I liked the structure of this novel which describes 6 days of the main character Ivy’s life across the 20th century. An event early in her life affects her throughout her life. The writing is beautiful and the audiobook narrator is excellent. The last 1/3 of the novel took a surprising turn and I became somewhat disengaged from the story.

Based on the life of German film director GW Pabst who found himself making a deal with the devil during WWII. He'd been living abroad but was caught in Austria with his family when it's occupied by Germany. The German minister of Propaganda makes him an offer he can't refuse. In order to survive, he must make films. This book explores so many themes, art and ambition, complicity, what is owed to one's family, memory and identity, etc. It's beautifully written and very cinematic. It would make a great movie.

An extraordinary account of the tragic unwinding of all of the relationships in the author's family of origin. She is a keen observer, a talented writer and gifted storyteller. She and her 4 siblings were left to fend for themselves physically and emotionally by their parents. The deaths of two of her brothers, especially of the one by suicide, form the bones of the book. The ability of the author to find all the human strengths and failings of her family members, including her own, is extraordinary. As someone who's estranged from a mentally ill brother, this book hit hard. I'd tread carefully if you have been affected by a family member or friend's suicide. Towards the end of the book the author goes into explicit detail on what happened to her brother. This is one of the best memoirs I have ever read.

After his wife Birgit's death, Kaspar discovers that she had given birth to a daughter right before he helped her escape from East Germany to the West. Through her writings, he learns that she wrestled with the question of whether to search for the daughter she abandoned. He sets out to find her and discovers that she left her adoptive family and is living with her husband and daughter in a community of neo-Nazis. This is a very thought provoking, character driven novel that moves quite slowly. It explores how a country and its citizens deal with the weight of the past, how the beauty of music, art and literature can inspire change and how one deals with loving and communicating with people whose views are morally reprehensible. This book struck a cord with me as the themes are so relevant to today's times.

A wonderful holiday read with lovable characters. Grace and Henry have both lost their spouses and are grief stricken when they meet each other. Holiday movies, pets and children help them heal and come together as friends The premise sounds sad but the book is full of charm and wit. This is a heart warming story in the best possible way.