JRF's #51 - The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Referred to by some as "Harry Potter and the Holocaust", this lengthy book came highly recommended from a variety of sectors, so when I found out my library had it, I picked it up.

Narrated by the personification of death, the book tells the story of Leisle, an orphan of communist parents who is taken in as a foster child by a poor German couple living outside of Munich right at the dawn of World War II.  As Liesle struggles to survive she makes many discoveries - friendship, the secret life of her loving foster father, and the wonder and power of books.  As her story progresses it inevitably intertwines with the larger narratives of what is happening around her - Kristallnacht, the Hitler Youth, the Holocaust, and the devastation of World War II.

Overall I enjoyed it.  The story is definitely compelling and the characters are rich.  I thought that telling the story of World War II from the perspective of a poor, orphaned, German girl was helpful in that it provided a portrait of World War II that is not often explored.

While the non-linear narrative told by Death was unique it sometimes got annoying and confusing.  My only other criticism would be that there was an excess of foul language, especially considering this book is from the Young Adult section.

Mark's #28 - In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin by Erik Larson

In 1933, America and the world was gripped in economic crisis known later as "The Great Depression".  Fresh off his campaign promises of "change" (he may have used the term "hope" as well), newly elected President Roosevelt now faced the difficult task of making good on such promises.  Americans were eager to restore the economy, and even more eager to avoid any military involvement around the world.

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Meanwhile, in Germany, a charismatic leader was rallying the German people and infusing a level of nationalistic pride rarely seen in history.   Of course, we now know how the story of Hitler and the Nazis progressed and ended, but in 1933 the fate of world history was still very much "up in the air".

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In the Garden of Beasts gives the readers a vivid and unique insiders look at 1933-34 Berlin through the stories of two principle characters; newly appointed Ambassador to Germany William Dodd and his young adult daughter Martha.

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Knowing how the story ends so tragically, as I read this book, it was hard not to cringe whenever the Ambassador, other members of the State Department, the president, or the American people would somehow think the best of Germany and the Nazis. Dodd, a history professor by trade, eventually does connect the dots and is able to see the terrifying direction the Nazi party will eventually lead the world... though it was either too late, or too few western democracies were willing to face reality.

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As for Martha, she basically 'sleeps' her way through Berlin, with a variety of illicit affairs and trysts.  Most notably, she had prolonged and overlapping love affairs with the head of the Gestapo as well as the Russian ambassador to Germany.  In my opinion, these retellings in the book were too long and uninteresting.

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As is common with history books, there are many lessons to be learned and applied in our day... but will we choose to learn from the past, or will we choose to put our heads in the sand as most of America and other western democracies did while Hitler scrambled to gain absolute power.