Fiction The East Fritz H.
Schroeder 2012 Create Space 286 pages The East tells the story of World War II from the perspective of a young German boy.
Author Fritz H.
Schroeder takes readers into the lives of a close German community with the bright, empathetic young narrator as the story's focus.
The boy's family and neighbors are described in vivid detail, from the amorous young couple who are encouraged to marry, to the independent, single career woman who opens the young boy's mind about the pending war.
My initial impression of this book was that the writing was beautifully descriptive and transported me to Germany in the 1930s where people lived simple, abundant lives.
But I could not see the story.
As the young narrator shares the details of the lives of his parents, grandparents, and neighbors, a thread of history is woven into the slowly developing plot: the events that established Adolf Hitler as the leader of Germany, and the steps he took that brought his country to war.
What emerges from these opposing threads is a delicate, heartbreaking story about the impact of the Second World War on the German people.
Every character influences the young narrator's life.
Every bit of knowledge he gleans from the people who cross his path in the city where he lives or out in the country where his grandparents reside, helps the boy to survive the war and the subsequent Russian occupation of East Germany.
Schroeder is not only a skilled storyteller, he is also brave.
His use of backstory, the mix of fiction and historical fact, the sparse use of dialogue, and an unnamed narrator all works together to make this a unique and bold piece.
The characters are dynamic and distinctive.
There is a definite sense of family throughout this story, and an equal sense of loss as the war and its aftermath gradually takes away each family member.
This book brought me to tears.
The author writes about the far-reaching effects of evil that manifests from a desire for absolute power.
The deterioration of life for the citizens of East Germany is stunning.
As the author slowly describes the lifestyle of the people before, during, and after the war, the bones of the story are revealed; then it is fleshed out.
In the simplicity of this story about common lives, the author reminds the reader of what we must never forget: obsession with power is the enemy of humankind.
The East is an excellent tale of community, war, and loss.
I highly recommend it.