Review: The Girls in the Attic

The Girls in the Attic by Marius Gabriel
My rating: 3 of 5 stars



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I like the idea of a novel focused on internal transformation. After all, the United States has a history of racism, similar to the history of anti-Semitism. How do we change people's perspectives? 

This book doesn't provide any insight into that question.

The transformation of Nazi Colonel Max Wolf from anti-Semite and Hitler apologist to a compassionate human being who mourns his past and falls in love with Lola Rosenstein, a Jew hiding in his mother's attic, is a little simplistic and way too quick. 

The characters are interesting but not really credible, and the story is filled with fantastical coincidences. 

Even so, I can't say I didn't enjoy the story. I just didn't buy the premise. 

The final scene, which follows the Lola after the death of her husband six decades later was particularly unbelievable. 

I freely acknowledge I approach books expecting a great deal, and I think other readers might love this book. I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it either. 

In the end, I agree with the author's assertion that war does terrible things to people and changes them. This story illustrates some of those terrible things.