nomadreader

The backstory: The Undertaking, the debut novel by Audrey Magee, is on the 2014 Baileys Prize shortlist. It was also longlisted for the 2015 Walter Scott Prize . The basics: In early World War II, teacher and German soldier Peter Faber, desperate to escape the Russian front, even if only for a few weeks, decides to marry a woman, Katharina Spinnell, he has never met. She gets his pension if he dies, and he gets two weeks leave, which he spends with Katharina and her parents in Berlin. My thoughts: I confess, when I saw The Undertaking  on the Baileys Prize longlist (and eventually the shortlist), I was skeptical. "Another World War II novel? Hasn't it all been done?" I'm hardly an expert on World War II fiction, but I've been suffering from fatigue for several years. Good news: The Undertaking  is fresh, enchanting, and an incredibly accomplished debut. The relationship between Katharina and Peter is fascinating to watch. There initial time together is inc...

The backstory: Flight from Berlin  is David John's first novel. The basics: Set during the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, Flight from Berlin  is a story of espionage. It focuses on Eleanor, a young, married swimmer destined to win another Olympic gold medal despite her father's (a New York Senator) disapproval of the games that support Hitler, and Denham, a British journalist. My thoughts: I'm a huge fan of the Olympics, and reading about the stories 1936 Olympics was quite intriguing. The opening pages of the novel were fascinating. I was instantly drawn to Eleanor and her feistiness. Granted, her dialogue was sometimes heavy-handed, but it worked for her: "The fastest man on earth is on board this ship,’ she said, interrupting Helen, ‘and he’s a Negro. He’s going to win gold in Berlin in front of the whole world. Don’t you think that’ll be one in the eye for stupid, hokey race theories? I think it’s damned right that we’re going to these Games.’" The early chapte...

The backstory: Half Blood Blues , Esi Edugyan's second novel, is shortlisted for the 2012 Orange Prize , was shortlisted for the 2011 Booker Prize , and won the 2011 Giller Prize. The basics: Mostly set in Nazi-occupied Berlin and Paris, Half Blood Blues is the story of a young German & American band, the Hot-Time Swingers. Their most talented member, a black German, is arrested and dies in custody. One recording of the band, survives, however, and Hiero becomes a cult hero. My thoughts: Early in this novel, Sid and Chip travel to Europe in 1992 to see a documentary about the band. Using a documentary about the characters was a brilliant way to condense their story early on: "Of course, the recording’s cult status had to do with the illusion of it all. I mean, not just of the kid but of all of us, all the Hot-Time Swingers. Think about it. A bunch of German and American kids meeting up in Berlin and Paris between the wars to make all this wild joyful music before the...