We loved this book, as it beautifully combines the consequences of displacement following the aftermath of the Second World War in 1946 in Hamburg.

 

If you enjoyed All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr then we think this is right up your street. 

 

Colonel Morgan is reluctantly put in charge of rebuilding the city and in doing so, forces his even more reluctant wife Rachel to not only join him with their son, but to share their large house with its original German owner and his strong willed daughter. 

 

The tension is palpable as we are drawn into life a year after the war when feelings of resentment, grief and anger ride so high. As the story unfolds, we watch these emotions change: resentment turns into love, guilt turns into forgiveness and antagonism into acceptance. 

 

It is a beautiful, moving and surprising story written from both points of view about the immediate after effects of occupation we hear little about, in a balanced and thought provoking way. 

 

There is also a film adaptation starring Keira Knightley available for those who are looking for a different form but the Den enjoyed the book more.

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- for people who love books -

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