In 1932 Michael Renner travels from his Halifax home to Berlin on a family errand. In Berlin, in contrast to the scarcity of opportunity in the Nova Scotia he left behind, he finds a society on the upswing, in recovery economically and casting off the shame of its WW1 defeat. His assignment in Germany is to keep watch over his elderly grandmother. As Michael establishes himself in his new home, forging connections and making friends--even re-inserting the "von" in his name to become Michael von Renner--it makes more and more sense to stay where he is. When his grandmother dies, he remains in Berlin. Michael gets work, marries and has a son. However, he also builds a social life outside of the home, in the cabarets of underground Berlin, where many of his friends are of ambiguous sexuality and whose habits are at odds with the officially sanctioned morals of the newly elected Nazi Party. Years go by and German military aggression has led to war. Michael's double life eventually brings him down when his attachment to a young male prostitute is noticed by his German family, his colleagues at work and the Nazi authorities. He is arrested, branded as degenerate, and incarcerated in a work camp outside of the city. The novel ends some years after the war, with Michael hunting for his son, who was offered up for adoption after Michael's estranged wife was killed in an Allied bombing raid. The power of the novel lies in its vivid rendering of Nazi-era Berlin and the plight of victims of Nazi atrocities. However, Malone too often relies on coincidence to move the narrative forward, straining credibility time and again. This is unfortunate because the visceral impact of Michael Renner's story is undeniable. ( )

Wow!
Wow!
Wow!
I absolutely loved this book!

At the beginning of the novel, we travel with the protagonist to Germany just before the start of WWII. Although Michael Renner doesn't want to comply with his father's demand that he go to Berlin to ensure that his grandmother is not being exploited by her neighbour, he complies.

Michael is young. He doesn't really know much about life nor about himself. It is his first time traveling and while seriously seasick on the ship, he is forced to quickly learn how to deal with strangers and new situations. He is also ignorant of his German heritage. He knows nothing of Berlin nor of his extended family living there. Further, he also doesn't seem to know what is happening around him in Germany. He unwittingly is politically blind, unaware of the discrimination against the Jews, the homosexuals, and all deemed "deviant" or "enemies" of the State.

What I really really liked about this book is its fresh approach.

This is not a typical Holocaust novel. It is somewhat reminiscent of The Book Thief by Markus Zusak in that the protagonist is simply living his own life and minding his own business while the world around him is changing. He seems blissfully unconcerned by the plight of the less fortunate. Thanks to his grandmother, he has enough money, is meeting friends, partying, discovering his sexuality, simply living. Eventually the realities of his situation catch up with him. He is forced to endure unimaginable brutalities and to cope in ways he never thought possible. Although I am not homosexual, I could easily relate to Michael. He is very naive. He simply wants to live and be loved. He is human. He makes mistakes. He is flawed.

Another thing I liked about this novel is the realistic description of Berlin just before WWII. Although I am not a big fan of gratuitous descriptive passages, there is just the right amount of fine relevant historical detail that the pages came alive as I read. Simply amazing!

Would I recommend this book? Most definitely! ( )