People Like Us, written by Louise Fein is one woman's story of life in Germany before and in the very early stages of WW II. Life is hard; her father is a low-level employee at the newspaper. All of a sudden, he is in charge of the paper, working for the SS, and they have moved to a wonderful new house. Hetty is just a child. She has no idea. Slowly things start to change. The elderly couple who walks their dog disappears and Hetty is able to adopt it. Some of her friends from school are no longer allowed to attend. They are ... Jews. Hetty doesn't understand the rumor she hears. Years pass. Her brother Karl's best friend, Walter, who once saved her from drowning is one of those dreaded...Jews. Interesting because she still thinks he's wonderful. As she gets older, things get worse. She runs into Walter and they begin to re-establish their friendship, which is becoming more ...

This is a first-person novel with the story being told by Hetty and through her eyes. She is strong and takes good care of the people she loves. She had to be in these precarious times, when nothing seems to make sense anymore. She wants to be a doctor but in the structured Nazi society, she is a woman who must have children and care for her husband. Nothing more. She perseveres and lives her life as much on her own terms as she is able. It is a changed world, one she has to adapt to or be left behind. Many of her friends seem to have died in concentration camps. She works for the resistance for a while. Life goes on. This is a terrific read about Nazi Germany and what it was like for Germans, a perspective we don't always see/hear. I enjoyed this story very much and recommend it highly. It is not a Holocaust story, strictly speaking, although it has not option but to touch on it.

I received a free ARC of People Like Us from Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions and interpretations contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #peoplelikeus

PEOPLE LIKE US
BY LOUISE FEIN

When I was initially reading this historical novel about antisemitism as it existed in Leipzig, Germany during the early years of Hitler's hate propaganda around 1937, and 1938; I was asking myself inwardly why I was reading such a depressing subject during these difficult times. The author at the end establishes that she has written this novel with the viewpoint that firstly her ancestors lived through these brutal atrocities and that what happened back then is happening today. Not literally Auschwitz and deportations but the loss of democracy and the precariousness of freedoms and rights that we take for granted. Also the theme to illuminate the lessons of the past must never be forgotten. She powerfully demonstrates the atmosphere of telling her story through the eyes of a German family with heartbreaking accuracy as their views of being superior than the Jewish population who were every bit as German but sadly were not afforded equality during those years.

The Author has done meticulous research by reading and interviewing people about the facts in which her own ancestors experienced. This was written from the perspective of being told in the first person of a young German girl named Hetty whose life was saved by her older brother's friend Walter a boy who saves Hetty from drowning. Hetty's family has moved into a larger home with antiques and artwork whom belonged to a Jewish family. Hetty doesn't know this at first and it is Walter whom her brother has shunned because he is Jewish but he and Hetty fall in love and meet in secret. It is Walter who tells Hetty that he is just as German as she is and all people have the capacity to be good and bad. Hetty's father and mother are against Jewish people and this story was very hard to read at times as pre-war Germany during the two years that this takes place are antisemitic and the hatred of Jewish people was hard to read about. The beatings and words like pigs and swine used by Hetty's mother and father towards any ethnic background besides pure blooded Aryan born was difficult but necessary to portraying what happened during 1937 and 1938 in Germany. The raids and property and businesses that were stolen because of non Aryan ethnic differences were the backdrop of Hetty and Walter's secret love. Anybody that even considered going against Hitler's lies and pure hate that was the sentiment during that time period risked arrest, being killed or sent off to a concentration camp.

Walter and Hetty meet in secrecy and their love is beautiful but forbidden. Walter goes to England under the terms that he has to marry Anna a girl he has never met. Hetty's father is a high ranking SS officer who Hetty finds out he has a mistress and a child with. Hetty blackmails her father about exposing his second family if he doesn't use his money and influences to get Walter released from a camp where he and his father and Uncle were sent during a raid and roundup of the Jewish men. Her father with much resentment and anger towards his daughter agrees but he never forgives Hetty. That aspect of Hetty selflessly saving Walter and sending him away to marry Anna was a representation that not all the German people were out for their own gain and showed that Hetty sacrificed her true love by saving Walter's life. Her best friend Erna and Erna's family were part of a minority that also didn't blindly fall for Hitler's propaganda and they represented a respite from the cruelty and blind world at large.

After Walter is gone Hetty is faced with a predicament at sixteen years old that I won't say as I fear I have already said too much. It may be predictable but I hope that this moving and although difficult subject matter that this book is a powerful and ultimately worth being widely read for its historical realities taking place during this time. I can say that times are difficult now with this pandemic and understand that most people might not want to read anything dark and I know this isn't enjoyable. I will say that it is haunting and unforgettable. For a debut book that the author's own ancestors lived through these times she did an excellent job at characterization and it held my attention. I am grateful that I read it and I think that there were redeeming scenes of beauty and hope overall.

Thank you to Net Galley, Louise Fein and Aria Publishing for providing me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinion's are my own.

Publication Date: May 7, 2020

#FightForTheirLove #NetGalley

This book sets itself apart from all the other books set during WW2 that seem to be constantly churned out these days. The story is from a unique angle, the events make you breathless, and the suffering is suffocatingly real.

The story is told from the eyes of Hetty, the daughter of a highly-ranked and respected SS Officer. She epitomises the perfect German. Despite being taught/brainwashed that Jews are ruining Germany, she finds herself falling in love with Walter - a boy who was once best friends with her brother, a boy who once saved her from drowning, and a boy she's loved from a very young age. But none of this matters. Walter is a Jew. Hetty is torn between doing what she is told (even though she disagrees with the Nazi ideologies) or defying her family to save Walter, the way he once saved her. The book paints a tragic love story impossible to maintain during a time when the freedom to love was forbidden. The narrative was engaging throughout and showed both Hetty's actions, and her most vulnerable thoughts related in her journal. The setting showed the stark reality of pre-war Germany as anti-semitism gained momentum. This was a fresh perspective as these books often focus more on prisoners in camps, rather than families in the Nazi circle.

The writing in this book was flawless. I constantly wanted to read on to see what the next day would bring. It was bursting with emotion with well-rounded characters - some I could relate to, others I admired, two or three I detested with every ounce of my being. There was a really good mix of characters and I appreciated the insight into the different families.

The ending completely broke me. It was beautiful, emotional, and heart-breaking. I felt like the author really brought this story to life.

Finally, the authors note at the end of the book made me appreciate the story even more. Her Jewish father fled Germany in 1933 realising the danger they could be in with Hitler running the country. He made a new life for him and his family in London. The author has clearly taken snippets of her father's history and naturally inserted them into the story. She said her father taught her to value liberty and freedom and that is one huge takeaway I had after finishing the book.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

People Like Us is a stunning piece of historical fiction set around the Second World War and its impact around the globe. 8 May, 2020, marks the seventy-fifth anniversary of VE (Victory in Europe) day when the brutal Nazi war machine ground to a halt as they surrendered to the Allies. There are innumerable ways of remembering and honouring those who took part in the wartime action. The reason I mention this is due to the fact that this book is set in Wartime Germany and gives a fascinating account of what life was like on the for those supportive of the evil regime. It centres around Herta (Hetty) Heinrich and a man named Walter who form a friendship after Walter saved her from drowning many years prior. Hetty and her brother Karl are pure-bred Germans but Walter is, unfortunately, a Jew with this, of course, determining his treatment despite calling Germany home. The siblings' father is a high-ranking Nazi and member of the SS with many secrets to hide. Hetty and Walter fall madly in love with one another and Hetty is forced to question the ideology she has long held dear. But what will come forth from her re-evaluation?

This is a tale of forbidden romance set against the backdrop of persecution, genocide and eugenics. It is one of the most emotional, moving, realistic and believable WWII epics I have ever read which makes it impossible not to fly through the pages hoping for a happy ending. However, the ending is full of sadness and anger. The cast of characters was engaging with every character having a distinctive personality and a defined place in the story. Spanning a ten year period between 1929 and 1939 the plot serves to highlight the Nazi regime and its cruel ways. The fact that it is based on real-life events makes it even more compulsive. The number of children who didn't know any better and who were brainwashed and indoctrinated is considerable and I wonder exactly what happened to each of them. All in all, this is an original, refreshing and heart-rending novel and one that has been researched extensively. A highly recommended atmospheric page-turner. Many thanks to Aria for an ARC.

I'm a huge fan of historical fiction and this one is definitely one that I recommend.

I enjoyed it, and while reading, I really needed to know where the story was going.

It was very interesting to experience the situation from the other point of view, we usually read WWII books from the perspective of prisoners, affected by war, instead this book's main character is a German girl very much daughter of the Reich going through 1930s, her character had a beautiful development.

This book will also be published by May 12 in the US by the name Daughter of the Reich.

I loved this book. It is a raw and emotional read which had me close to tears. I felt so sorry for Hetty and Walter. This is a truly memorable read that I definitely recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

“These are difficult times. That’s why Vati does all this work for the SS as well as running the newspaper. They must protect Hitler and ban all the parties that seek to oppose him. Pick your friends carefully, Hetty. Stick only with good Germans, like us. Do you understand?”

Hetty Heinrich does understand. After all, Hitler lives inside her skull, telling her what she should and should not do. She would never disappoint him by mixing with bad Germans.

However, when her childhood hero, Walter, is made an example of in front of the whole school because he is a Jew, Hetty feels a moment of rebellion. He is her friend. He will always be her friend.

With Walter now firmly banished from their lives, Hetty becomes indoctrinated with Nazi ideology, but she still cannot forget that blonde-haired, blue-eyed boy from her childhood.

A chance meeting with Walter, several years later, leaves Hetty questioning everything she thought she knew. Now she faces the greatest battle of her life. To save a life, she must silence Hitler’s voice in her head once and for all...

From a near fateful drowning to a reunion that was decades in the making, People Like Us by Louise Fein is the heartbreakingly enthralling story of one young woman who dared to stand up to the Nazi regime to save the life of the man she loved.

People Like Us is an emotionally charged story that gripped me from the opening sentence and held my attention to the last full stop. With a rich and realistic historical backdrop, Fein has presented her readers with a tale that is not only unputdownable but one that is unforgettable.

We first meet Hetty when she is an adorable seven-year-old child who has a severe case of hero-worship towards her brother’s best friend. We watch as she grows up into a young teen who idolises Hitler, and like many others during this time, Hetty subconsciously seeks out potential enemies of the Reich. This, however, changes when she is reunited with Walter. Despite what she has been told about the filthy Jews, Hetty cannot bring herself to think that way about Walter. With Walter’s gentle yet honest explanations, Hetty’s eyes are opened and what she sees shakes the very foundations of her life and belief. Hetty is a very conflicted protagonist who, when she realises that she has been fed a dish of lies, does her utmost to help those whom the Nazis blame for everything. Her relationship with Walter is heartrendingly tender. Hetty is a character that really touched my heart. She is this brave and wonderful young woman who will do absolutely anything for the man she loves, including risking her own life and happiness. Her great sacrifice is lessened by the fact that if she had to do it all over again, she would, and by losing everything she finds a truer version of herself.

Walter is a wonderfully brave hero who faces so much adversity in this book, but he does not let that change his gentle and loving nature. I adored everything about Walter. He is kind, considerate, and he absolutely adores Hetty. His desperate desire to live a normal life, to spend time with his girl, is taken from him by a cruel, narcissistic regime which has to blame someone for all of Germany's failures, so why not the Jews? Walter suffers terribly in this novel — the things he witnesses, the things that he experiences, are truly dreadful, and it would have been very easy for him to see in Hetty all that was wrong with Germany, but he does not. He is a genuinely caring person who I could not help but admire.

People Like Us is a story that has been meticulously researched. The hours that Fein has spent researching this era shines clearly through the enthralling narrative and the lyrical prose. The depiction of Kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass) in 1938 was particularly well-drawn. Fein also demonstrates how quickly the ideology of Hitler and his Nazi Party spread through Germany like a sadistic sort of Blitzkrieg. The idea that Hitler explored in Mein Kampf about the ‘Big Lie’ that the Jews so-called told is ironic when one considers the lies he used to turn a nation against its Jewish inhabitants. The relationship between Walter and Karl, Hetty’s brother, shows how easily dismissed life-long friends were, and despite Walter having once saved Hetty’s life, he is now seen by Hetty’s parents as an inferior being who is suddenly the enemy of the state for no other reason than his ancestry. Informing on parents, neighbours, friends became a new normal, and one that Hetty strongly believes in until she discovers the truth of what is happening in these so-called political prison camps, but even then, Hitler’s voice still makes her doubt the truth. There is one very emotional scene when Hetty can no longer bear to look upon the portrait of Hitler she has hanging in her bedroom and so she takes it down and hides it. This small act of defiance is the beginning of a dangerous and uncertain future for Hetty and one that she can never turn back from.

This book is an emotional journey, so have some tissues at hand while you read it. Fein certainly has a novelist intuition into the human condition — its fragility and its strength. But on top of this, Fein also has a keen eye on what makes a book entertaining — what makes a reader want to turn those pages and keep reading. This is the kind of book a reader can lose themselves in and it is near on impossible to put down.

If you are a lover of quality World War II Historical Fiction then People Like Us by Louise Fein is a book that not only deserves a place on your bookshelf, but it is also one that demands to be read over and over again.

I Highly Recommend.

Review by Mary Anne Yarde
The Coffee Pot Book Club.

This was a very emotional read. I enjoyed the story, and I really liked that this story was told from a German point of view instead of a Jewish point of view, since most WWII books are told from the Jewish perspective.

I really enjoyed Hetty's character, at least, most of the story. There were times I thought she was selfish and rude, but for the most part I thought she was a pretty solid character. I also enjoyed Walter's character and watching the love between him an Hetty unfold. It seemed to be a real relationship, everything about it seemed to be believable. I liked Erna and thought she was a fantastic friend and support for Hetty, and I thought she was a strong person for going against what most others were following.

I really loved the letters written back and forth between Hetty and Walter. For me, that added an extra element to the fact that this was a time where letters were really the only form of communication, and I think those letters had a lot more meaning to someone during those times.

I absolutely loathed Mutti, Vati, and Tomas, and I was weary of Ingrid throughout the story. I had an inkling of what was happening, and when it all came true, I was even more infuriated with the four characters mentioned. The entire ending for me was emotional, both anger and sadness. There were chapters where I had a hard time continuing reading because I was afraid of what would happen. I also felt that in those chapters Hetty was the strongest she had been throughout the entire book.

I gave this book 4 stars. I felt there were parts that were repetitive, and around the 75% mark I felt that the story was lagging, almost to the point of being stalled. I did think the author did a great job of hitting the emotional element, as I said I felt both anger and sadness. I did think the ending was a little too open ended for me to be completely satisfied, combined with the repetitiveness and lagging is what made me give 4 stars.

This is one of the better Historical Fiction books I have read recently, and I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys Historical Fiction novels. I will read more by Fein in the future.

'We don't know what the future holds... but know this, as long as you are alive, as long as I am alive, somewhere in this world, that is a good thing'.

10 years ago, Walter saved Hetty's life. Back then, he was just her brother's friend, who happened to be a Jew. Now, he is the enemy. Especially to someone like Hetty, a good German girl who has devoted herself to Hitler, much to the pride of her SS officer father. But fate is unavoidable, and Hetty finds herself in love. How far will she have to go to keep Walter safe?

'People Like Us' spans 10 years, beginning in the innocent summer of 1929 and ending in the turbulent August of 1939, just weeks before the outbreak of war. Covering such an expanse of time means you get a really in-depth exploration of the way in which the Nazi ideology took hold of Germany in those vital pre-war years, and I personally felt that this element of the novel was particularly well done. Sadly, it is still common in historical fiction set in pre-war Germany to present the German people as cruel bullies who welcomed Hitler's campaign of horror with open arms (albeit with perhaps one brave individual striving out as the novel's hero). And while I understand that writing in such a manner serves as a way to distance ourselves from these events, to prove 'well I wouldn't do that', it simply doesn't reflect the true and complex nature of living in such a time. However, this is something Fein has done perfectly, creating a very accurate yet nuanced representation of the complexities of this time, and of how Hitler was able to slowly and insidiously seize control of a country that had been brought to its knees.

Similarly, she has created a very strong character in the form of Hetty. This novel takes the unique approach of adding a coming of age element to the story, something I've never before experienced with historical fiction set during WW2. Our narrator is the daughter of a prominent Nazi, who has benefited hugely from Hitler's rise to power and lives a fairly enviable life. Now, this means that, at least from my perspective, we started off with a character who was a bit of a pain. Especially in the early years, I found her very naive, and often mistook her innocence for being an immature spoilt brat. But as the novel progresses, you are faced with the fact that Hetty's attitude is rooted in who she has been told to be. She is being raised in a world where Hitler is being portrayed as the conquering hero, who will restore Germany to it's previous glory, and in this world her family has a fairly decent standard of living. Of course she doesn't want to question the Nazi rhetoric! But seeing how her relationship with Walter opens her eyes to the atrocities around her... that was just heartbreaking, and during her period of 'awakening' to the realities of the world around her, I really found myself feeling for her and warming to her as a character.

In this sense, I didn't really feel like the romance element of the novel was the priority. Of course, there's sections between Hetty and Walter, but personally, the real meat of the book was reading of a young girl learning of the sins of her father, and having to find a way to question the new world order that everyone else seems to accept without question. Seeing Hetty find out the truth of her world, and the horrors that lurk behind closed doors, was the real focal point of the book for me, and I thought it showed incredibly writing and true skill.

I've said it before in other reviews - I read a LOT of historical fiction, especially that which is set in WW2. And so for me, the bench mark is high. While this one wasn't quite a five star read, I did find it to be a very strong piece of historical fiction, which manages to tread the fine line between writing about, and from the POV of, a teenager, but without falling into YA territory and the tropes that go with it (no instalove here! And it's definitely written for an adult audience). I also loved the fact that this book felt very unique compared to other novels set during the time, and touched on some rarely discussed elements of Nazi Germany, including one element that felt very handmaids tale-esque... Yes, it's a long book, but to me, it's definitely worth the effort.

Disclaimer - I was lucky enough to receive an advance reading copy from NetGalley. This has not affected my review in any way, and all opinions are my own.

Based on a true story.

Hetty is the daughter of a high ranking SS officer. Walter was a Jew and their neighbour. This story starts when Walter and Hetty were innocent children and Walter had rescued Hetty from drowning. Then the Nazu regime begins and friendship turned to forbidden love. Her brother is in the Luftwaffe. Hetty was a member of the BMD.

This is a story of love, sorrow, confusion, anger and frustration and I felt everyone of the along with Hetty. Grrman student were brainwashed into believing the life the life they were to lead. I enjoyed reading the from the point of view of a German character through pre war to post war and the struggles she found herself going through. Reading this story brought tears to my eyes. You ust read the authors note as it brings to life thenstory of her own past.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Aria and the author Louise Fein for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I liked how it looks at Germany before the war officially started and the measures that Hitler took when he came to power in the 1930's, as I think a lot of people forget that these atrocities didn’t start when the war started but in fact long before war was officially declared. I was intrigued right away, with Fein's beautiful writing and narration style.
I always love good character development and Fein didn't disappoint! Hetty developed a lot from the beginning of the book to the end. I enjoyed the side characters as well, learning their secrets, lives, and seeing morally grey characters. The book made me cry and sob throughout the book but especially the last 100 pages. This book broke me; I haven’t cried this much since I read "Me Before You." You should totally read it!

I give this book 5 stars!! "People Like Us" is a unique historical fiction novel set in Pre-WWII and unlike most set in this era. It's definitely my number 1 fave book of April, and will also be one of my favorites for the year.

Hetty Henrich is a perfect German child. Her father is an SS officer, her brother in the Hitler Youth, training to become a fighter pilot, herself a member of the BDM. She believes resolutely in her country, and the man who runs it.
•
•
•
Until Walter changes everything. Blonde-haired, blue-eyed Walter. The boy who saved her life. A Jew.
As Hetty falls deeply in love with a man who is everything she’s been taught to hate, she will have to risk everything to save him, even if it means sacrificing herself.
•
•
•
Wow. My heart ached after reading this. From the outset you understand that, probably like so many children of the Reich, Hetty doesn’t fully comprehend what is going on in the world around her - or why. There is a vague innocence about it all. That the physical traits between an Ayran child and a Jewish child are difficult to tell. But soon Hetty starts to discover that Walter “oozes otherness”, that looks are deceiving, blood and breeding never lie.
She decides that Walter is worth the risk.
•
•
•
There are themes are sexuality throughout, the different social expectations of genders. Why can a boy do this, but a girl can’t?
•
•
•
The author has done an amazing job of describing that not all Germans agreed with the racial hatred regime forced upon them. Hetty begins to learn of the hardships and restrictions placed on Jewish people. Her mind alters and her love for Walter grows. She starts to stand up for her own beliefs, while hiding a number of secrets too.
•
•
•
Stories from this tome are rarely written from the “Nazi” point of view, it was heartbreakingly refreshing.
•
•
•
“There are two sides, or more perhaps, to every thought. Every action. We only ever want to see one.”

Hetty Heinrich's father is an SS officer,her brother is in the Luftwaffe, and she is a member of the BDM. She fully believes in Hitler and everything that he dictates. Until the day she realizes that her brother's former best friend, the same boy who saved her from drowning, is a Jew. Although he looks like the perfect German, with blonde hair and blue eyes, he is a Jew. As anti-semitism grows by the day, and who you associate with is becoming more important than ever, Hetty has to decide where her loyalties lie, and how far she will go for someone she cares for.
This book was hard to get into at first because the first few chapters were just about how much Hetty revered Hitler, and reciting all of his rhetoric. But once the book got going good it was excellent. It was heartbreaking to read. I felt it painted a very vivid picture of the way it was during that time. If you enjoy historical fiction, then make sure to grab a copy. You will want to read this one.

I read this under the title “People Like Us” which was released last year in the UK. At 500 pages and with heavy subject matter it was a slow read for me...not what I would have normally chosen to read during this time of stressful quarantine but a review deadline loomed. It reminded me a bit of “Wunderland” in time, place and protagonist.

The story follows Hetty, a young German girl raised under the nationalism rhetoric of her SS-regime family. It was heartbreaking to watch her family pride eventually devolve into horror, shame and despair as her innocent eyes are opened through her relationships with her first love and her best friend. While at times I became frustrated with the choices she made, I reminded myself just how young she was (14-17 through much of the book) and how thoroughly ingrained in the SS cult.

It’s a story of disillusionment, horror and sadness but also of courage, resilience and hope. Perhaps a bit slow in parts but also tension-filled and absorbing. Very loosely based on the author’s father’s time in Germany.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #HeadofZeus for providing me the ARC. The opinions are strictly my own.

The beginning of this book was almost unbearable at times. It makes you mad, because who can believe this!? But they did and especially as a child you only know what you're taught. Of course, kids thought Hitler was someone to be praised. But having hindsight it makes me sick. But that was what Hitler was good at he told this incredible speeches that made people believe him.

I'm glad I stuck through it and came to the end. It is probably one of the most realistic books I've read from WWII historical fiction. We often don't realize how wrong we are until it affects us. This book was thoroughly thought out and well researched.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read the Kindle ARC of "People Like Us" by Louise Fein. I'm not a regular reader of historical fiction but this book changed my mind about the possibility of reading more historical fiction. The story focuses on Hetty and Walter, whose friendship begins after Walter saves Hetty from drowning when she was a young girl. Hetty's brother, Karl, is also a close friend of Walter at the time. The difference between the siblings and Walter is that Hetty and Karl are pure-bred German children and Walter is a blond haired, blue-eyed Jew. It is the late 1930's and there are tensions brewing in Germany over the presence of Jews. Hetty's father is a high-ranking Nazi official, with secrets of his own. When Hetty and Walter are teenagers, they fall in love, while the world is falling apart around them. Finally, the day arrives when Walter must find an escape plan from Germany. This book is unbelievably fantastic. Ms. Fein writes that she drew from her family's experiences during the pre-war and WWII period. As I was reading, I felt as if this were a non-fiction book because the descriptions, events, feelings are all so real. I was thinking that People Like Us MUST be a true story and it turns out that parts of it were based on real events in Ms. Fein's family history. The writing is incredibly suspenseful without being overblown or unrealistic. I became very involved in the characters and their well-being. It was hard to put the book down and I was eager to get back to it every time I did put it down. Congratulations and thank you to Louise Fein for writing such a heartfelt, beautiful, sorrowful work of historical fiction. I can't say enough about this book.
"

People Like Us by Louise Fein

Starting in 1929, this story covers the developing Hitler years in Germany from the view of several young people, which gives the story the feel of a young adult novel.

Our youthful protagonist, Herta (Hetty), evolves from blindingly following the Nazi propaganda to figuring out for herself what is happening around her. The story takes us through the disillusionment of some youngsters in the Hitler youth group as life take them in different directions. They begin to see the faults of their parents and the Führer himself, though some remain loyal, if not to Hitler, then at least, to Germany.

As neighbors begin to report even minor infractions against neighbors, homes of Jews are confiscated, and Jews are beaten in the streets, no one one is to be trusted, even close friends. And Hetty needs a close friend badly.
She is in serious trouble, but can tell no one.
Headstrong and constantly asking for forgiveness for her missteps, Hetty, trying to do good, makes the same mistakes over and over until there is almost no way out of her predicament.

The story concludes very satisfactorily in 1994- the author does a superb job of keeping us up with the timeline-with Hetty as a mature adult. The writing is easy and the story is good, leaving the reader to ask, “who could I count on if my world fell apart.”

My thanks to #Aria and #NetGalley for an ARC for my review.

People like us is one of those books where there's a huge benefit to reading the author's note before diving into the text. As historical fiction, with inspiration drawn from real events, the note does wonders when it comes to clearly delineating the truth from the imagined, fact from fiction. I made the mistake of waiting before I read the note, and my initial impression of the first 10 chapters was that I had agreed to read something written by a sympathizer. Readers, let me be clear, this is not the case! Once I was aware that Fein sought to create a narrative that encapsulated the coming of age and the onset of critical thinking in a young woman who was raised indoctrinated into the Nazi ideology, this actually became a particularly enjoyable story. Watching Hetty grow up, grow aware of the lies, and grow rebellious, all of it urged along by the innocence of young love and human connection made for a deeply emotional reading experience.

It was discomforting at first to be reading from the perspective of someone with close ties to the SS and the Nazi party. The vast majority of the WWII fiction that I read is either from the perspective of survivors or resistance fighters, so stepping into Hetty's shoes was a challenging experience as both her perspectives and experiences were so far from what I've come to expect. And as far as I'm concerned, this is a good thing.

Initially I found Hetty to be a rather spoiled and self-centred protagonist, at one point I even wrote in my notes 'this girl is horrible.' She makes some truly atrocious decisions that legitimately left me screaming WHY, though the sad reality is that her behaviour is exactly what was expected of upstanding citizens of the time. Thankfully, as her character develops it becomes clear that Hetty is, in fact, a good person who was just caught up in the rhetoric sweeping the nation. Every person she meets has a profound impact on her life - whether it's the boy down the road that she seeks to protect, her friend Erna who challenges her assumptions and perceptions of the world, and even her father's mistress who is both tearing their family apart and holding it together at the same time. Hetty 's personal journey is absolutely astounding, and I adored that at the end of it she occupied a glorious grey space that forced some serious introspection.

Walter too occupies some moral grey areas, though not nearly as shaded as his darling. He knowingly breaks the law, steals to feed his family, and becomes involved with a woman he doesn't love as a means to exit the country before the war. But he is also the perfect person to challenge Hetty's fervent belief in the Fuhrer. He is supposed to be the villain, according to everything Hetty has been raised to believe, but he is ultimately good. I really appreciated that he was a little bit older than her, and that he brought a lot of knowledge and lived experiences into their relationship. Without his intervention Hetty would still be living in a sheltered, idealistic world, blind to the realities of where the world was heading.

The contrast between the two sweethearts was exceptionally well done, and I was always on the edge of my seating wondering if they would get caught and what the repercussions would be. There was an ever-present sense of danger that mingled subtly with the realities of two teens falling in forbidden love. Everything about it felt so dang real!

I should note that I was thrown, though, buy the casual ways in which Hetty, a teenaged girl was talking about concentration camps as early as 1933. This prompted m to put down the book and take a short visit to some online newspaper archives, where I quickly discovered that these camps were indeed common knowledge and even the frequent subject of publications and speeches for many years before the onset of the war. And by golly, I do love it when not only does a book make me question pretty much everything, but also when I walk away from a work of fiction having learned something real.

If you're looking for some WWII fiction from a different perspective and that will challenge you in a multitude of ways, give People Like Us a try! This character driven story will works it's way under your skin and leave you wanting more.

Link to live blog post to be added May 19, 2020

[Thanks Netgalley for the ebook. This review is my honest opinion but just another opinion, you should read this book and judge it by yourself]
I don't think I can write something useful right now due to my tears.
I'm very sensitive about WWII stories and although this one is set in the dawning of that period we can see the rising of the Nazi party and their hate for the Jewish. I can't read that kind of things, it always breaks my heart. Although the characters are fictional they seem very real and you suffer and struggle with them (too much for me in this Covid-19 time 😅). I felt so sad for Hetty and Walter (oh, how I loved Walter!) and their beautiful and impossible love.
Although I loved the story and the setting, I couldn't connect very much with the writing, short phrases that seemed without the passion that this emotional story requires.
But overall it's a great book with a heartbreaking story. I close the book with tears in my eyes and terribly sad for our couple, and scared of this time of ours that in some aspects looks so much like Hetty and Walter time.
-----------------------------------------
Definitivamente, este no es el libro ideal para leer en este momento pero, por otro lado, es ideal para leerlo ahora.
No es una novela romántica (lo aviso ya que casi exclusivamente es lo que leo) y, si bien la historia de amor es básica, lo importante es el contexto y el viaje de Hetty, cómo se puede pasar de ser una nazi convencida a arriesgar todo por ayudar a judíos.
Ver todo desde el punto de vista de ello es terrible y descorazonador, sobre todo viendo cómo podemos establecer demasiados paralelismos con la situación actual. Reconozco que es algo que todo lo relacionado con esa época me toca especialmente y he acabado llorando porque la vida puede ser terrible e injusta y, aún así, siempre puede haber cosas buenas. La historia de amor me ha parecido bonita pero muy muy triste (cuánto he adorado a Walter) y el epílogo me ha dejado el cuerpo fatal pero, a la vez, me ha alegrado (cosas de loca, lo sé 😆).
Si no le pongo más nota es porque, aunque el contenido me ha tenido totalmente en vilo, el modo en el que está escrito no tanto. Me ha parecido una escritura un tanto desapasionada, aunque supongo que ya bastante tenemos con lo que nos cuenta como para que encima queramos que nos lo cuente de un modo que estemos llorando cada dos por tres. Sin embargo, reconozco que, ya que estoy metida en el sufrimiento, soy de las que le gusta rebozarse en él.
En definitiva, es una bonita pero triste historia de la vida situada en la Alemania de finales de los años 30 del siglo XX destinada a recordarte lo terrible que puede ser el ser humano y a que veas que no estamos tan lejos de repetir los mismos errores.

I really loved this WWII novel, it is one of my most favorite genres, but I have not read many from the perspective of a German Nazi, which made this one so interesting. I was so fascinated by Hetty's story, how her thought process started out and how she came to see the truth of what was actually happening as time went on. The love story between her and Walter was both heartwarming and heartbreaking. I was so shattered by the end, but also felt so hopeful. Thank you to Netgalley and William Morrow for the ARC.