I found this to be very transportive - not only was the story beautiful but the prose seemed to also convey the mood and the stoic nature of that time and place. Most books are not successful on both levels. I also appreciate the subtle ways it reminds us of a time of history we can never allow ourselves to forget without being set in the time of the war itself. Thank you for the chance to read this!

This book disappointed me. I read The Reader many years ago and I loved it. But, at the time, I was just home from a semester in Poland where I was up to my eyeballs in all things Holocaust and WWII aftermath. So, twenty-plus years later, my hopes for this book were perhaps too high. Maybe the translation was awkward. I couldn't get attached to the characters and the escape from East Berlin to West seemed too easy for me.

This was a very interesting read, but it was hard to connect or relate to. It was still very entertaining and it did keep me engaged in this book, and it was a quick read. I liked the pacing, and the way it was written. I liked the characters and the development of them.


Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for this complimentary ARC in exchange for an honest review!!