‘I have just finished Rosl’s Daughter which I enjoyed very much. It has been fascinating for me to read such a lovely and positive account of what from my point of view is part of my own pre-history. I hope the book gets the exposure and success it deserves.’

Dr Michael Minden, Jesus College, Cambridge. Author of ‘Modern German Literature’

‘I read the book without stopping all the way home (from Farnham to Edinburgh) and finished it just as the plane was landing in a very windy Edinburgh. I so enjoyed it and really got transported into that amazing disappeared world of inter-war Europe. The gathering storm of Nazism is always there and you captured its sinister tentacles spreading into every sphere of life. On the other hand, the gaiety, extravagance and high culture of the society you moved in as a teenager and young child is so vividly evoked.’

Dr Zoe Dunhill

‘It was fascinating to read about the two different worlds of Liesl’s childhood. Wonderfully well-written.’

V. Manners

‘I have just finished reading your fabulous book as it documented a very tense period of history from a point of view which is very foreign to me. I feel a great desire to go and visit Vienna and Rumania and see all the places that you talked about.’

Sally Jenkins

‘Liesl Müller-Johnson has written a touching and revealing memoir of her childhood and teenage years in Europe between the wars. Her mother Rosl was a famous cabaret singer in the theatres and clubs of mittel Europe and Liesl saw that world first-hand as well as the insidious coming of Nazism. She was loved and pampered by her maternal grandmother but eventually she was sent to an outward bound establishment in Germany aged about 6 which was a shock to her system. When her mother could no longer work in Germany because of her Jewish origins, Liesl went back to Vienna and attended a posh boarding ‘pensionat’ there. Liesl’s recall of her life and times in that extraordinary era is vivid and the book grabs the reader from the beginning. Highly recommended’.

Nouveau 27

‘Wow, really loved this book. Did not want to put it down. So much history. So many memories. One of the few books I really enjoyed to read.’

Jurgen Bischof, President, Austrian Club London

‘She’s looking for book No. 2.’

Zoe

'I very much enjoyed the book and have devoured it within a couple of days - impossible to put down!
Liesl's story is beautifully and amusingly written, offering plenty of witty and sharp observations that make you laugh and ponder. This is quite natural, as Liesl's childhood is indeed a great source of inspiration. We are skillfully immersed in the setting of charming 1920s Vienna, following the twists and turns in life of one special girl. Little Liesl is unique in terms of her family circumstances - her mother being a star singer Rosl Berndt, but endearingly normal in terms of her attachments - dolls, pretty dresses, school friends, first romantic interests. However, everything is soon to be changed as the first ugly signs of World War II begin to show...
Highly recommended to buy this book - compelling and entertaining, a perfect summer read.'

Natasha Bradley

'Rosl's Daughter entertains on many fronts. Although the writer could have chosen the 'Look at poor me' approach, in writing her memoir she chose instead to write of her youth in a fresh and upbeat manner, bringing the people close to her to life vividly and with much affection. Anyone interested in life on the continent pre-war, should read this book. I think creators of a school curiculum could also learn a lot!'

Marcella Lacey

‘Your book was an absolute pleasure to read; the sort of book once started is almost impossible to put down. I was reluctant to come to the end – it left me very impatient to know more!’

Christine Weber, Southampton

‘Rosl’s Daughter gives a fascinating insight into a childhood begun in the ‘Twenties in a colourful milieu of music and musicians but at the same time surrounded by a close-knit community of family members and friends.
Moving into the ‘Thirties, the growing influence of Hitler is there in the background, but does not impede the innocent development of adolescent friendships and early romantic involvements, described in a delightful way.
Following a move to Romania and the growing rapport with her step-father, Liesl makes a new circle of friends through the British Council. As war breaks out, there are nervous times ahead, but nonetheless, Liesl falls deeply love and has a long relationship before meeting in 1945 the Englishman she would eventually marry.
A most enjoyable and interesting read!’

Craig MacDonald

Liesl Müller-Johnson launches her writing career with the story of her childhood, starting in Vienna between the wars. Her mother was a cabaret artiste and her successful theatrical career was an inspiration to Liesl all her life. Fatherless at an early age, Liesl lives apart from her mother in boarding schools firstly in Germany and later in Austria, and discovers Europe by spending holidays with her mother who is appearing in cabaret in various cities and various countries. The little girl’s admiration of her mother and her glittering world is touching. She paints a tender picture of a childhood lived partly against a backdrop of glamorous international hotels where she meets some of the great stars of the time including Marlene Dietrich and Richard Tauber and partly with her much-loved and unassuming grandmother in a modest apartment building where she was the concierge. In 1939 Liesl is uprooted once more – this time to Bucharest the home of her mother’s new husband where inevitably once again she has to make new friends and learn yet another language. This is a story of highs and lows, glamour and disappointment which together make this book a most compelling and entertaining read.

Margaret Banks, Arundel