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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
Overall this book was pretty blasé. It was an interesting twist on the typical WWII story as this one is from the perspective of three German women instead of Jewish or other European protagonists, but overall it was not as moving or clear as other WWII fiction's I've read (I.e. "The Nightingale" or "All the Light We Cannot See"). It was a little too winding for my taste, I lost track of the three women's stories more than a few times and felt jolted through strange jumps in time and place.
If this is your first novel about WWII, I recommend it more, but overall I was underwhelmed by the story.
If this is your first novel about WWII, I recommend it more, but overall I was underwhelmed by the story.
This is definitely a good book club pick and a really interesting look at the lives of "average" German women during the war. (I use the quotes because the arguably main character is a wealthy woman who dedicates herself to hunting down and caring for the widows and orphans of her own deceased husband's resistance movement, and that seems a bit far from average!) I wish I had time to reread this after finishing it and discussing it in book club, particularly because one key plot element is very easy to miss (especially if you're reading quickly to finish before book club!) and can make the entire rest of the book a bit confusing. The contrasts between the women are good, particularly in their motivations. While Marianne is the most admirable, she also had the easiest life and it is easier for her to make the commendable choices she does. Ania and Benita, both much less well off, are not the sterling characters that Marianne is, yet Shattuck makes their choices seem plausible.
Again, I think I would have liked it a lot more if I hadn't stupidly overlooked things on first reading, but it did lead to a great discussion. I found the author's personal historical note especially fascinating. I do wonder if she will have further equally compelling novels to write without the family stories to mine.
Spoiler
Ania, a former Nazi, taking the actual resistor's widow's papers and identityAgain, I think I would have liked it a lot more if I hadn't stupidly overlooked things on first reading, but it did lead to a great discussion. I found the author's personal historical note especially fascinating. I do wonder if she will have further equally compelling novels to write without the family stories to mine.
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
There are so many things that can be said about this book. It makes you feel passionate, hopeful, hopelessly sad, shocked, a little depressed and for those like me who could never understand how an entire country could be not just gullible but also complicit in the annihilation of a race of people it makes you angry that there were not more people like Marianne and the group of men that planned the assassination attempt on Hitler.
I could not find out if this was based on a particular person/people & their action(s) (aside from the assassination plot, which was real & did happen), so I don't know if there are living people that we should want to be proud of. The character Marianne was a very strong, pragmatic woman who was also a little too utilitarian and while she was friendly, it always felt like an 'on-the-surface' friendly and not 'I want to know you from the inside out' friendly. She was "put in charge" of the widows of the plot and took that position seriously.
The character Benita just always seemed super naive (even later in the 50s) and superficial. She reminded me of a lamb that was easy to be led around. She believed what she was told, did what she was told, but never really seemed to think for herself, until the end and even then, she still acted selfishly.
The character Ania was a total conundrum. When we meet her, she's very quiet & closed off, but she also has a fortitude to her and the smarts to send everyone to the cellar & sit with Marianne in the kitchen the first night the Russians show up. It shows that she know what can happen & is trying to protect everyone else. Once we find out her story, it does make me look at her differently (not really in a good way), but at least we see that while it took her WAY too long to start thinking for herself, once she did, she took action even if it was just to get out.
The children that were born & raised during this time actually turn out (for the most part) better than I expected, but like all children raised in a post WWII world, are still a little messed up. I only gave this 4 stars because when we get to the end there are things that are left undone and unknown (I want to know them!). I know that not every book will not be wrapped up with a bow at the end, but it felt like we got to a stop sign and just stopped. I would still like to know if any of these characters were based on real people, so if anyone knows, let me know.
I could not find out if this was based on a particular person/people & their action(s) (aside from the assassination plot, which was real & did happen), so I don't know if there are living people that we should want to be proud of. The character Marianne was a very strong, pragmatic woman who was also a little too utilitarian and while she was friendly, it always felt like an 'on-the-surface' friendly and not 'I want to know you from the inside out' friendly. She was "put in charge" of the widows of the plot and took that position seriously.
The character Benita just always seemed super naive (even later in the 50s) and superficial. She reminded me of a lamb that was easy to be led around. She believed what she was told, did what she was told, but never really seemed to think for herself, until the end and even then, she still acted selfishly.
The character Ania was a total conundrum. When we meet her, she's very quiet & closed off, but she also has a fortitude to her and the smarts to send everyone to the cellar & sit with Marianne in the kitchen the first night the Russians show up. It shows that she know what can happen & is trying to protect everyone else. Once we find out her story, it does make me look at her differently (not really in a good way), but at least we see that while it took her WAY too long to start thinking for herself, once she did, she took action even if it was just to get out.
The children that were born & raised during this time actually turn out (for the most part) better than I expected, but like all children raised in a post WWII world, are still a little messed up. I only gave this 4 stars because when we get to the end there are things that are left undone and unknown (I want to know them!). I know that not every book will not be wrapped up with a bow at the end, but it felt like we got to a stop sign and just stopped. I would still like to know if any of these characters were based on real people, so if anyone knows, let me know.
This book was a slow burn to start but really grabbed me by about a third of the way in. It was a compelling story that made me think and examine the lives of the time it was set. If you enjoy historical fiction I recommend this book.
I enjoyed it, but liked All the Light You Cannot See better.
Good story, would make a good book for a book club. I think all of the characters are fictional but based around true people.
Chapters 26-29, or even just 27&28, should be required reading for everyone.