The German Wife

Evil Isn't Born. It Is Created. Of all the WWII historical fiction books I've read over the years - and at this point, it is a decent number - this is the first to highlight one particular scenario that I'm almost positive has impacted my own life. Specifically, Rimmer does a phenomenal job with one of her characters fighting in WWII and having a particular experience that I'm nearly positive (as much as I can be, given the dearth of records) my own grandfather had a very similar one. She shows how, particularly if the soldier perhaps had already endured some level of trauma, this particular experience (and I'm being intentionally vague to avoid spoilers) could truly push them off the deep end and take them from troubled-yet-manageable to outright evil. But even there, Rimmer takes care to show that there is still hope that the person can be redeemed. Similarly, she also uses another character in a similar mold, but at a much different age and on the opposite side of the war. Rimmer does a great job with making the story hit notes not always seen in this genre, and in the process manages to humanize many types of people that are all too often dehumanized by various groups today. Truly an astounding work, and very much recommended.

I found the style - almost total dialogue, and the telling of two stories chapter by chapter to be asking too much of me as a reader. If you are only using dialogue then you have to work in so much info it can become stilted. In the end, I gave it away. I first read her book 'Things you Cannot Say' which was exceptional so maybe expected too much.