I received this ARC from Between the Chapters group. Thanks also to the author.

This book was an excellent page turner that follows a young man, Karel, through a Nazi prison camp, then Auschwitz. He becomes a house boy to a Nazi officer who also has a personal relationship with him. This Nazi, who gives him a German name, is also the reason he survives and gets out of the camp. After emigrating to America and living a life there Charles finally deals with his past and gets to create a future. ( )

One of my favorite genres is historical fiction. "We Are Only Ghosts" by Jeffrey L. Richards definitely had some well-written, powerful messages throughout the novel. However, for the most part, the plot is overwhelmed by the main character's sex life. This, unfortunately, undermined and took away from the history and atrocities that actually took place during this time in our world's history. In trying not to give any "spoilers" away, the part in the novel, in which Berthold commits and unspeakable act against Charles' family and Charles goes on with his life and his relationship with Berthold as if nothing happened, is something that I just couldn't get past. Even though I'm not Jewish, I took offense to how Charles' character handled the situation at that time. The actions of the characters were not realistic to make this novel work for me. ( )

Thank you to the author, publisher and Goodreads for this ARC.

I don't mean to be ungrateful, but I have no idea why I wanted to read this book since it's so sad and I've read books about concentration camps and Nazis before but it was an interesting read.

At 17, Charles was deported to Auschwitz with his family. There he was singled out by Obersturmführer Berthold Werden, (a Nazi officer), who hid him in his home. Their entanglement produced a tortured affection mixed with hatred that flares to life again, decades later, when Berthold walks into Café Marie in NYC in 1968, where Charles is a waiter.

It goes back and forth from 1968 to 1944. This book is different than the usual historical books since both Berthold and Charles are gay which you don't hear too much about or read about (or at least for me) in historical novels set in the '40s or '60s. A lot of gay sex interaction in this book.

A very powerful book to say the least. ( )