I am really wanting more books set in post-war Germany, and this one was excellent. Eva’s quest to determine her family’s roles during the War is a common and relatable one. I think an entire generation of Germans was questioning everything about their parents’ involvement. I also loved how by beginning to question her personal history, she is also questioning everything around her and evaluating her life from a different lens. I adored that aspect of the novel.

The writing is beautiful, but the translation at times needed work. It flowed well for the most part, but there were quite a few times when the wording was slightly off. I also was troubled by the lack of chapters.

The pacing, plot, characterization, and writing style really worked for me. If you enjoy historical fiction set in Germany, and enjoyed the book The Reader, you would probably really like this one. And I’m so glad we are starting to see more novels with a post-war setting.

Thank you to Bookish First and the publisher for my free copy!

I was really frustrated with this book. It tried too hard to do too many things.

Loving parents secretly worked at Auschwitz? Check.
Secret childhood homicide? Check.
Dementia that leads to moment of clarity between father and son? Check.
Camp survivor that is actually just hallucinating and only has survivor's guilt for getting away to Canada in time and was never actually in a camp? Check.
Nurse sister that secretly has Munchausen's by Proxy? Check.

The author also tried to constantly shift perspective but in my opinion, did so rather poorly. It was often difficult to follow along with what was happening because it would change within a sentence from one character's viewpoint to another with no notice. Often these characters were in opposite sides of town and it might even be a different time of day. Their activities might be linked but might not and sometimes they looped back around within a paragraph, again with little to no signal to the reader that that would be occurring.

Read September 2023 ✡️
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Gut Instinct Rating: 3.5
Characters: 5
Believability: 4
Uniqueness: 5
Writing Style: 5
Excitement Factor: 3
Story Line: 5
Title Relevance: 5
Artwork Relevance: 5
Audiobook Narration: 4.25
Overall: 4.48

The Holocaust is a dark but fascinating topic, and this book dives deep. Set during the Auschwitz trials in Frankfurt in the 1960s, this book explores the idea of inheriting guilt and trauma, dealing with lies, acceptance, and forgiveness.

How people deal with things their society, culture, and family have done and experienced is something I've thought a lot about lately, and this story really created an opportunity for the main character, some side characters, and the reader to work through that process. This book sucked me in, it made me think, it made me ache. I genuinely could not put it down and days later I'm still thinking about some of the points the book raised.

Each character is unique and vivid, with a distinct storyline. This meant that there are many threads of story running through this book and at times I did wonder how some bits were going to be resolved, but everything was woven together artfully at the end while avoiding the triteness that often accompanies wrapping up a novel. Small details blended seamlessly with the story but helped to transport you to 1960s Germany and establish the setting, further lending to the almost effortless brilliance of this novel.

SPOILER:
The one part that I had an issue with was the overly done romantic resolution for the main character, the very end of the book made me wonder if she had really grown and learned anything at all. It seemed too shallow to fit the rest of the storyline. Perhaps it was set up that way to leave an opening for a sequel, I'm not sure, but it was the only part of the book that was disappointing.

Thank you @harperviabooks for the gifted copy.

The German House is a thoughtful post World War II/post Holocaust novel, set during the Auschwitz Trials of 1963. Eva Bruhns is a young translator who learns about her country, and her family’s, role in the horrors of the Holocaust through her assistance in the trials.

It’s a fascinating and eye-opening glimpse into this time period and how a country can attempt to rebuild itself and its reputation in the world after something like the Holocaust. The German House also offers great insight into the trials and how Nazis were held accountable.

Many of my reviews can also be found on instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader

I liked it. It wasn't a real WOW... but such a different look at WWII's aftermath.
Sometimes a bit flat, but it is a translation so maybe that had something to do with it.

This would be a great book for a discussion! The main character has to face some hard truths- I'm still conflicted.