This book took me awhile to get through (living during COVID while reading a book about trauma is stressful!), but I am glad that I was finally able to finishing reading this story.

What surprised me the most was how this book challenged the assumptions I had made about the book before even reading it. In the first few chapters of the book, I was convinced that this book may be one that tried to excuse a family's horrible, violent past, but I was surprised to learn about the hardships German refugees (not Nazis seeking to escape their deserved punishments) faced in the aftermath of World War II.

The main reason for the 4 star rating was the pacing, especially towards the end. I felt that the story moved slowly at the beginning, found it's stride in the middle, and crawled towards the end. There were at least 3 sections towards the end of the book that I was sure would be THE end, but the book kept going. While the actual story was interesting and informative, the pacing could definitely make or break a reader's interest.

***I was provided with an e-ARC of this book from PENGUIN GROUP Viking Publishing through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions above are my own.***

When non-fiction is done well, it can be a page-turner. This book is equally as good as _The Killers of the Flower Moon_. Excellent research and equally important, excellent storytelling.