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A review by kayse88
Clara by Kurt Palka
3.0
I was fortunate enough to receive a copy of this book through Goodreads' First Reads.
Most, if not all, of the World War II stories that I've read are either from the perspective of the Allied side, or from the side of persecuted Jews or other victims of the concentration camps. What made Clara such an interesting book for me was that it was from the point-of-view of a woman from Austria--in short, one of the Axis nations. It was chilling to see the spread of Nazism so unwittingly on the Austrians, who naively thought that it was for the best, and if not, it could easily be pushed away. Unfortunately, hindsight is 20/20, and the reader was forced to witness with great sadness as young Theodor becomes embroiled with the Nazi party and Alfred joins the German army with great eagerness. Many of the characters were actually anti-Nazi, but were unfortunately swept up in the movement. Another thing I enjoyed was the fact that the protagonist was a woman on the home front, forced to live life and raise a family in such dire circumstances, and the everyday horrors she had to face on her own. If you enjoy novels about World War II and love string female characters, then Clara is a great read for you.
Most, if not all, of the World War II stories that I've read are either from the perspective of the Allied side, or from the side of persecuted Jews or other victims of the concentration camps. What made Clara such an interesting book for me was that it was from the point-of-view of a woman from Austria--in short, one of the Axis nations. It was chilling to see the spread of Nazism so unwittingly on the Austrians, who naively thought that it was for the best, and if not, it could easily be pushed away. Unfortunately, hindsight is 20/20, and the reader was forced to witness with great sadness as young Theodor becomes embroiled with the Nazi party and Alfred joins the German army with great eagerness. Many of the characters were actually anti-Nazi, but were unfortunately swept up in the movement. Another thing I enjoyed was the fact that the protagonist was a woman on the home front, forced to live life and raise a family in such dire circumstances, and the everyday horrors she had to face on her own. If you enjoy novels about World War II and love string female characters, then Clara is a great read for you.