Heather’s Bookshelf: War Story
Author: Rolf Margenau
Released: 07/31/21
Genre: Historical Fiction
“Chance meetings were a sign of fate that he could not change or something he was destined to do. He understood that fate happens when you don’t take responsibility for your life because a higher power has ordained the outcome. He preferred destiny, which happened when he committed to growing, learning, and taking chances. He manifested this attitude in his preference for asking forgiveness rather than begging for permission and in the belief that good things happen when preparation meets opportunity.”
“War Story” takes place during WWII and follows four young people as they grow up in that era. Nine-year-old Achim is American born to German parents. Horst is a Nazi tank commander. Liesel’s a young woman who earns her piloting license only to be disillusioned by her one-time pilot heroes. Finally, Paul is a young American who joins the army as a code breaker after receiving an engineering degree from Yale.
Each storyline is told from the individual points of view which intersect at times throughout the story. While each of the characters are affected by the war in different ways and some of them interact directly in the violence, much of the story is actually spent on the day to day changes and interactions.
The four main characters each experience love, loss, joy, and sorrow. There is some real heartbreak and tragedy, but there is also true happiness and hope.
Trigger Warning: adult language, war time violence, death, racism, sexism, sexual situations
Overall, I found this story to be engrossing and intriguing. The four points of view break up the story and push it forward in a way that makes you want to get to the next section of your favorite tale/speaker. I really personally enjoyed Achim’s point of view as there was an innocence about it that was endearing. Each story had something a little different going for it and I can see how different people with connect with different tales. The connections between the characters were more in relation and not especially overt, but still connected the story together into one tale. Clearly the author put a lot of research into writing this story. It’s slam-packed with historical references and events but it’s the little details that really won me over (did you know 3 Musketeers candy bars used to be 3 different flavors- hence the name? Mind blown!). By the end of the story, I felt I had a good handle on each of the main characters as well as the relationships between them. I did feel as though the ending was abrupt for the pacing of the rest of the novel.
I received a copy of this story in exchange of a fair and honest review.
OVERALL REVIEW:
This historical fiction takes place during WWII and follows four young people on their personal experiences and interactions.
Want to learn more about the author?
Check out my interview with Rolf Margenau
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