In January 1945, in the waning months of World War II, a small group of people begin the longest journey of their lives: an attempt to cross the remnants of the Third Reich, from Warsaw to the Rhine if necessary, to reach the British and American lines.Among the group is eighteen-year-old Anna Emmerich, the daughter of Prussian aristocrats. There is her lover, Callum Finella, a twenty-year-old … twenty-year-old Scottish prisoner of war who was brought from the stalag to her family’s farm as forced labor. And there is a twenty-six-year-old Wehrmacht corporal, who the pair know as Manfred–who is, in reality, Uri Singer, a Jew from Germany who managed to escape a train bound for Auschwitz.
As they work their way west, they encounter a countryside ravaged by war. Their flight will test both Anna’s and Callum’s love, as well as their friendship with Manfred–assuming any of them even survive.
Perhaps not since The English Patient has a novel so deftly captured both the power and poignancy of romance and the terror and tragedy of war. Skillfully portraying the flesh and blood of history, Chris Bohjalian has crafted a rich tapestry that puts a face on one of the twentieth century’s greatest tragedies–while creating, perhaps, a masterpiece that will haunt readers for generations.
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Great characters in challenging situations, growing into stronger, better people. It’s still so hard to believe that the Holocaust could happen….this book brings it to life, the bad AND the good.
By telling the story from many viewpoints, using characters in varying life circumstances, (a POW, a Jew who escapes from the train to Auschwitz, a wealthy landowner, a young Jewish women in a death march) the story is not only richer, but symbolically it is a further reminder of the broad impact of this war on so many races, nationalities and …
It gave a different look at Germany during and after World War II from the German side after the Russians came in. A wonderful book.
WWII presented from a German point of view. Very insightful.
An exceptional book! The characters are well drawn and relatable. The vivid descriptions of the hell people endured during wartime made you feel engulfed in the story.
A wonderful story portraying the effects of World War 2 on a family that chooses to leave their ancestry farm in the area of Prussia to escape the advancing Russians. I’ve read it twice in the last ten years.
He never disappoints. His characters are complex and real and always give you insight into the human condition. I was captured and unable to turn away from the first paragraph.
Written by one of our very best novelists, this is a page-turner. Quite a departure from his other books but so well done.
Liked this book very much.
Scary and enlightening
I loved this book. I listened to it on audio books while i commute to work. Couldn’t wait to pick it up each morning. Highly recommended if you like stories set in WW11
There are parts of this book that are not for the faint of heart. Some literally had me crying out a bit. Well written in Bohjalian’s usual style. Well built characters and story.
A different perspective on WWII
The book was extremely well written like most of this author’s books. I love his ideas! The subject matter he covers in this one has been done before but he puts a clear light on the willingness of the German people to overlook Hitler’s treatment of the Jews. I liked the characters, the overall construction of the novel, and the outcomes!
History lesson for me. A story we must never forget.
I’m always fascinated by the history of WWII and how ordinary people were impacted. This book brought it to a very personal level with each character bringing his/her perspective to the end of the war in Germany. Heart-wrenching and thought provoking.
A very sympathetic yet realistic view of a somewhat politically compliant nazi family. This book makes clear that going along with the flow won’t protect or insulate us from the horror of right wing philosophy.
Difficult book to read as any book describing the holocaust is. We do need to read books like this so we never forget!
Well written, great characters, both romantic and tragic, a good story.
Seeing the end of WWll through the eyes of a German family whose worst sin was not opening their eyes to what Hitler was doing to their country, was enlightening. The suffering was almost unimaginable as the family escape their prosperous farm and Home to avoid the Russians.