OnlineBookClub.org

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.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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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.

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Do You Really Want To Know?
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

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.]

---

5 out of 5 stars

---

Share This Review

---

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