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4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
Well this is a world war II book it's not much about the actual war. It's more about censorship and government. Story takes place in three parts, Althea in 1933 Berlin, Hannah in 1936 Paris and Viv in 1943 United States. And their stories unfolding is part of the charm. Althea has come to Berlin as a guest of the nazis. She is a young writer who said some success and the Nazi party wants her to write about what she sees in their great country. However Althea is sheparded under the wing of a movie maker named Dev and sees the true horror of fascism. It is through Dev that she meets Hannah. Hannah is a gay Jewish woman. She is fighting back against the Nazis as is her brother. She lives in Berlin and introduces Althea to being a lesbian. Hannah's brother is captured by the Nazis and Hannah blames Althea. And Hannah's timeline she is working at a library of bird books. And she really hates Althea. But then at the very end she discovers it was not Althea who turned in her brother but Deb and her very best friend otto. Who is trying to get the books to soldiers on the front line. She is being stopped by a senator named Pat. She meets up with her husband's brother who is her first love. He is also in government. She decides to throw a large gathering to show support for the books and soldiers. So she invites Hannah and Althea. It is here that I'll see you in Hennessy each other for the first time and in the end those two get together. It was a good book with no real flaws. At times I had a hard time knowing the real climax or plot.
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Poignant and powerful, with characters I could absolutely get behind from the beginning. Each story is woven together exceptionally well and the plot is excellently crafted. An exceptionally important read about an exceptionally important topic.
emotional
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia, Antisemitism
Moderate: Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Drug abuse, Sexual content, Suicide, Blood
informative
reflective
medium-paced
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I picked this up on a whim but absolutely loved it. What a beautiful surprise of a novel. Poignant, clever and beautifully written, the timelines weren't always the easiest to follow but I loved how it all came together and there are some wonderful quotes and well written passages that will stick with me.
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This one has three storylines, each featuring a strong female character and ultimately focused on the dangers of censorship.
We meet Althea, an American writer, as she travels to Germany as part of an exchange program. She’s in Berlin in 1933 and things are heating up politically. At first, she is sympathetic to her German hosts until she sees the much darker side of their actions.
Then we meet Hannah in Paris a few years later. She’s German, trying to escape the war. However, Paris isn’t far enough away and the darkness creeps into her life there as well. She loves books and works at the German Library of Burned Books.
And finally, there is Vivian in New York in 1944. She recently lost her husband at war and a senator is threatening her program to send books to the men at war in Europe. She mounts a campaign to keep the program going, organizing a big event to get public sentiment on her side
The three women’s stories and lives interconnect, they are all trying to make a difference amidst the chaos of WWII. I did enjoy this one, but I struggled a bit to keep the timelines straight - maybe because I listened to this an audiobook? But I think even reading it might have been a bit confusing as it was not in any chronological order.