sraybern's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
cozysquirrellg's review against another edition
2.0
The mother/daughter/WWII storyline is intriguing enough to get you sucked in to this book. However the author seems to get so caught up in writing certain scenes of the book over and over and over that she neglects other areas that really deserve attention. There were a few areas where she clearly missed some very basic research and places where she would start a thought and forget to complete it. Also the ending was really unsatisfying.
cbendito's review against another edition
4.0
Watching Portugal play Germany in the UEFA EURO tournament last week, I admit I was disappointed. Not only that Portugal lost. (I am never allowed to mock the fiancé’s yelling at sporting events again) But because half way through the game when German fans erupted into a repeated chant of “Clap Clap Clapclapcalp Clap Clap Clap Clap Deutschland!” my first thought was, “well that’s not something you want to see.”
See, the sight and sound of thousands of Germans whelping with national pride sent a shiver down my spine. And it took me longer than I like to admit to remind myself that just like I was sitting in my living room rooting for my home country (or at least my family’s) , so these German fans had every right to stand and cheer for theirs.
It’s a sign of a good book when you find yourself thinking about it later. Just a few days before the Portugal/Germany game, I had finished reading Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum. And when I realized I was being a sore loser and completely irrational, I started thinking about the questions Blum deals with in her book.
I can’t even put together the words to describe how horrific and disgusting the holocaust was. Anyone with a heart knows that what happened across Germany during WWII was terrible. When I hear survivor stories I am heartbroken at the thought of all the lives lost for no understandable reason.
What I haven’t often thought about, and what Blum addresses so beautifully, is what it must have been like to be a German during the war. And after. Her story focuses on mother and daughter Anna and Trudy. Trudy, a professor of German studies has spent most of her life trying to understand the war in an attempt to understand her mother. Anna on the other hand, has refused to discuss her experiences, preferring to leave the past in its place –tucked away and hopefully forgotten.
The novel transitions between Anna’s story, spanning 1939-1944, and Trudy’s mid-1990’s research into the lives of German women during the war. It’s easy from our comfortable modern point of view to admonish women like Anna. But when you really think about it, what were average German’s supposed to do in the face of the massive machine that was the Nazi party? At what point does the individual become responsible for the actions of their government? And how accountable is one person for the actions of others? Are we expected as citizens to blindly follow our leaders, or is it our duty to stand and fight when we don’t agree with their policies? Do we really expect people to sacrifice themselves and their families in the name of ideals? To put themselves in front of a loaded gun and say, “Stop” when they see injustice?
It is these questions that Blum asks through Anna’s story. The choices she, and millions of real women like her, made in order to keep themselves alive were difficult ones. Knowing the risks, knowing you would be put to death, would you hide a Jewish family? Give them food? Or would you turn away, swallow your guilt in order to save yourself and your children? Would you allow yourself to become the lover of a high ranking Nazi if it meant food on the table? Or would you keep your pride but starve?
I pass no judgment here. Thankfully I haven’t had to make those choices in my own life. And while it’s nice to assume you would be brave enough to stand up and fight, the reality is you never know what you are, or are not, capable of.
Its complicated stuff Jenna Blum deals with in Those Who Save Us. There are no clear right or wrong answers to the questions she brings up. What she does it make us think, make us put ourselves in Anna’s shoes and realize that judging another’s choices is easier than making our own.
http://wwwdiaryofabooknerd.blogspot.com/2012/06/those-who-save-us-jenna-blum.html
See, the sight and sound of thousands of Germans whelping with national pride sent a shiver down my spine. And it took me longer than I like to admit to remind myself that just like I was sitting in my living room rooting for my home country (or at least my family’s) , so these German fans had every right to stand and cheer for theirs.
It’s a sign of a good book when you find yourself thinking about it later. Just a few days before the Portugal/Germany game, I had finished reading Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum. And when I realized I was being a sore loser and completely irrational, I started thinking about the questions Blum deals with in her book.
I can’t even put together the words to describe how horrific and disgusting the holocaust was. Anyone with a heart knows that what happened across Germany during WWII was terrible. When I hear survivor stories I am heartbroken at the thought of all the lives lost for no understandable reason.
What I haven’t often thought about, and what Blum addresses so beautifully, is what it must have been like to be a German during the war. And after. Her story focuses on mother and daughter Anna and Trudy. Trudy, a professor of German studies has spent most of her life trying to understand the war in an attempt to understand her mother. Anna on the other hand, has refused to discuss her experiences, preferring to leave the past in its place –tucked away and hopefully forgotten.
The novel transitions between Anna’s story, spanning 1939-1944, and Trudy’s mid-1990’s research into the lives of German women during the war. It’s easy from our comfortable modern point of view to admonish women like Anna. But when you really think about it, what were average German’s supposed to do in the face of the massive machine that was the Nazi party? At what point does the individual become responsible for the actions of their government? And how accountable is one person for the actions of others? Are we expected as citizens to blindly follow our leaders, or is it our duty to stand and fight when we don’t agree with their policies? Do we really expect people to sacrifice themselves and their families in the name of ideals? To put themselves in front of a loaded gun and say, “Stop” when they see injustice?
It is these questions that Blum asks through Anna’s story. The choices she, and millions of real women like her, made in order to keep themselves alive were difficult ones. Knowing the risks, knowing you would be put to death, would you hide a Jewish family? Give them food? Or would you turn away, swallow your guilt in order to save yourself and your children? Would you allow yourself to become the lover of a high ranking Nazi if it meant food on the table? Or would you keep your pride but starve?
I pass no judgment here. Thankfully I haven’t had to make those choices in my own life. And while it’s nice to assume you would be brave enough to stand up and fight, the reality is you never know what you are, or are not, capable of.
Its complicated stuff Jenna Blum deals with in Those Who Save Us. There are no clear right or wrong answers to the questions she brings up. What she does it make us think, make us put ourselves in Anna’s shoes and realize that judging another’s choices is easier than making our own.
http://wwwdiaryofabooknerd.blogspot.com/2012/06/those-who-save-us-jenna-blum.html
girasol729's review against another edition
3.0
Compelling storyline, as I find many historical fiction novels to have. It is often times stark in its writing, but given both the present day and historical characters, I find it appropriate.
I wanted more depth, but I think the author was intentional to not offer it. Rainer's character and his emphasis on letting the past be the past leads me to this conclusion.
I wanted more depth, but I think the author was intentional to not offer it. Rainer's character and his emphasis on letting the past be the past leads me to this conclusion.
kaulyjo's review against another edition
4.0
In all of the literature that I've read surrounding World War II and the Holocaust, it's all been with the focal point of the Jewish story. Blum's novel, instead, focuses on an ordinary German girl swept up in the course of history due to her location near Buchenwald. It took me a little while to get into it - and the lack of proper punctuation around dialogue annoyed me - but when I did, the book became a near couldn't put down.
The ending is messy. There's explanation if no real resolution. Then again, life is usually like that, too. I wanted Anna and Trudy to come to some kind of better place in their relationship, but maternal/child relationships are often messy as well.
It's really only my wishing for more - an epilogue would have been wonderful - that keeps me from giving it five stars. It really is quite good.
The ending is messy. There's explanation if no real resolution. Then again, life is usually like that, too. I wanted Anna and Trudy to come to some kind of better place in their relationship, but maternal/child relationships are often messy as well.
It's really only my wishing for more - an epilogue would have been wonderful - that keeps me from giving it five stars. It really is quite good.
leigh_reidelberger's review against another edition
2.0
The idea of the book was intriguing and obviously held me enough to finish it. Overall, it was annoying and a vain attempt at creating/resolving family drama. The author could not have been more obvious in her choice of writing two very strong, determined, obstinate women.
Our story is set in WWII Germany and 1996 Minnesota. Chapters switch back and forth, one describing a young woman dealing with the impending command of the Reich in Germany, the other dealing with her borderline old maid daughter. These women are dealing with what can only be called "silent struggles" and how to navigate their relationships within themselves and with each other, and how to deal with the past.
As a basic plot summary, it's nothing mindblowing. It's what she does with it that is mindnumbing.
Blum did succeed in weaving a decent narrative to describe the plight of the German-born matriach, Anna. She found a careful way to paint a scene of life, one that felt real and semi-honest. I found myself becoming absorbed with the terrors provided by the SS, the fear barely tolerated by the townspeople.
When dealing with, Trudy, however, her writing became bland and predictable. Trudy is a textbook example of a woman (who has been written 100 times over) who is struggilng with her identity, her past, her relationship with her mother. She may as well been running around saying 'What does it all mean??"
The ending is terrible. Everything is wrapped up in a package, relationship conflicts suddenly resovled, questions answered that had been lurking for generations. You know if the book were to go on any longer, suddenly Trudy and Anna would be at such peace with each other. In a movie version, she would return home and some cheesy song would play in the background while they clasp hands and smile knowingly at each other, fighting back tears of repressed emotions.
Our story is set in WWII Germany and 1996 Minnesota. Chapters switch back and forth, one describing a young woman dealing with the impending command of the Reich in Germany, the other dealing with her borderline old maid daughter. These women are dealing with what can only be called "silent struggles" and how to navigate their relationships within themselves and with each other, and how to deal with the past.
As a basic plot summary, it's nothing mindblowing. It's what she does with it that is mindnumbing.
Blum did succeed in weaving a decent narrative to describe the plight of the German-born matriach, Anna. She found a careful way to paint a scene of life, one that felt real and semi-honest. I found myself becoming absorbed with the terrors provided by the SS, the fear barely tolerated by the townspeople.
When dealing with, Trudy, however, her writing became bland and predictable. Trudy is a textbook example of a woman (who has been written 100 times over) who is struggilng with her identity, her past, her relationship with her mother. She may as well been running around saying 'What does it all mean??"
The ending is terrible. Everything is wrapped up in a package, relationship conflicts suddenly resovled, questions answered that had been lurking for generations. You know if the book were to go on any longer, suddenly Trudy and Anna would be at such peace with each other. In a movie version, she would return home and some cheesy song would play in the background while they clasp hands and smile knowingly at each other, fighting back tears of repressed emotions.
rogstads76's review against another edition
3.0
I didn't finish this book, but did enjoy what I did read.
2frangipani2's review against another edition
4.0
I truly liked this heartbreaking story. It was interesting to go back and forth between Trudy's current life and what she remembered, and then see what really happened. I thought the author did a great job with that.
My big problem with this book was the German. If you want to write a book and interject some original language, then you should have it checked. The author could not even get ein, zwei, drei right. It's einS...
So the part where the teacher is teaching Trudie to count made me cringe, since he was apparently telling her incorrectly. But, that was not the only mistake in the language, it was all over the book. Most of the time it was a grammar problem, which I know is hard for Americans.
Other than that I thought the author did a great job, especially considering this was her first book. I recommend this book to anyone that wants some insight in the German perspective during that time.
My big problem with this book was the German. If you want to write a book and interject some original language, then you should have it checked. The author could not even get ein, zwei, drei right. It's einS...
So the part where the teacher is teaching Trudie to count made me cringe, since he was apparently telling her incorrectly. But, that was not the only mistake in the language, it was all over the book. Most of the time it was a grammar problem, which I know is hard for Americans.
Other than that I thought the author did a great job, especially considering this was her first book. I recommend this book to anyone that wants some insight in the German perspective during that time.