Review of Do You Really Want To Know?
Authors and publishers are not able to post replies in the review topics.
- Gerry Steen
- Book of the Month Participant
- Posts: 913
- Joined: 08 May 2023, 20:08
- Currently Reading: The Impossible Mock Orange Trial
- Bookshelf Size: 182
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-gerry-steen.html
- Latest Review: Do You Really Want To Know? by Kate Fraser
Review of Do You Really Want To Know?
Would you like to brush up on the history of World War II? Are you curious about how Hungary was affected by the war? Would you like to know how survivors dealt with the atrocities they experienced at the hands of the Nazis? If you answered yes to these questions, you should read Do You Really Want To Know? by Kate Fraser.
Kate Fraser wrote this autofiction novel in the third-person narration style. The reader was made privy to the thoughts and dialogues of each of the main characters. The story connected childhood trauma during the war with struggles of finding one's identity and moving on from the past.
The narrative begins in 1962, in Elmsburg, New York. The reader is introduced to 13-year-old Marta. Next, the narrative switches to the Austrian Alps in 1945. Here we are introduced to Lili and Fritz. Lili has sprained her ankle on the mountain trail and is thinking about the gunshot she heard. Fritz hears barking dogs approaching. The story then shifts to Berlin, Germany in the year 1937. We are introduced to Vivien. She is a toddler. Her father is an officer in the Nazi regime’s armed force known as the Wehrmacht. As the plot unravels, the lives of these people become intertwined. We learn about their lives by alternating between the 1960s and World War II fifteen times. The story explores themes such as families emigrating from Germany and Austria to Hungary, the inhumanity of the Nazi regime, children losing their parents, rape, infidelity, survivor guilt, self-identity, and forgiveness.
The central focus of the narrative revolves around Marta. She is living with her parents, Lili and Fritz, who are immigrants. Lili and Fritz are holocaust survivors. They avoid discussing their painful past. As a result, Marta feels disconnected from her parents and struggles with her identity. This situation becomes quite challenging for the family when her school teacher, Mrs. Vivien Harris, assigns the class a project. The class project involves researching and sharing each student's family heritage.
The vivid descriptions of the chaos, fear, and brutality experienced by all during the Second World War kept me engrossed. I was saddened by Marta’s pining to know about her parents’ past. The events of World War II helped me empathize with the characters in the 1960s. I gained a lot of knowledge about Hungary's involvement in World War II. I was reminded that it is possible to resolve past traumas and that forgiveness can be liberating. This book was well-edited. I found nothing negative to report. Therefore, I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars.
******
Do You Really Want To Know?
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
- Amy Luman
- Previous Member of the Month
- Posts: 5044
- Joined: 29 Mar 2021, 14:05
- Currently Reading: 2084
- Bookshelf Size: 1017
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-amy-luman.html
- Latest Review: Time Before Time by Dan DuBose
- Reading Device: B00JG8GOWU
-
- Book of the Month Participant
- Posts: 241
- Joined: 06 Sep 2022, 11:17
- Currently Reading:
- Bookshelf Size: 52
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-aleena-augustine.html
- Latest Review: The In-Between by Christian Espinosa
As someone who's fond of history, this sounds like a powerful and thought-provoking read. I'm intrigued by how the book combines personal histories with major historical events. The themes of identity and forgiveness seem especially compelling. Great job on the review, Gerry!Gerry Steen wrote: ↑15 Apr 2024, 19:20 [Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Do You Really Want To Know?" by Kate Fraser.]
Would you like to brush up on the history of World War II? Are you curious about how Hungary was affected by the war? Would you like to know how survivors dealt with the atrocities they experienced at the hands of the Nazis? If you answered yes to these questions, you should read Do You Really Want To Know? by Kate Fraser.
Kate Fraser wrote this autofiction novel in the third-person narration style. The reader was made privy to the thoughts and dialogues of each of the main characters. The story connected childhood trauma during the war with struggles of finding one's identity and moving on from the past.
The narrative begins in 1962, in Elmsburg, New York. The reader is introduced to 13-year-old Marta. Next, the narrative switches to the Austrian Alps in 1945. Here we are introduced to Lili and Fritz. Lili has sprained her ankle on the mountain trail and is thinking about the gunshot she heard. Fritz hears barking dogs approaching. The story then shifts to Berlin, Germany in the year 1937. We are introduced to Vivien. She is a toddler. Her father is an officer in the Nazi regime’s armed force known as the Wehrmacht. As the plot unravels, the lives of these people become intertwined. We learn about their lives by alternating between the 1960s and World War II fifteen times. The story explores themes such as families emigrating from Germany and Austria to Hungary, the inhumanity of the Nazi regime, children losing their parents, rape, infidelity, survivor guilt, self-identity, and forgiveness.
The central focus of the narrative revolves around Marta. She is living with her parents, Lili and Fritz, who are immigrants. Lili and Fritz are holocaust survivors. They avoid discussing their painful past. As a result, Marta feels disconnected from her parents and struggles with her identity. This situation becomes quite challenging for the family when her school teacher, Mrs. Vivien Harris, assigns the class a project. The class project involves researching and sharing each student's family heritage.
The vivid descriptions of the chaos, fear, and brutality experienced by all during the Second World War kept me engrossed. I was saddened by Marta’s pining to know about her parents’ past. The events of World War II helped me empathize with the characters in the 1960s. I gained a lot of knowledge about Hungary's involvement in World War II. I was reminded that it is possible to resolve past traumas and that forgiveness can be liberating. This book was well-edited. I found nothing negative to report. Therefore, I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars.
******
Do You Really Want To Know?
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
- Priya Murugesan
- Posts: 244
- Joined: 27 Jan 2020, 01:51
- Currently Reading:
- Bookshelf Size: 40
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-priya-murugesan.html
- Latest Review: All Body Bags and No Knickers by Shawe Ruckus
- Priya Murugesan
- Posts: 244
- Joined: 27 Jan 2020, 01:51
- Currently Reading:
- Bookshelf Size: 40
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-priya-murugesan.html
- Latest Review: All Body Bags and No Knickers by Shawe Ruckus
- Cristiano Bellucci
- Book of the Month Participant
- Posts: 329
- Joined: 24 Nov 2023, 10:57
- Currently Reading:
- Bookshelf Size: 38
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-cristiano-bellucci.html
- Latest Review: The Aspen Tree by Bart LaRocca
- 2024 Reading Goal: 5
- 2024 Goal Completion: 520%
- NetMassimo
- Previous Member of the Month
- Posts: 6683
- Joined: 24 Jul 2019, 06:37
- Currently Reading: The Writings for the Vialins
- Bookshelf Size: 432
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-netmassimo.html
- Latest Review: The Ripsons by Joe Morrow
- 2024 Reading Goal: 60
- 2024 Goal Completion: 45%
Massimo
- Marie Chalupová
- In It Together VIP
- Posts: 306
- Joined: 20 Sep 2022, 08:40
- Currently Reading: The Will of the Many
- Bookshelf Size: 2291
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-marie-chalupov.html
- Latest Review: The Very Hungry Beagles Guide to Poop by M. Jackson, Lucky, Mr. Beckham, Peanut
- Reading Device: B00JG8GOWU
- 2024 Reading Goal: 150
- 2024 Goal Completion: 32%
- Martina Sette
- Book of the Month Participant
- Posts: 286
- Joined: 04 Oct 2023, 06:47
- Currently Reading:
- Bookshelf Size: 57
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-martina-sette.html
- Latest Review: Under The Elm by Ivana Christman
- 2024 Reading Goal: 30
- 2024 Goal Completion: 130%
- Runan
- Book of the Month Participant
- Posts: 547
- Joined: 14 Aug 2023, 12:21
- Currently Reading:
- Bookshelf Size: 51
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-runan.html
- Latest Review: Overcoming Systemic Prejudice and Discrimination by J. Dawson Williams, D. Min.
- 2024 Reading Goal: 20
- 2024 Goal Completion: 155%
-
- Posts: 326
- Joined: 09 Jan 2024, 11:25
- Currently Reading:
- Bookshelf Size: 32
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-tobi-adefila.html
- Latest Review: Sex and the Sixty Something Guy by Mr. X
- 2024 Reading Goal: 20
- 2024 Goal Completion: 20%
- Susan Ledezma
- Book of the Month Participant
- Posts: 183
- Joined: 02 Aug 2023, 17:35
- Favorite Book: Somewhere in the Deep
- Currently Reading: The Traitor's Game
- Bookshelf Size: 79
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-susan-ledezma.html
- Latest Review: Unsettled Disruption by Juana Catalina Rodriguez
- 2024 Reading Goal: 125
- 2024 Goal Completion: 30%
Gerry Steen wrote: ↑15 Apr 2024, 19:20 [Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Do You Really Want To Know?" by Kate Fraser.]
Would you like to brush up on the history of World War II? Are you curious about how Hungary was affected by the war? Would you like to know how survivors dealt with the atrocities they experienced at the hands of the Nazis? If you answered yes to these questions, you should read Do You Really Want To Know? by Kate Fraser.
Kate Fraser wrote this autofiction novel in the third-person narration style. The reader was made privy to the thoughts and dialogues of each of the main characters. The story connected childhood trauma during the war with struggles of finding one's identity and moving on from the past.
The narrative begins in 1962, in Elmsburg, New York. The reader is introduced to 13-year-old Marta. Next, the narrative switches to the Austrian Alps in 1945. Here we are introduced to Lili and Fritz. Lili has sprained her ankle on the mountain trail and is thinking about the gunshot she heard. Fritz hears barking dogs approaching. The story then shifts to Berlin, Germany in the year 1937. We are introduced to Vivien. She is a toddler. Her father is an officer in the Nazi regime’s armed force known as the Wehrmacht. As the plot unravels, the lives of these people become intertwined. We learn about their lives by alternating between the 1960s and World War II fifteen times. The story explores themes such as families emigrating from Germany and Austria to Hungary, the inhumanity of the Nazi regime, children losing their parents, rape, infidelity, survivor guilt, self-identity, and forgiveness.
The central focus of the narrative revolves around Marta. She is living with her parents, Lili and Fritz, who are immigrants. Lili and Fritz are holocaust survivors. They avoid discussing their painful past. As a result, Marta feels disconnected from her parents and struggles with her identity. This situation becomes quite challenging for the family when her school teacher, Mrs. Vivien Harris, assigns the class a project. The class project involves researching and sharing each student's family heritage.
The vivid descriptions of the chaos, fear, and brutality experienced by all during the Second World War kept me engrossed. I was saddened by Marta’s pining to know about her parents’ past. The events of World War II helped me empathize with the characters in the 1960s. I gained a lot of knowledge about Hungary's involvement in World War II. I was reminded that it is possible to resolve past traumas and that forgiveness can be liberating. This book was well-edited. I found nothing negative to report. Therefore, I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars.
******
Do You Really Want To Know?
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
I have always been a fan of historical fiction. This World War II story seems like an engaging and emotional novel. I believe that I would enjoy reading this book, I will definitely keep it in mind. Thank you for the well written review!
- Jaituni Sanghavi
- Book of the Month Participant
- Posts: 233
- Joined: 17 Sep 2021, 11:26
- Currently Reading:
- Bookshelf Size: 156
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-jaituni-sanghavi.html
- Latest Review: New Can Be Scary by Joyce Olsen
-
- Posts: 526
- Joined: 16 Sep 2020, 12:48
- Favorite Book: Tales from the Gray Area
- Currently Reading: Adoka Son: Childhood Memoirs of An African
- Bookshelf Size: 71
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-creole.html
- Latest Review: Phobia Relief by Kalliope Barlis
- Zanne Crystle
- Book of the Month Participant
- Posts: 268
- Joined: 08 Nov 2023, 19:50
- Favorite Book: Rules of Redemption (The Firebird Chronicles Book 1)
- Currently Reading:
- Bookshelf Size: 54
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-zanne-crystle.html
- Latest Review: Hot Potato by Marty Katz