Heimat

I'd like to preface this by saying that I understand and often agree with the criticisms raised against the book in the more negative reviews here, but for me it's still ~4.5 stars. (I'm stingy with my full 5.)

I am German, albeit one generation younger than the author, and to me the feeling of personal guilt or shame expressed here are totally alien. I think that Germans today have a huge responsibility towards German history; remembering it, taking its lessons to heart and, above all, fighting against anything like this ever happening again, and fighting for the people the Nazis persecuted and murdered. But I do not feel shame or guilt, on my part (I was born 45 years after the nazis' defeat, after all).

Still, I found this exposition fascinating and valuable. Germans today mostly like to think that their ancestors were against Hitler, victims or even resisting the regime -- which is of course nonsense. There was German resistance, but very few people were part of it. So confronting the ways in which our family members went along with a fascist regime is hugely important -- not least in the face of the rise of neo-fascist politics today. It's not about condemning or shaming anyone for who their family were, it's about facing up to how easy it is, when faced with increased authoritarianism and oppression, to go along with it, and to guard against this impulse in ourselves.

For this, I find the book immensely valuable. It is also beautifully made, shocking and captivating. Definite recommendation.