Josef Haupt is a respected member of a town in East Prussia, a friend to all, a successful farmer, husband to Dorothea and eight children. Then the Nazis told him that he must help them with the other farmers or his family would suffer the consequences.

Based on her mother's memoir and a journal of her grandfather, Good Town, by Mary Louise Wells, chronicles the battles of conscience, and the struggles of the Haunt family during World War II through 1950. Sons must fight for the Nazi war machine. The family has to flee their family farm to escape the Russians as they push westward. May we never forget what people went through then, so history doesn't repeat itself.

I was able to read an ARC on #NetGalley.

A gripping tale of a large family trying to survive WWII intact. The family goes from being well-off land baron farmers to being homeless, broken and displaced. You see how people can be made to do things that they normally wouldn't do, even things against their moral code, when their freedom is taken from them in small steps. With each threat and each submission, they lose a piece of themselves. They love their homeland but do not love the Nazi ethic. There is no such thing as a happy ending in any tale of this war, but they try to pull together through all of their trials. This story tells a bit of the Russian role in the war and the atrocities perpetrated against the Germans by unrestrained Russian soldiers. A heartbreaking tale that follows a fictional family through the nightmare of historical events- well written with authentic angst and emotion.

I have read many book about Nazi Germany and World War II. I think this is the first one that made me realize that the end of the war did not guarantee a happy ending for all the innocent who had suffered under Hitler. The Haupt family are prosperous and well respected in Gutestadt, which was part of East Prussia. In addition to the war taking many of the family, the peace treaties take away their farm when East Prussia ceases to exist. Well written and researched, Good Town by Mary Louise Wells is well worth reading. It is an eye-opener!

An amazing heart stirring story of one family trying to survive a war and a regime they opposed with dignity and the aftermath as victims. Unlike other WWII stories, there isn’t romance against the odds or yet another story of survival in Auschwitz, but there is heart enough to make this one of the best. I hope there will be more stories about the Haupt family and how they put their lives back together.

Stories from WWII usually involve someone on the winning side or victims of the atrocious acts that were committed. I have never read one from the view point of a German. This story takes the reader to Germany under Nazi rule. The Haupt family are devout Catholics who are proud of their German heritage but do not agree with the ruling Nazi party. It is easy to forget that not all Germans supported Hitler and his desire for world domination while killing off so many people. The reminder comes from this story. I think that the fact this is based on the author's own family history makes it all the more real to me as a reader.

The author opens the door to a world that we have seen only from one side of the glass. We are taken to a prospering family farm where life seems nearly perfect until war pulls the family apart and reveals horrors that one can never forget. Sons are sent to the front. Old men are conscripted to dig trenches. Women are beaten and raped. Hope and faith are something one either clings to or completely gives up on.

To say this story is emotional is an understatement. I found myself anxious to find out what happened next. Then the tears would flow as I felt the characters' pain or joy as they pushed forward to an uncertain future. When I get emotional with a story, it has been written with a very powerful voice.

The sign of a good book is when you finish reading it the story stays with you. I can't stop thinking of the Germans who did not want to exterminate the Jews or treat anyone badly. They did exist. I want to know more about them. I want to read up on that viewpoint. Good Town got me thinking.

If you like historical fiction, you have to give this book a try. I think you'll find it one that will change you.

“Good Town” by Mary Louise Wells is a historical fiction book based upon a true story. Ms. Wells notes in the Prologue that her mother had written about her life in Germany during WWII, which serves as the basis of this story. “Good Town” is very obviously a loving tribute to that family. It took a while for this book to get rolling and the pacing was a bit uneven throughout the book. A lot happens in this book, at times necessitating me using the internet to check names, places, and historic battles. This isn’t a happy story, but it’s a hopeful story. Keeping one’s faith during a war, especially with the Nazis around you, must have been difficult - and that this family kept their faith and kept their faith in each other is rather amazing