3.5 Stars

These types of books always amaze me in many ways. This is a translation of a long considered lost German manuscript written by a man in 1939, from many of his own experiences at the dawn of WWII.

This is the story of a Jewish man Otto, living in Germany, as the crimes and discrimination towards the Jewish people start to mount in both frequency and severity. Upon realizing that he too is at risk of meeting an unfortunate fate, he sets out to escape Germany by train. He appears Arian by appearance, which helps his cause, as he is rarely suspected of his Jewish heritage.

The discrimination against him start to stack up though, initially coming from his former friends and business partners. Their true allegiance starts to show, and Otto is starting to feel the harsh realizations of his potential future. His business partner swindles him with little remorse and puts him in a position he is not familiar with. Otto considers himself a true German, having fought in the war for his county, and he struggles to come to terms with the collapse of his country around him.

The book was heartbreaking though informative. The first person narrative really brought me into the main characters thoughts and it was a very interesting read overall