Official Review: Who am i by Peter plum

Post by **Christabel Uzoamaka** » 26 Aug 2020, 15:54

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Who am i" by Peter plum.]

3 out of 4 stars

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A lot of us, at one point, have wished to visit our parents’ memories and understand their experiences. We often ask our elders for stories of older times, especially when it is about war, as this can help us understand how those times must have felt for them. Who am I by Peter Plum is like this trip down memory lane that we often request of our parents and grandparents.

Peter Plum began by explaining his ancestry and the region of Cologne, Germany. He then went on to describe his experiences as a child living with his parents until they got divorced. The most intriguing part of the story was his account of the Second World War that broke out when he was just eleven. Later, he was forced to join the army at sixteen, even while trying to survive hunger and bombings. During and after the war, Peter had to decide on the career path that was best for him. Alternating between baking and roofing, he chose to become a master roofer. His adventures led him to many meaningful friendships, some of which were lost along the way. This book details the survival of Peter up to the fulfilling time of old age that he currently shares with his wife, children, and grandchildren.

For someone like me, who is always curious about my parents’ memories, this story was a gem. I loved the part where the author recounted his experiences as a child living during wartime. It was so honest that I felt like I was the one living in those times. I applaud the author’s memory because certain stories were told in such detail that amazed me. I think that it was more interesting how Plum started his narration by introducing his ancestry. This way, a lot of family members were gradually introduced, and so there was no feeling of abruptness. I appreciated the relationship that the writer shared with his parents. I also loved the author’s inclusion of his wife and their various vacations. Another thing I found refreshing was the pieces of advice scattered across the book.

There is a lot of literature about the war, and most of them depict the whole of Germany as evil. Through Plum’s story, I got to see how the war affected German civilians. This book exposed the suffering that was inflicted on many innocent Germans by Britain, Russia, the United States of America, and France. I like that the author still did not try to justify Germany’s role during the war. His message was always clear: warmongers should never be listened to.

However, I noticed that the editors had to rein in the writer’s tendency to share too much detail. At some points, the story seemed to drag. In fact, after the author finished his war-time tales, I found it difficult to retain my initial gusto for the story. Also, I felt like the author was just simply brushing over memories and did not really show how he felt. This did not allow me to form an emotional attachment with the narration. Another thing I detested was the excessive use of terms that had to do with his job as a roofer. The book contained pictures of a lot of those technical terms. Nevertheless, I wish that the author did not dwell so much on his job as a roofer because that was the most uninteresting part of the book. This, however, could be a delight for people that are interested in roofing.

It was a pleasant surprise that I could not find even one error in this book. Even though this book hardly contains any profanity, it tells stories that are set during World War II; this can bother some readers. It contains mildly erotic scenes. I recommend this book, firstly, to all of Peter Plum’s descendants. I also recommend it to people interested in war stories and history. Readers that enjoy roofing will like this book too. This book may not be suitable for religious people because it has a chapter devoted to why the author does not believe in God. My rating for this piece is 3 out of 4 stars. I removed one star because the later part of the story lost my interest.

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Who am i
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Kola+wole · Post by **Kola+wole** » 28 Aug 2020, 04:04

Recommending this book to the author's descendants is spot on. I'll pass on this, war stories are not attractive to me. Great review.

TCG · Post by **TCG** » 28 Aug 2020, 06:19

I can title this book the adventure of Peter. His journey sounds captivating and interesting. Nice book.

Ada Ling · Post by **Ada Ling** » 28 Aug 2020, 11:11

Good to hear the author's journey. Thank you for the honest review!

Phelicia Gloria · Post by **Phelicia Gloria** » 28 Aug 2020, 18:04

Wow I like your introduction Christiee, like for me am already planning how I will tell my kids the battle against Covid-19 pandemic, great review.

Kelyn · Post by **Kelyn** » 28 Aug 2020, 22:31

I think the dragging section about roofing with all its technical terms would turn me off, and I wouldn't want to finish the book. I'll pass on this one. Thanks for the informative review!

Ify_Reviewer · Post by **Ify_Reviewer** » 29 Aug 2020, 03:36

The content of the book seems to match the title. Nice review.

Star_and_Buck · Post by **Star_and_Buck** » 31 Aug 2020, 15:55

I would like to read the description of the war. Nice, clean and detailed review. Good job.

Marizemicheal · Post by **Marizemicheal** » 03 Sep 2020, 19:22

I would really like to read this book and the journey in it. Sounds very interesting. Very good review!

adhambakry · Post by **adhambakry** » 06 Sep 2020, 06:47

I loved the review! The book seems to be amusing, I'll try to read it.

Drado_27 · Post by **Drado_27** » 12 Sep 2020, 07:16

I would like to learn more about the war time and its consequences, so this book might be suitable for me. I'm not sure if I would enjoy the talk about roofing, though. Wonderful review!