The Bookseller of Dachau is powerful. It is gut-wrenching and melancholy. And yes, Shari Ryan, I needed many tissues throughout this extraordinary journey of ordinary people. But most of all, it was truly a story of hope, perseverance, and the most precious kind of love.
To say that Ryan has hit the pinnacle of her work in the historical fiction genre, concentration on World War II, is an understatement. She uses her own background as a guide to the most extraordinary of tales. With the Bookseller of Dachau, we get both past and present as Grace Laurent travels to Germany to discover her roots. A woman who is struggling to find her path in life and tired of simply existing, she discovers the key to her very soul as she learns about her long-lost grandmother, Matilda, and the sacrifices and most remarkable life she led.
The way Ryan combines the past with the present is seamless. With new friend Archie as Grace's guide, she gleans a new appreciation for all that Matilda suffered through in order to protect those she loved. Through letters and the like, the past is brought to life for Grace and I was right there with her as she experiences Matilda's pain, hurt and disappointment with her country and all that was happening around her.
Although this dark part of history is never easy to read about, Ryan somehow makes it palatable enough. We are getting a new perspective from a woman who didn't fall for all the hype and propaganda of a Nazi Germany and would fight tooth and nail to rescue the man she loved with all of her heart. It's as if Ryan has given us a new way of looking at how events ramped up quickly and how hasty decisions were truly made the best they could even when Matilda would forever feel a betrayal she could never accept.
The love story of Matilda and her Hans is clearly at the forefront of this story and together with Grace, I didn't care how hard it was to continue to go through their letters to one another, I knew I had to find out just how their journey concluded. The selfless and brave actions of Matilda were incredible to witness especially when it came to Hans, her neighbor, friend, and eventual lover and I'm not surprised how beloved she became in her adopted city of Dachau. Together with memorable secondary characters, her story could have been one mired in despair and desperation. But instead, that idea of hope, no matter how small it could seem on the worst of days was what continually propelled Matilda and her will to keep going.
While Grace explores this new part of her family tree, the sadness felt that her recently-departed mother couldn't be there to finally find out where she came from was definitely hard to swallow at times. But as the story unfolds, there are many wonderful surprises that clearly soothe any moments of regret and I was honestly thrilled that everything comes full circle for Grace and her newfound identity.
The Bookseller of Dachau is poignant but again, that promise of something better right around the corner is what kept me going and I know what kept Grace going as this adventure takes hold of her very being. I became very emotional as I read this brilliant book but am happy to say that most of the time my tears were glad ones full of relief. Matilda's drive is awe-inspiring and reminds me, once again, just how resilient the human psyche can be when necessary. A true heroine in every sense of the word.
I can't recommend this book highly enough and encourage everyone to pick up a copy.
5 huge stars!
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Absolutely wonderful, 5 stars hands down!
Where do I even begin?! This book was phenomenal! I grabbed it solely because it was a ww2 book and I binge read these, I had no idea what I was getting into!This story was beautifully written from beginning to finish from the perspective of Matilda's experience during the war. It involved the struggles endured by all sides, the capture of young love lost 2x over and how anyone can lose absolutely everything near and dear to them during trying times.It flips back and forth to Grace's POV who is Matilda's long lost granddaughter on a mission to figure out her family history and just where her lineage leads her, traveling in the spur of the moment from Boston to Germany where she will reveal more than she ever imagined.This is a book where you think you will can guess what will happen next, but through the devastation and the tears all you can hope for is healing and things to turn out as ok as they possibly can. A story of lost love, family and life as they knew it; but never lost hope, strength or resilience.
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Top reviews from other countries
Harmony Kent
incredibly moving. both heart wrenching and heart warming
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 7, 2024
Michael Head
It is a wonderful story of family in the Nazi persecutions and even if they did not die.
Reviewed in Australia on September 12, 2023