Author: Louise Fein
Year of Release: 2020
Publisher: Head of Zeus
Genre: Modern, Historical Fiction
Release Date: 5th August 2020 Rating 🌟🌟🌟
Synopsis
A love story set in 1930s Germany. Hetty, daughter of an SS officer, falls in love with Walter, a Jew – but will the steady march of dark forces destroy their world, or can love ultimately triumph? ‘I nearly drowned, and Walter rescued me. That changes everything.’ Leipzig, 1930’s Germany. Hetty Heinrich is a perfect German child. Her father is an SS officer, her brother in the Luftwaffe, herself a member of the BDM. She believes resolutely in her country, and the man who runs it. Until Walter changes everything. Blond-haired, blue-eyed, perfect in every way Walter. The boy who saved her life. A Jew. Anti-Semitism is growing by the day, and neighbours, friends and family members are turning on one another. As Hetty falls deeper in love with a man who is against all she has been taught, she begins to fight against her country, her family and herself. Hetty will risk have to risk everything to save Walter, even if it means sacrificing herself… Perfect for fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz and The Book Thief.
Review
Hetty Heinrich has it all a loving mother, a strong father whose moving up the career ladder as an SS Officer and a loving older brother Karl. Hetty is over the moon when her family has the opportunity to move to the nicest neighbourhood in one of best houses on the street, she couldn’t be more thankful to be one of the girls the Fuhrer has chosen to do his work and she plans to do him proud.
One day Hetty is out walking her beloved dog when she comes across Walter Karl’s, best friend in childhood and Hetty’s crush. The pair haven’t seen each other in four years the reason’s for this are Walter is a Jew and because Hetty has been fed anti-semitism from birth, she whole heartedly believes all Jews to be Dirty and dishonest but this is Walter, her Walter. The same Walter who saved her from almost drowning when she was just Seven years old. So how can it be that he is anything like those Dirty Jews surely there is some sort of misunderstanding?
Hetty and Walter continue to meet up in secret even though the pair know that the consequences for both would be dire, it’s during these secret walks Hetty begins to question everything she thought she knew about the Jewish community; not only the Jewish community, but unwanted questions come to the surface about Hitler and his cause.
I’ve read plenty of books that cover the Nazi Germany period, but what drew me to People Like Us was the story was told from the perspective of a child, as the story progresses grows into a young women. What a fantastic decision by Author Louise Fein I really think this makes People Like Us a stand out novel in the Historical Fiction genre for 2020.
Every character used to tell this story played a significant role and with a story of this size it would’ve been easy to have a small character list, but it was clear Fein has a direction for them very early on.
Thanks to the writing I really felt for Hetty as our greatest teachers can be those who raise us, I can’t say however that I was completely sympathetic to Hetty at times, I found her wavering loyalties to Hitler infuriating as a reader.
I do however understand to go against everything during this period in history would’ve been dire and with a father as arrogant and powerful as he and with a mother as loyal to the cause as she was would’ve been nearly impossible.
The characters who managed to get under my skin was Hetty’s father, I couldn’t imagine a father speaking or treating his daughter the way her dad did, I don’t care what his rank or whom he worked for.
Erna and Hetty’s friendship was one of the strengths for this reader I believe it bought some much needed light to such a dark period in History.
Things this reader wanted from this book: I would’ve liked more detail into what happened to some of the characters just one day after finishing I still wonder if this book could have been told using dual perspective technique, given that Walter plays such a big role in Hetty’s journey into womanhood but this is just a personal want for this reader, the story doesn’t suffer nor confuse the reader by not using this technique.
I highly recommend People Like Us for mature readers, those with a love of Historical Fiction
My Continued thanks to Harper Collins Publishers for sending an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.