Some of you may have seen the 2008 film based on this book, starring Kate Winslet. I respectfully submit that this 1995 book is far superior. This is Michael Berg’s book, both reflective and introspective. In 1958, 15-year-old Michael has a short tempestuous affair with an older woman, Hanna. Eight years later, Michael is a law student who learns that Hanna is on trial for being an SS guard responsible for the deaths of many women and children in a World War II concentration camp. The writing raises important questions about how beautiful memories can be shattered in hindsight, along with issues of betrayal, guilt and shame. Overall, the story is a metaphor for the complexity of present-day Germany’s relationship to its Nazi past – highly recommended.
What David Read 