10 years before Hitler’s rise to power, a 7 year old German boy makes a forbidden turn…

… where he is rescued by, Jacob, an older Jewish man.

… this turn changes his life forever.

On that day, a friendship began, but could it survive the horrors of what was to come?

As Detrick grew into manhood, Jacob became the father figure he lacked.

Detrick, now 17, and a blond haired, blue eyed, “Aryan” young man, sees Leah, Jacobs daughter, in a different light, and his world changed…

It was the worst time to fall in love.

1938- The glass shattered, synagogues were burned…

… And it was no longer safe to be a Jew.

With his friends joining the party and the laws changing daily, the rise of the Nazis can’t be stopped. They will come for the people he loves?

Everyone must obey or be crushed under the jackboots carrying out the orders of the SS.

Is the only way to protect Jacob and Leah to join the Nazi Party?

On the eve of the Nazis rise to power, will one young man choose what’s right over what’s easy?

You’ll fall in love this heart breaking story.

It is hard to say I ever enjoy stories of the Holocaust and the tribulations of the Jewish people, but I do often find them compelling. There might not be any other period of time that offers so much of true tragedy for an author to tap. I am sorry to say, this effort fell flat for me. I never felt involved with the characters, so I felt more of the general feeling of sorrow that these events represent than any real empathy with the situations of these specific people. Perhaps it was Kagan's attempt to follow too many characters and cover every possibility that made none of her characters come alive for me.

I cannot help compare this work to [b:Sophie's Choice|228560|Sophie's Choice|William Styron|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1356714742s/228560.jpg|2912834], [b:The Diary of Anne Frank|5513|The Diary of Anne Frank|Wendy Kesselman|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1343931608s/5513.jpg|42419722], [b:Night|1617|Night (The Night Trilogy, #1)|Elie Wiesel|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1391969340s/1617.jpg|265616], or [b:Stones from the River|77163|Stones from the River|Ursula Hegi|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1366513909s/77163.jpg|1253009]and find it much less satisfying and moving. ( )

A Historical novel of Love and Survival during The Holocaust

Book #1, in the All My Love Detrick Series

“All My Love Detrick” tells the story of a Jewish girl and a German boy who fall in love just as Hitler is appointed Chancellor of Germany. This is a very human and a most touching fiction of forbidden love and friendship I read in a long time. The story begins in 1923 when Detrick Haswell was seven years old, the timeline and narrative travels through the 30’s, WW11 and some years later.

This is a sweet story simplistic told in short chapters in everyday language. There is a lot going on, seemed the author wanted to squeeze every important events that happened in the many decades the story covers. It is a bit confusing at times, the tale jumps from place to place from character to character sometimes in mid-chapter. Having said this, I overpassed those hicks and nevertheless stayed captivated throughout. The premise here is good even if the topic of the Holocaust has been touched zillions of times before, it could not be revisited enough IMO. I also believe the author’s scenario could have happened many times over.

I enjoyed this book with its many threads. The many characters are well-crafted and I find myself caring for them all. But mid-way, one seemed to disappear and I still wonder what happened, oh well maybe in book 2….not all the threads were neatly wrapped….again this is a series….who knows what the author has in mind next…..

If you are a historical buff this book may not be for you but if you enjoy a light war story with a lot of romance this one may be up your alley. In whole it is worth reading. ( )

Where I do I start? One-dimensional characters, a completely implausible plot, sappy romance worthy of a Harlequin novel, text replete with all sorts of errors. Skip this one. ( )

Oh My God! Not many Holocaust novels I have read can touch me the way that The Diary of Anne Frank did but in this book I was torn. I cried, I smiled, I laughed, I threw my book once or twice because I was destroyed. Especially at the end when Detrick finally was killed That part rocked me because I was not expecting things to happen that way. I loved it I just wish it would have ended a little differently..but I may not have loved it that way. ( )