Two Brothers by Ben Elton

5 out of 5 stars

So, I’m not giving anything away if I say the book is about two brothers. They are born at the same time as the Nazi party in Germany. The book follows their lives and loves and weaves a wonderful tale of childhood fun, romance and then war. My husband reads more war stories than me, so I’ll quote him here: “Where the book earns its accolades is how it provides insight into the workings of the national psyche in Germany over this tumultuous time. How does a nation slowly turn on the Jewish people and become complicit in the extermination of millions of people? Elton brilliantly critiques the evils of nationalism, elitism, racism, through the lives of his characters.”

This was a brilliant read. I cannot say enough good things about this book.

Not only was the history well researched, it was written from such a personal perspective, that I couldn't put it down, except when I needed a break from the raw emotion. And then I had to take it up again, because I couldn't wait any longer to see how the story developed.

I read it start to finish in a single day, and it left me breathless at times. Who says historical fiction can’t be page-turning of note?

One of my books of the year!

You may also enjoy Time and Time Again by the same author.

ISBN:  9780593062050

Here are all my reviews and recommendations.