The Burgomaster's Wife — Volume 05

"The Burgomaster's Wife — Volume 05" by Georg Ebers is a historical novel that tells the story of a town under siege, gripped by famine and disease during wartime. The terrible conditions facing the people of Leyden come to life through the struggles of ordinary citizens and leaders like Burgomaster Peter Van der Werff, his wife Maria, and Junker Georg von Dornburg, as they grapple with desperate choices of loyalty, love, and sacrifice while facing starvation and the threat of enemy forces. The story is filled with poignant moments of despair, focusing on families broken and torn apart by loss and starvation, as seen with the struggles of Barbara. The Burgomaster is highlighted as a leader heavy with the weight of the town's survival.