I won this book on a GoodReads giveaway.

Hetty Heinrich was born into a loyal German family. With a promotion at work, her father moved them into a beautiful new home that was completely furnished. The neighbors appear to be afraid of her family. This is the time when Adolph Hitler was beginning to exert his hold over Germany. In this debut novel by Louise Fein you will encounter racism and nationalism viewed through the eyes of a young girl growing up in Leipzig. Hetty questions the extreme nationalism and how previously reasonable people can look away from the ugliness taking place. This unique approach toward pre-WWII life shows how a campaign of control was waged. Citizens were powerless in view of the wide-sweeping plan to focus only on German products and people.

There is an awakening in the main character to some of the ugliness in life. She sees Jewish students expelled from school, Jewish businesses overtaken, and the beating of Jewish men for being Jewish. Her father sees loyalty to Hitler and Germany as the number one priority in life. When Hetty falls in love with a Jewish man, her family’s reaction stuns her. She realizes that they do not value her or her opinion. Louise Fein masterfully describes the agony Hetty endures. Fein describes the growing fear of the SS. This is a story that draws you emotionally into Hetty’s world. She is tormented by the world she lives in.

Hetty makes difficult choices and although she’s a character, you will feel admiration for her. In the closing chapters we see how Hetty’s life has turned out. It is wonderfully fulfilling to experience the end of this book and it will bring tears to your eyes. This is one of the best WWII books I’ve read recently and I look forward to seeing what Louise Fein will write next. She’s an author to keep your eye on!

My Rating: 🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻

Additional Thoughts: Books don’t often leave me teary eyed but this one did. It is touching and surprising to see a young woman manage to keep her integrity with so much against her. I really like this author – she crafts a masterful story. This is not a light summer read, it is a deeply moving story and you should read it.