Great Book

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The German House by Annette Hess and translated by Elisabeth Lauffer is a complex, fascinating, thought-provoking historical fiction with a bit of mystery mixed in. This book is definitely not an easy read in regards to the heavy subject matter, but it was breathtaking, and I was able to devour it in 2 days.

This book mainly features Eva Bruhns, a 24 year old German living with her parents and siblings in a house/restaurant literally called The German House in Frankfurt, Germany. It mainly takes place during the 1960s with the Frankfurt Auschwitz Trials. Eva becomes entwined into the trials by being hired as a translator for the Polish speaking witnesses for the Prosecution.
This book delves into the human psyche in so many ways, that it is even difficult to explain in that I do not want to give any of the spoilers or twists, and also not to do it justice.
I loved being able to get into the heads of not just Eva, but Edith (her mom), Jurgen (her s/o/fiancé), David, Ludwig (her father), and her sister Annegret (whom honestly I was not a fan of at all and am glad she received her own justice).

To have a front row seat at the Frankfurt trials was fascinating, as well as devastating. To hear more of the torture and shear horror that the witnesses had to testify to, hurt even now after knowing about the atrocities that occurred at Auschwitz-Birkenau for all my life. Every “new” story I hear, just digs the knife deeper about what was done to our people (the Jewish people), as well as many others.

It was interesting to hear the German people’s “side” and thoughts concerning the trial and the subject matter, as well as the social and political climate there at that time.

To say that this is a coming of age story by itself is not enough. This story sheds a light on what pure evil can be and look like, what hit humanity has taken, a story of overcoming the literal worst to become a survivor, and to find and define oneself despite social expectations, customs, and the fact that you cannot pick your family, nor do you have to agree and accept your family.
I enjoyed Eva and liked her character. She is flawed, yet strong, and intelligent. She has a mind of her own and deep down wants to do the right thing, and does her best to achieve that. And while the ending was sad over all, I also enjoyed certain parts of the ending that did leave the reader with an overall positive image for Eva and her future life, one cannot delude the reader into thinking that everything will be all right and that everything is black and white, because it just isn't. And for the sake of the Bruhns family characters specifically (and not the outcome of the Frankfurt trials because that is another story all together) that is enough and ok.

5/5 stars A must read.