Helpful Score: 1
This book was stunning, an autobiography showing us a different perspective of the after-math of war! I could not put it down.
Helpful Score: 1
A retrospective view of what it was like to be a German child in a defeated Germany after WWII, this story shed light on other "victims" of that war. Samuel's narrative seemed unflinching when describing what it took for his family to survive in a defeated country. His story had a positive ending, yet there are other co-occurring stories that did not end in that manner. Underlying the story is a strong statement about how innocent people are propelled unwillingly and unwittingly into wars that they have not chosen and have had no say in deciding, and the great price they must pay for it. Samuel's writing is detailed and sometimes a little repetitive, but the story keeps one's interest and is well worth the read.
Helpful Score: 1
This is one book I had to pass on to my family to read. It is a true story of a family's survival against odds which crushed millions of Europeans. The entire time I was reading this book I thought of my parents growing up safe in the US.
"A compelling memoir of what it was like to become a refugee overnight and to remain one for six years...German Boy [embodies] the ever-recurring historical truth that the innocent usually pay for the sins committed by others" - New York Times Book Review
I love reading about WWII, this is an interesting book in that it tells a different point of view.
Absolutely one of the best WWII memoirs I've ever read. You will never forget this boy -- or his mother.
Excellent memoir very touching
I LOVED this book. Wolfgang Samuel relates his story so well that I could actually feel what he was feeling. Once I started reading I didn't want to put it down and I was sorry when the book ended.
Just a book I never really got into.
I read any WWII book I can, but I prefer stories about "people's experience" (rather than troop movement and battles). I was intrigued by the idea of learning what happened to German civilians. This was a well written, fabulous account of 6 years of a young German boy's life. I highly recommend it.
A gripping story of survival of mother and son during World War II in eastern Germany. The circumstances faced were incredible; yet they endured through fear, hunger, suffering most cannot imagine. The challenges for survival didn't deter mother to help son; even sacrificed self for means to provide food. The son has opened himself to reveal his story of survival recollecting his incredible journey & of the dark history of Nazi Germany.
