Demmin: A Story Of Love and Survival

by Nick Nichols

"Unforgettable"

"Beautiful"

"A powerful and moving war drama"

In 1945 Germany, Ellie must choose—join her town’s mass suicide, or run for survival past the Russian Army with the boy she loves.

April 1945. As Nazi Germany collapses and the Red Army descends on the small town of Demmin, eighteen-year-old Ellie Vogel and her wounded sweetheart, Wil, face an unthinkable stay and face the enemy—or flee into the unknown.

The town’s white sheets signal surrender. Cyanide vials pass from hand to trembling hand. Families, steeped in fear and propaganda, prepare for mass suicide.

But Ellie isn't ready to give up. In a world unraveling around them, she and Wil must risk everything to outrun despair—and find a reason to survive.

Inspired by the haunting true events of 1945, when over 1,000 civilians took their own lives in Demmin, this unforgettable novel explores the resilience of love, the shadow of war, and what it means to choose hope in humanity’s darkest hour.

Fans of Kristin Hannah’s The Nightingale and Anthony Doerr’s All the Light We Cannot See will be deeply moved by Demmin.

276 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 16, 2025

Reviews

[Sandy Goguen-Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you, Book Sirens, for an advanced reading copy. Based on a true story during the end of WWII, the town of Demmin is prepared for Russian troops coming through their town on the way to Germany. The question the townspeople are asking: Do you fight for survival or give in.

[Rachel Sharp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Demmin, A story of love and survival is set at the very end of the Second World War, in the devastated German town of Demmin at the moment Germany has finally fallen and the Russian Army is closing in. What follows is a haunting, intimate portrayal of a community facing an unimaginable future, drawn from one of the most shocking yet lesser-known tragedies of the war: the wave of mass suicides that occurred as the Red Army advanced. The author has successfully highlighted a fascinating piece of history which I understand has long been suppressed.
At the centre of the novel are Wil and Ellie, two young people who can sense the danger building around them. Their attempts to persuade their loved ones to escape provide the emotional anchor of the story, and their relationship is portrayed with warmth and urgency. Yet their hope contrasts starkly with the despair spreading through the town, where fear, grief and rumour collide with devastating consequences.
The story unfolds over a very short period of time, and the shifting viewpoints allows you to understand the thoughts, motivations and fears of several characters in Demmin but also in the Russian army, deliberating their next move. This structure adds depth to the tragedy, making it clear that the choices made, and whether to flee, to stay, or to give in to despair were shaped by a complex mixture of propaganda, lived trauma and the brutal uncertainty of the war’s end. I particularly appreciated how the author wove human connection into these moments of crisis: friendships, strained family bonds, and fragile hopes all thread through the story and as a reminder even in the darkest moments, relationships still guide people’s choices.
As someone who had never heard of the events in Demmin, I found the historical element both fascinating and unsettling. The novel succeeds in illuminating a piece of history often overlooked, and without sensationalising or simplifying what happened. If anything, it left me wanting to understand more, especially about the Nazi propaganda and fear campaigns that contributed to the panic and the mass suicides. What lead to the psychology behind these decisions within the community?
Overall, this is a compelling and deeply human piece of historical fiction. I would recommend to anyone who is fascinated by overlooked history, society breakdown and complex moral choices.
Thank you to Reedsy Discovery and Book Sirens for providing me with an ARC, asking in return for my honest opinion.

[AngieA Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Russians are coming; they will soon be upon the German town of Demmin and the citizens have choices to make. The German government has supplied each resident of the town with suicide capsules. This is a tense fictional telling of the true story of the small town of Demmin, Germany, at the end of WWII. It was the location of one of the largest mass suicides in German history. The author, in a note at the end, asks some thought provoking questions.

How do communities lose their moral bearings? How do ordinary people become capable of extraordinary cruelty--or courage? What choices remain possible even in seemingly impossible circumstances?

This humanely treated story brings to light issues that have only recently received proper historical attention.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Ellie and Wil have loved each other since they were children. Wil has been released from the Army due to battle wounds and he and Ellie are making plans for their future when the Russian army is at their door step. Their families are making certain choices, but Wil and Ellie want to try their luck getting to the American forces further west. This story takes place is a short time span and is quite tense through out. We get a glimpse of how people react to the specter of death and possible cruelty of the future. We have compassion for the town and its people as we watch the anguish they go through. It really is a story of love and survival.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Demmin Review

I was fortunate enough to receive an ARC of Demmin through Niche Reader.

🤩 aspects I loved
- the plot: it’s not too often in WWII novels you see the aftermath of the end of the war, especially in a German town
- Quick read

😐 aspects I didn’t love
- it was really hard to connect to the characters because of how it was written: you only see and know the characters during the final hours of Demmin, no backstories or really character development
- it was hard to know who you were supposed to root for: the town is full of Nazis and Nazi sympathizers being threatened by the Soviet army who openly assault citizens
- The pregnancy troupe was just used as a convenient to add some tension to the story
- The sentence structure was very repetitive, but i think this was purposefully done to display the urgency and tension felt by the characters running for their lives
- Was a tad repetitive only in the fact that the main characters tried multiple times to convince loved ones to escape

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a haunting novel that reimagines one of the darkest and least-spoken tragedies of World War II. In the final days of the war, as the Red Army marched toward Berlin, the people of Demmin faced the unthinkable: surrender to the terror of invasion or end their own lives.

Nichols tells this story through ordinary townspeople pushed to extraordinary extremes. Mothers chose to kill their children rather than let them endure what was coming. Families drowned together in rivers, and countless others ended their lives in desperation. These are not easy pages to read, but they reveal the devastating weight of fear, shame, and despair when all choices seem lost.

What makes this novel unforgettable is its compassion. Nichols does not sensationalize the horror but gives voice to the silenced—reminding us that the human cost of war extends far beyond the battlefield. Demmin forces us to look at what happens when fear outweighs hope, and it lingers long after the last page is turned.

[Lynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is one of those important stories of history that is little known but should be read by all. The story of Demmin, Germany is told as historical fiction but is based on true events. The people of Demmin were faced with unbelievable terror as the Soviet army advanced into their town in 1945. The inevitable lack of escape and terrible choices that would have to be made was brought out through the characters introduced by Nick Nichols. Though terrifying and heart-renching, this story is necessary and should be read by those interested in the history of World War II and those who enjoy a suspenseful story with brave characters.
I received a free copy of this book via The Niche Reader.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting and thought provoking novel. Fanaticism, collective suicide or survival? Does collective suicide mean to adhere to an ideology up to the death of the leader? Or is it a means to refuse responsibility for one's own acts? All relative according to who is talking. Terrible to realise that it did happen. Some passages are emotionally difficult to read. However, that was real. The novel was for me not developed deep enough. This could be due to the shortness of the story. It explores themes that we should not forget though, even nowadays...
I received a digital copy of this novel from BookSirens in exchange for an honest review.

[Rocky Henriques · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel based on actual historical events deserves more than five stars. I am not easily swept up in a book unless it really has merit, but "Demmin" is so well-written and edited that I was sorry to see it come to a close. I have never heard of the events described by the author, but it was so intriguing that I had to find out more. The characters are fictional but feel as if they are actual people; the tragedy of the decisions made by the citizens of this German town near the end of World War II are so painful that the reader is pulled into the story as if experiencing it personally. Nick Nichols has written a great novel that deserves to be made into a movie!

[Ellen · Rating 3 out of 5]

@NicheReader ARC that was a bit predictable but very well written. Based on true story about how the Reich "asked" towns they abandoned in the face of the Russians to die. The rumors the Reich spread and the reality of the Russian soldiers behavior drove everyday Germans as well as brain-washed youth to act as they did in this town, some to commit suicide with the cyanide they were given and some to try to fight the invading force.. There are online histories of this happening and it is quite shocking. Had to imagine people being so afraid that they would do this en masse. Hard to read because of the tragic plot points nd yet I had to keep reading to the end.

[Madeline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Historical fiction usually is not my first choice genre but this novel truly took me by surprise! I was hooked early on from the multiple POV in the story, I feel that it truly created a depth of understanding of the tales of Demmin that you wouldn't achieve from one or two POV. There is so much emotion in this novel, I felt so drawn in as it unfolded. I would highly recommend this read for anyone who enjoys WWII story retellings and multiple POV, with love and complex moral dilemmas.

I received a free copy of this book via The Niche Reader.

[Vivian · Rating 4 out of 5]

very well written book with an engaging plot that not only grab and entertain the reader but also educate R about the story in the German towns after the end of the war, especially the town of Demmin.
The characters are well defined and the characters growth is flawless, the descriptions and details are well researched and engaging making the experience of reading this book an interesting one.
I truly enjoyed reading this book.

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

They are being invaded by the German troops and their lives are going to change. They need to work hard and together to save their lives as well as their way of life. Follow their journey to keep their lives the way they want it
I received an advance copy from hidden gems and it was a wonderful read

[Jacqueline · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading about Ellie and Wil's story and desire to survive throughout their town's being overtaken by the Red's during the war. Great love story from WWII.

[Angie Hardy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great story I love everything about this book. I was given an arc and i choose to give a honest review.

[Tony Heck · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Ellie Vogel walked into the darkness beyond the river, carrying with her everything that remained of Demmin—not just memory and grief, but the stubborn, defiant insistence that even from the greatest horror, something might yet survive.” The novel, Demmin, by Nick Nichols, explores part of the aftermath of World War II and the Nazi propaganda that all of Germany’s people must fall in tide with that regime by the distribution of a means of mass suicide. In spite of this internal strife in tandem with the external turmoil of the looming Russian troops, a young couple, Ellie and Wil, seek to survive by leaving the remains of their war-torn hometown in hopes of discovering a more peaceful life together. Demmin depicts the struggles of all those encouraged with this decisive decision and the sorrowful ease it holds over its protagonists, family members, and general society that pains them throughout the novel

I received an advanced complimentary copy and am voluntarily leaving this honest review.