All the Frequent Troubles of Our Days

Reads like a thriller . . . Written in a pacey, suspenseful present tense, it's biography with a pulse . . . a superb, sure-footed work of historical detection conceived with a powerful intelligence * * Sunday Times * * Astonishing . . . wilder and more expansive than a standard-issue biography . . . a real-life thriller with a cruel ending * * New York Times * * A beautifully rich portrait of a very brave woman. While never less than scrupulously researched, this biography explodes the genre of "biography": experimental but achieved, Donner's story reads with the speed of a thriller, the depth of a novel and the urgency of an essay, like some deeply compelling blend of Alan Furst and W.G. Sebald -- JAMES WOOD Donner questions what motivates someone to risk their life for the sake of their beliefs in a gripping story that reads like a political thriller * * Observer * * Written in a fizzing present tense, the book in places reads like a spy novel . . . Donner writes in beautiful, crisp prose (like her great-great-aunt, as quotes from Mildred's letters reveal) . . . The result is a work that transports us to a period now slipping from living memory but that contains vital lessons for our own time * * Herald * * A tour de force of investigation . . . gripping * * Economist * * A thrilling and inspiring book. It is a treasure trove for lovers of biography, new writing and the history of the Third Reich * * Scotsman * * A stunning literary achievement. Rebecca Donner forges a new kind of biography - almost novelistic in style and tone, this scholarly work resurrects the courageous life of Mildred Harnack. A relentless sleuth in the archives, Donner has written a page-turner story of espionage, love and betrayal -- KAI BIRD, winner of the Pulitzer Prize A lively read . . . Mildred Harnack has received proper recognition at last * * Financial Times * * Pacey . . . an impressive piecing together of fragments . . . a memorial to Mildred Harnack * * Spectator * *

Rebecca Donner is the New York Times bestselling author of two critically acclaimed books, and her essays, reportage and reviews have appeared in numerous publications including the New York Times, Bookforum and Guernica. Donner was inspired to write All the Frequent Troubles of Our Days after her grandmother gave her a bundle of Mildred's letters. @RRRDonner | rebeccadonner.com