From the moment you meet Gretel Fernsby, you sense there’s more beneath her calm, orderly life in a London mansion block. Ninety-one years old, she’s lived quietly for decades, but her past is anything but peaceful. She escaped Nazi Germany as a child, endured grim years in post-war France, and carries the heavy burden of her father’s dark legacy—he was a commandant at one of the Reich’s most notorious extermination camps.
Gretel doesn’t talk about any of it. She keeps her memories locked away, buried deep. But then, a new family moves in downstairs, and suddenly, her carefully maintained world starts to crack. There’s Henry, a little boy who slowly draws her out of her silence, even though his presence stirs up painful memories she’d rather forget. One night, she witnesses a violent argument between Henry’s parents, threatening the fragile peace she’s built around herself.
This story moves effortlessly between past and present, peeling back layers of Gretel’s life. It’s raw and emotional, showing how the past never truly leaves us. Gretel faces a choice—one she dodged long ago—to confront her guilt and grief or to protect a child in danger. This time, she can choose differently, but it comes with a cost.
John Boyne delivers a story that’s both devastating and beautiful, full of complexity and heart. You’ll find yourself drawn into Gretel’s world, feeling the weight of history and the power of redemption. It’s a novel that stays with you, challenging what it means to face the past and find courage in the present. Honestly, it’s impossible to prepare for how deeply this book will move you.
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