Germans during WWII. Moloney masterfully shows that owing to the division created during WWII there was no freedom for anyone, imprisoned or otherwise. Margot and Dieter's relationship is one of mutual respect, compassion, heartbreak, and triumphant love.
  
  The Love That I Have is a timeless and utterly heartwarming yet heartbreaking love story. I read this book in early January and though it is now March, I can honestly say I've thought of this story often and fondly.
  
• 
  Ellie

  A beautiful, heart breaking and powerful novel set in World War II. It was slow to get going but once I was into it, I was so hooked! The detail and raw emotions captured and held you within its grasp. Margot's inner torment of doing what is right and doing what she has always been told to do, love the Fuhrer and trust in him, has such a strong undercurrent in this novel. It is unique in how it portrays the feelings of those in Germany during this tumultuous time, one in which many tried, and still try, to understand.
  Since finishing it, I'm left sitting here thinking about the life these people lived, how on earth could they survive it and the humility humans have in the face of horror, destruction and despair.
  I would definitely recommend it to those who have read The Book Thief and The Tattooist of Auschwitz.