I have been very busy recently just finishing up the latest book in historic fiction called In the Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson. I have to note here that I am not a huge fan of WWII novels and therefore, I was a little skeptical that I would actually enjoy this book.

In the Garden of Beasts follows the lives of the newly appointed American Ambassador and his family as they travel toBerlin,Germany in the early 1930’s. This is the time in which Hitler has taken his place as Chancellor and is awaiting his opportunity to remove the President from his office so he can assume full leadership over the country.

The main characters of the book are Ambassador Dodd and his daughter, Martha. Dodd was an accidental choice for the ambassadorship ofGermany and therefore did not fit the typical mold of most independently wealthy and aristocratic ambassadors that preceded him. His daughter is an immature 24 year-old woman who wished to escape her marriage and enjoy both social and romantic affairs with those that she meets abroad inBerlin.

The story is told through the use of actual letters that were written by the ambassador and his daughter during their time in Berlin. They are both to and from friends, lovers, spouses andWashington politicians of the time.

Dodd is faced with the impossible task of urging Germany to pay back their debts in the midst of a worldwide economic depression and also quell and downplay Jewish protests happening in the U.S. regarding the ill treatment of Germans with Jewish decent.

The book starts off by romanticizing Nazi Germany, as the Dodds were excited and enthusiastic for the young government under Hitler and the promise it originally showed in assisting the country in leaving the economic crisis it was under. However, the more information and infiltration of the Nazi’s into the Dodds’ personal and professional lives, the less enthusiastic they became about their new host country and the society it was setting up for itself.

The process of the Dodd family and their feelings towards Nazi Germany as provided to the author through the history letters and documents of their stay inBerlinis fascinating. While it starts off slowly and can be a bit overbearing the read at first, once you get into a rhythm, switching from fictional filler to historical letters and diary entries, you’ll soon be on a wild ride with the Dodd family as they develop their relationship with the politicians and society of Nazi-infiltratedBerlinin the early 1930’s.

I’m looking forward to reading something else by Erik Larson now. I heard he wrote a book based on a notorious Serial Killer inLondon,England.

Have you ever read a book that may have been a writing style you weren’t immediately familiar with, but then soon began enjoying the book anyway?