I’ve never read anything from this author before. I can also say I’ve never read a book written quite the way this one was. A WWII novel, but set up unlike any other, in that we follow the story line from the mid 1920s through to 1946. There were times where it was really hard for me to keep going, only because I was so invested in the story, I didn’t want to know what would befall my favourite characters as a dreaded historical day grew closer.
The 4 women our story follows are similar and different in a lot of ways, and I became very attached to more than one of them. Greta one of my least favourites in the very beginning, with her never ending feelings of failure, but her drive to be something her family could be proud of really was piece of her personality that came through in the end. She became such a force to be reckoned with, pushing for change, doing everything in her power, and even more, whenever she could! Mildred, oh my heart. This incredible woman faced so much, and in the end lost so much more. I'm still emotional for her! She will forever be in the top 5 of all time favourite female characters. Martha, in stark comparison, is definitely one of my least favourite. I know not everyone is cut from the same cloth, but this woman was so irritating! She was shallow, and seemingly ignorant for the majority of her part in this story. When her thread is cut from the fabric of the story line, I was so relieved! Sara seemed to be the perfect additional character. Being the only one of these leading ladies who was fictional, she still felt just as real. Her story, I'm sure, was a reality for a lot of Jewish Germans living in Berlin during that time period. I was so afraid of the potentially terrible things that could have happened to her in this story, and I'm so glad for the way Chiaverini finished her story line.
I found all of the historical information absolutely fascinating! We've all heard of the horrible things that happened during Hitlers time, but I've never thought about the tiny pieces, the little things that all added together to get him into the power he eventually had. Experiencing the elections, the Olympics, the near child like temper tantrums when things didn't go the way he wanted them to. He was such a disgusting human being, and seeing him from a new angle just made that so much worse. Learning a few German words and phrases was also a great take away piece from this book though.
All I can say about the ending, after half waiting for some one to yell “Just Kidding”, and then end the novel without the level of devastation I knew was coming. I’m still trying not to cry! From about 3 chapters before the ending, it’s nothing but an ugly cry sob fest. I absolutely loved it, and I’d recommend it to anyone who’s got a love for WWII historical fiction. Definitely a 5* read for me!
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