Good-bye to the Mermaids: A Childhood Lost in Hitler's Berlin

by Karin Finell

Good-bye to the Mermaids conveys the horrors of war as seen through the innocent eyes of a child. It is the story of World War II as it affected three generations of middle-class German Karin, six years old when the war began, who was taken in by Hitler’s lies; her mother, Astrid, a rebellious artist who occasionally spoke out against the Nazis; and her grandmother Oma, a generous and strong-willed woman who, having spent her own childhood in America, brought a different perspective to the events of the time. It tells of a convoluted world where children were torn between fear and hope, between total incomprehension of events and the need to simply deal with reality.

            In one of the relatively few recollections of the war from a German woman’s perspective, Finell relates what was for her a normal part of growing participating in activities of the Hitler Youth, observing Nazi customs at Christmas, and once being close enough to the Führer at a rally to make eye contact with him. She tells of how she first became aware of the yellow star that Jews were forced to wear, and of being asked to identify corpses from a bombed apartment house. She also depicts the lives of people tainted by Hitler’s her half-Jewish relatives who gave in to the strain of trying to remain unnoticed; a favorite aunt who was gassed because she was old and had broken her hip; and a friend of the family who was involved in the abortive putsch against Hitler and hanged as a traitor.

            When American and British forces intensified air raids on Berlin in 1943, Finell observed the stoical valor of women during the bombings, firestorms, and mass evacuations. Not yet a teenager, she witnessed the battle for Berlin and the mass rapes perpetrated by conquering Russian and Mongolian troops. Order was restored after the American and British troops arrived. The Marshall Plan jump-started an economic recovery for West Germany, provoking the Russians to blockade Berlin. From 1948 to 1949 the Americans and British kept Berlin’s residents alive with the airlift. But even though food was flown in, the people of Berlin continued to go hungry. Deprivation forced Berliners to look inward and face their collective guilt as they withstood the threat of Soviet occupation during these postwar years.

            This eloquent and touching story tells how a decent people were perverted by Hitler and how a young girl ultimately came to recognize the father figure Hitler for the monster he was. From a time of innocence, Karin Finell takes readers along a nightmarish journey in which fantasies are clung to, set aside, and at last set free. Good-bye to the Mermaids presents us with the revelation that human beings can survive such times with their souls intact.

Genres: Nonfiction, World War II

368 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2006

Reviews

[Mohammed Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like this book. It is told from the perspective of a German citizen, and is very descriptive with it´s telling of Karin´s life. This book is an example of a German native being affected negatively by World War Two. It shows that there were monsters on all sides.

[Ardis · Rating 5 out of 5]

War is always terrible no matter what side one is on. Good-bye to the Mermaids is a vivid account of the author's childhood during World War II in Germany as a German girl. It is a joy to read and entices the reader to keep reading on.

[Rj · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can not believe more people haven't read this book. The author is honest and candid about her experiences during WWII and able to pull you into her story right along with her. The most memorable part is her creative way to avoid the attention of the male soldiers who would take women against their will.

[Constance · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not what I'd pick up -- it was sent to me by my mother who also grew up in Germany during WWII. I did find it an absorbing view of that history and the human experience of war but I had to skip some nightly news of our current world situation to avoid being totally depressed. Nice style of writing.

[Janna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Memoir of a young German girl growing up during World War II. It's all there -- the early belief in Hitler, the terrifying bombing of Berlin, the fall of Berlin to the Russians, the grim postwar years -- all as seen through the eyes of a adolescent girl.

[Margena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating book full of details about life in Germany before and during WW2 as seen through the eyes of a teen. Very well written and much more interesting than fiction.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Different kind of holocaust book. from the point of view of german woman growing up.

[Ann Costello · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best German WWII memoirs I've read. Enjoyed it a lot.

[Marilyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

INformed me and surprised me and So well written. I learned tons about Berlin with the WW2 horror all through it. The writer was a 10 - 14 year old during this time.