Immersive historical fiction!

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4.5 stars. World War II novels are typically set during the war, so I was intrigued when I came across The German House which is set about twenty years after the war in Germany. The focus of the book is the 1963 Auschwitz Trials in Frankfurt. Eva begins to translate for the trial and quickly becomes torn between her family, the expectations society has placed on her, and the ever increasing guilt she has for her nation's actions.

I quickly became immersed in this novel, set on the verge of a changing era. Eva feels torn between the life she loves with her family and the life--with all its new and exciting possibilities--that she is drawn to beyond the safety of her home. This is a character driven novel, and they are flawed characters, which I always appreciate. They don't necessarily make the choices I would want them to make, but they reflect the realities of life.

It took me much longer to read this novel than it should have, but only because life got in the way. I was eager to pick it up and would have preferred to read it in a few longer spells than short spurts because it is so very immersive.

Witnessing the trial through Eva's eyes was daunting and emotional, but a reminder that even through the worst, most unimaginable atrocities, the human spirit prevails.