In 1896 Elisabeth Schwabacher returns home. She is pursued by two noblemen impressed as much by her wealth as by her intellect and musical talent. She has decided that she wants to do more with her life then be just married. To get out of marriage Elisabeth makes a rash decision with unfortunate consequences. This story talks about women from Wilhelmine Germany specifically German Jews and the struggles they faced long before Hitler. The audio was very well done and the story kept a good pace.

Elisabeth von Schwabacher has just returned to her family home in Berlin from three years of music study in Vienna. She is an accomplished pianist and along with the fact that her father is extremely wealthy will be considered one of the catches of this year's matrimonial events. But in 1896, there are several things against her as well. Elisabeth's family is Jewish and there is open discrimination against them in society. She is also quite outspoken and has returned home with ideas of what women should be able to have outside of a marriage.
Two nobles court her. One is an old friend but she isn't interested in him romantically. The other is from an impoverished family although their standing in society remains high. Elisabeth is immediately attracted to him but isn't sure she wants to marry anyone. She decides that this close to the nineteenth century she should be able to do as she pleases and determines that she will take him as a lover. The noble is more than willing and she does so. Her family discovers this and are appalled. They send her away to relatives.

But love will out and the noble and Elisabeth eventually marry. She goes to his estate only to be shocked at how different it is from the heights of Berlin society. His family is open with their distaste for her Jewishness as are the other families in the area.

Dana Mack is a historian, musician and journalist. This is her debut novel but her articles on various subjects have appeared in publications including The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The Christian Science Monitor and the Washington Post. Her background has made her the perfect author to write this novel about women's changing roles in society and the fact that the Jewish population were being ostracized long before Hitler came to power. This book is recommended for historical fiction readers.

This book is wonderfully written. I liked the way that the author is capable of transporting you to Berlin to the north of Germany by describing the lifestyle and the wishes and hopes of the protagonist. Also the feelings of the people that sour rounds her. This is a bit troubled love story that is able to show the conflicting side of getting married and the prejudices of antisemitism, which was not exclusive to Germany nor the nineteenth century, but certainly this setting cast a shadow over what was coming.

I’m so late to this but let’s just say I wasn’t in a big hurry for this one after I started it. Honestly I don’t think it was the books fault it was more unforseen personal things that made this not a care for me

I found I had to kickstart myself a couple of times before I was able to actually enjoy listening to Dana Mack"s "All Things That Deserve to Perish" audiobook (narrated by Megan Green). in fact, this is my way of saying that Megan speaks exactly as you (may) expect, an educated, intellectual woman of late century nineteenth century Wilhelmine Germany would speak. It seems to me completely authentic. In addition, without a hard copy of the story, at times it was difficult to follow because of all the different (German) names (and which one was a prince and which one is the Baron, and is she speaking about the father or the son, etc).

Despite the technical difficulties, I persevered and really appreciated this glimpse into life (especially the life of a Jewish banker and his family), in Wilhemine Germany just before the turn of the nineteenth century. it was so interesting! Thank you #netgalley and @danamackpublishing for my complimentary copy of #allthingsthatdeservetoperish in return for my honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to listen to an ARC audio of All Things That Deserve To Perish by Dana Mack.

This period piece novel by Dana Mack covers an epoch in Wiesburg Germany when antisemitism was on the rise, talented young women had to be spunky and full of pluck to move forward in the world, and marriages in the upper classes were based on combining titles with wealth--usually the titles on the male side looking for money, lots of money, in order to sustain a lifestyle that they believed they deserved.

The narrator of this novel had a wonderful German accent but spoke with a sing-song voice that eventually became very obnoxious. It often did not match the tenor of the events being described. However, many of the chapters were letters written back and forth between members of a family and those were read quite well.

Readers who enjoy Downtown Abbey and its ilk will enjoy this book: a story of the upper classes and all the issues that that class of people has to face. The same issues, of course, as the lower classes but the outcome is usually different for the upper classes. There is lots of sex, lots of opinions about the issues of the day, a near-death in childbirth, and all ends happily for the heroine.

This book is entertaining but not particularly interesting. I found no identification with any of the conflicts even though most were known to me. It is the first book I've read/listened to about that era in Germany. We are not often given novels of pre-World War I Germany and I found the descriptions of life, the living arrangements, and where they took vacations to be the most interesting to me.

I was really impressed with this book and the progression of the story. The delivery and writing style got confusing along the way but I don’t think it necessarily clouded the idea of the book. I did listen to the audiobook which was a great help with the German names and the overall vibe of the book was perfectly executed by the narrator. I enjoyed this book because it gave us an inside look into what a woman in the late 1800’s life could be like. It also plays heavily on the anit-semitism many Jews were faced with, even in the pre-Hitler era. And finally, this book shows us what lengths humans are willing to go to all in the name of ‘love’.

As the turn of the century unfolds, women are challenging the lives they are destined to live. Women are discovering that there is more to life than just being a housewife and having children, they can be artists, musicians, even business women. This comes as a shock to many traditional German families and is seen as a disgrace to ‘womanhood’. This is not surprising for the time period, but it is refreshing seeing a woman stand up for herself, especially to others who don’t see her as an equal. When Lisi is faced with the decision to become a concert pianist or a housewife, she learns to put her wants and needs before others. Not only is she a woman with a plan, but she is a jewish woman with a plan!

I love a good historical fiction, especially about a woman who is defying her social norms. But it's not always sunshine and rainbows when it comes to taking a look at our past. When you have religions who are heavily present in government and influencing how people live their lives, it's hard to see any diversity or want for something more. Many of the Germans had set standards and ideals that were meant to be upholded and when a group comes in with different beliefs and morals, it can be challenging to see eye to eye. Yet this was not just a difference in eye level, this was just flat out ignorance and miseducation. The anti-semitism the Jewish people faced was over the top and just disgraceful. It was hard to read (listen) about the vile and hurtful things people would say about certain Jewish members, but it was important. We can’t gloss over all of the awful things we as humans have done to each other and this author made sure that there was no glossing happening.

The emotional rollercoaster this book takes you on can seem daunting at first, but I think it is very fitting for the time period. Many emotions were meant to be intense and dramatic, we literally had no other forms of entertainment to keep ourselves busy. I really enjoyed the furious emotions and the passion that was portrayed throughout this book, especially in the letters. You can see the passion building and the emotions start to pile up in each and every letter or whispered conversation that was had. I could tell the main driving force for these such actions was lust, which may have developed into love but; lust is a very dangerous emotion. Lust will make you do anything to please the person you are lusting after. This may even result in your own self demise; cause you to sink your own ship. And this book was a great example of what lust disguised as love can do for you.

I thought the book was a very researched and well developed story. There were some hitches here and there, but you get that with any book that is trying to fit a lot of
historical reference in with a work of fiction. You can either buckle up for the lengthy ride or drop the densely packed history lesson. Once you get past the first couple of chapters, it's a really great story. I don’t like how it ended. I don’t think the ending held true to the morals and beliefs that were presented at the start of the book. But that is what makes it realistic, the ability to change your mind and your perspective based on the facts and events around you. Overall, I thought it was a pretty good book, not my fave historical fiction, but definitely worth a read.

Whew. I'm seriously wore out, and relieved that the book is over. This was not written for me. Late 1890s in Germany, women were treated childlike, and accepted their roles. The story is cold and like an 8 hour run-on sentence. I'm not certain the narrator would make a difference. The climate was that of social standing and climbing through marriage, and the female was Jewish in Germany. As if the book is not simple enough, the author insists on foul profanity. I didn't check any facts for this historical fiction. I will not remember anything about this.

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This definitely wasn't what I expected. I had to put it down several times. It was a slow build but I'm glad that I Finished. A fascinating read about the social challenges faced by German Jews. This is a book many would appreciate. The narration was ok. 3.5 stars

Historical fiction? Germany… or more specifically, Berlin? Yes, please! However that’s where my enthusiasm for this book ends.

Although I appreciate the authors apparent interest in her subject matter, it’s that same eagerness that weighs down the story with excessive exposition and backstory.

To add to this, were the chapters told in epistolary, which I’ve never been a fan of. I always thought if you have to tell a characters present in letters, you can probably cut it and do a quick ‘tell’ in a paragraph or two and get on with it.

Overall, “Perish” was not for me. I found the dialogue rather clunky (which probably has more to do with me reading more 20th century historical fiction and not being familiar 19th century speech), and the overall tone of the novel cold; the characters were stand-off-ish, like only giving half of themselves, and I couldn’t sympathize with anyone as each was so concentrated on their own goals that when there was a moment of thoughtfulness for others, I wasn’t sure they could be trusted.

Thank you to the author and Books Forward PR for providing me with an audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

I have been enjoying more historical fiction than ever before this year and I liked that this one included a lot of history without it feeling like a textbook.

I’ve never read a story set in Germany during the late 1800s/early 1900s so it was interesting to learn about the rampant anti-semitism that was in Germany well before Hitler. This novel puts a spotlight on the racism, societal constraints and demands placed upon the Jewish community during that time.

Our MC, Lisi, is an incredibly relatable character. She is strong and independent during a time where that was not a woman’s place to be.

I did find the ending a little disappointing but overall this was an insightful and interesting read. I look forward to reading more from this author.

I’m so glad I read the audio version because I would have made a mess of all the German names otherwise. The book did take a little while for me to start enjoying , which I absolutely did enjoy it! But, at first it was difficult to keep up with because of all of the German names and places. However, the longer I listened, the easier it was to keep up. And, believe me, the book is wonderful! Lisi is a very talented musician, a Very wealthy Jewess, a strong willed, only child of a wealthy banker. Even though it is 1898, Germany is already rife with Antidemitism. Lisi is pursued by two suiters and even though there is much hostility toward Jews, she ultimately falls for a German. The unlikely match is plagued with many obstacles which are worsened by their different cultures. All of this makes for a wonderful read!!

I am a huge fan of historical fiction so I was anxious to read this book.

I loved the historical aspect of this book. The writing was done well, it was just hard for me to get absorbed in. It was in the first and 3rd person, which got confusing while reading. I think that because of this mixed writing format, I had a hard time forming any connection to the characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for a free copy of this audiobook to review. First off, I loved how unique the story was and I loved the narrator of the audiobook. It was great to see that the author was so passionate about the subject of the book. However, that also came to negatively effect the book. The author wanted to let the reader know everything about the time period and what was happening in Germany during the time. However, by doing this the writing became very heavy and hard to read/listen to. There was a lot of information to take in at the start of the book and I found myself getting bored because of this. As my favourite genre is historical fiction, this was very hard for me to accept. However, the story really picked up in the second half of the book and I found myself getting to know the characters a lot better. The story was interesting and unique. Anyone with an interest in historical fiction books based in Germany should definitely give this a go. It just wasn’t for me due to the heavy information which ruined the narrative and the character development at the beginning of the book.

Thank you NetGalley, Dana Mack, and Dana Mack Publishing for the audiobook ARC of All Things That Deserve to Perish.

I find the style of the writing very lovely. It really reminds me of the old, sort of long winded-style. I really respect the author’s desire to discuss issues of women in society as well as the rampant anti-semitism. I don’t know that I have ever seen anti-semitism in a historical novel taking place before World War II, so I really respect what this book is aiming to do.

My only real nit-pick is how “not like other girls” our main character, Elisabeth, seems to be. It just seems kind of an odd choice for a novel that aims to look in part at the societal restrictions on women. Elisabeth, not always abiding by these restrictions, is then painted to be special because she doesn’t follow these restrictions and the other women as described seem to be boring, stupid, or vain, which leaves me with an icky feeling. It just sort of makes me think of tearing down one woman as a means of complimenting another, and I’m not the biggest fan. Because of this, I found it really difficult to get attached to any of the characters. I found them all sort of boring and couldn’t pinpoint even one that I wanted to route for.

I listened to this on audiobook, so I also feel the need to mention the narrator, Megan Green. Green’s voice is so smooth and calming, that I really found myself focusing on the tone of her voice as opposed to the plot. My only complaint was that I found her character voices very similar, which made it kind of difficult to follow who was speaking in dialogue heavy parts of the book, especially when everyone in the dialogue was of the same gender.

To summarize: loved the style and the wealth of historical info, wasn’t a fan of the characters. Narrator has a beautiful voice, but the characters are a bit hard to follow.

It’s gonna have to be a 3 star for me. Although I adored the writing style and learning about the history, I just did not like the plot or the characters, and I don’t think the style can carry a book when the reader can’t find themselves rooting for at least one of the characters. I felt no satisfaction at the end because there was nothing and no one I was really rooting for from the beginning.

All Things That Deserve to Perish: A Novel of Wilhelmine Germany
By Dana Mack
Thanks Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) and NetGalley for this ARC in audio format.
An 1896 novel about how Elisabeth ('Lisi') von Schwabacher, the gifted daughter of a Jewish banker, is pursued by two noblemen impressed as much by her stunning wealth as by her prodigious intellect and musical talent. In a bid to emancipate herself once and for all from that unwelcome fate, she resolves to have an affair with one of her aristocratic suitors -- an escapade that, given her rigid social milieu, has tragic consequences for both her and her family.
This novel, centered about the life of jewish people in old germany helps to ilústrate to someone like me, so far away from germany or judaism.
From the beginning it had me rolling. The witty from our protagonist completely charmed me.
I was extremely into this story until the end where i feel i got lost a little. It didn’t feel like the same novel anymore. It promised so much an i was left unsatisfied
The narrator is fenomenal and does a great job in representing each character by changing their tone. I will say it’s a little hard at the beginning with the names.
With all that it’s still an amazing book that i will not fail to recommend
3,5/5⭐️
Maria Lourdes

I love that the author did extensive research and that the novel is so very informative. I found the story line to be engaging and drawn to the character and absolutely loved the narration.

All Things That Deserve to Perish
by Dana Mack was narrated by Megan Green. The narrator was excellent. This historical fiction had a bit of a different twist than I’m used to. It did have the charm of a regency but lacked the etiquette of it. The characters were likable enough but I thought this would be more of a romance. There really wasn’t any romance and very strange things happened in this story. I guess one could say it was a realistic fiction. The writing was very good. I forgot about the Germans and their prejudice against Jews. I found it most upsetting. The majority of this story is told in letter correspondence and I hoped for more.
Thanks Dana Mack Publishing via Netgalley.