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The Other Me
Eliza Bennett has the life she's always dreamed of.
She's who she wants to be, and she's with the man she loves.
But Eliza is living a lie. Her real name is Klaudia Meyer.
And Klaudia is on the run. She's escaping her old life, and a terrible secret buried at the heart of her family.
This is the story of Eliza and Klaudia - one girl, two lives and a lie they cannot hide from.
Psychological and suspenseful: the gripping story of one girl living a double life.
From rising star Saskia Sarginson, author of The Twins and Without You.
Perfect for fans of Maggie O'Farrell and Liane Moriarty
She's who she wants to be, and she's with the man she loves.
But Eliza is living a lie. Her real name is Klaudia Meyer.
And Klaudia is on the run. She's escaping her old life, and a terrible secret buried at the heart of her family.
This is the story of Eliza and Klaudia - one girl, two lives and a lie they cannot hide from.
Psychological and suspenseful: the gripping story of one girl living a double life.
From rising star Saskia Sarginson, author of The Twins and Without You.
Perfect for fans of Maggie O'Farrell and Liane Moriarty
366 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2015
104 people are currently reading
2466 people want to read
About the author
Saskia Sarginson
16 books220 followersSaskia grew up in Suffolk and now lives in London. She is the mother of four children, including identical twin girls. She has a B.A hons in English Literature from Cambridge and an M.A in Creative Writing from Royal Holloway. She's worked as a Health & Beauty Editor,freelance journalist, ghost-writer and script reader. As well as writing and reading, she loves tango dancing and dog walking,
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 231 reviews
September 7, 2021
I really like this author and I especially loved The Twins. Her previous book.
I was eager to get my hands on this one.
Its a very different read to what I was expecting, but that doesn't mean I didn't like it, on the contrary I did.
Klaudia Meyer was bullied at school, we learn of the hardships she went through and her emotional state.
But for reasons within this book we learn that Klaudia Meyer had to reinvent herself and now she is known as Eliza.
Bringing us up to date, she has the life she always wanted.
Escaping her past might seem easy, change your name, get a new area to live, change your identity. But you can never escape your past no matter how hard you may try and Eliza learns that running away from guilt is impossible.
This has me engrossed. I have to say though, because this character is two different identities, two different names, a past and a present and then surrounding that is the lies, secrets and past, it can take your "gray matter" a while to piece it all together, but fear not, you will manage it and it will become so worth the time.
Another fabulous read from Saskia Sarginson
Thanks to Little, Brown Book Group UK for my copy
I was eager to get my hands on this one.
Its a very different read to what I was expecting, but that doesn't mean I didn't like it, on the contrary I did.
Klaudia Meyer was bullied at school, we learn of the hardships she went through and her emotional state.
But for reasons within this book we learn that Klaudia Meyer had to reinvent herself and now she is known as Eliza.
Bringing us up to date, she has the life she always wanted.
Escaping her past might seem easy, change your name, get a new area to live, change your identity. But you can never escape your past no matter how hard you may try and Eliza learns that running away from guilt is impossible.
This has me engrossed. I have to say though, because this character is two different identities, two different names, a past and a present and then surrounding that is the lies, secrets and past, it can take your "gray matter" a while to piece it all together, but fear not, you will manage it and it will become so worth the time.
Another fabulous read from Saskia Sarginson
Thanks to Little, Brown Book Group UK for my copy
July 19, 2015
I'm a fan of this author's previous works so was delighted to receive a copy of The Other Me - and it was more of treat than expected, a little different to what you might think looking at the tagline and a very emotional and moving read about coming to terms with family history.
When we meet Klaudia, she is a teenager who is ashamed of her parents. Nothing new there you might say, but her family has a history and background that is somewhat different. Later she reinvents herself as Eliza in an attempt to leave it all behind, but the past has a way of staying with you and Eliza must face it head on if she is to be truly happy.
This was really beautifully written, the different viewpoints serving to elicit a really emotional response to the story - I found the portions where we follow Ernst through some of the war to be particularly gripping. I'm keen not to give too much away here, this is a story that highlights how the past can be hidden within myth and assumptions made that are at odds with the truth. What Saskia Sarginson has managed to do is show that up, Eliza's outlook on her family is very skewed, coloured by what she thinks she knows and by others reactions to her.
The story unfolds at a perfect pace allowing you to sink into the lives of the characters, there is much to debate in your head as you go and this is one of those books that will stay with you long after finishing it. Really terrific stuff.
As I said,I'd rather keep this brief enough that you can discover the story for yourself. Definitely recommended and I can't wait to see what the author brings us next. I shall be one of the first in line.
Happy Reading Folks!
When we meet Klaudia, she is a teenager who is ashamed of her parents. Nothing new there you might say, but her family has a history and background that is somewhat different. Later she reinvents herself as Eliza in an attempt to leave it all behind, but the past has a way of staying with you and Eliza must face it head on if she is to be truly happy.
This was really beautifully written, the different viewpoints serving to elicit a really emotional response to the story - I found the portions where we follow Ernst through some of the war to be particularly gripping. I'm keen not to give too much away here, this is a story that highlights how the past can be hidden within myth and assumptions made that are at odds with the truth. What Saskia Sarginson has managed to do is show that up, Eliza's outlook on her family is very skewed, coloured by what she thinks she knows and by others reactions to her.
The story unfolds at a perfect pace allowing you to sink into the lives of the characters, there is much to debate in your head as you go and this is one of those books that will stay with you long after finishing it. Really terrific stuff.
As I said,I'd rather keep this brief enough that you can discover the story for yourself. Definitely recommended and I can't wait to see what the author brings us next. I shall be one of the first in line.
Happy Reading Folks!
July 25, 2015
Having finished this novel, I feel a little unsure about what I feel about it. The story follows Klaudia Mayer, from her time as a bullied schoolgirl in London to an aspiring dancer and the various strands of the book follow both Klaudia’s point of view, at various times in her life, and that of her Uncle Ernst.
When we first meet Klaudia, she is an uncertain young girl. Home schooled by her religious parents, who are much older than those of her contemporaries, Klaudia suffers the embarrassment of starting school for the first time and of having her German father working as the caretaker at Kelwood High. It is 1986 and Eliza suffers intense bullying once her peers discover Otto Meyer is her father. Lampooned as a Nazi, her classmates are not aware how real their taunts are – as Otto Meyer has wartime secrets that cause Klaudia immense shock when she discovers them.
Later, Klaudia becomes Eliza and falls deeply in love with a fellow student, Cosmo, while at University. As the story unfolds, we see flashbacks of the events of Otto, and his brother Ernst’s, early life and their experiences in Germany during the war. Meanwhile, Klaudia has to come to terms with her background and see if she can build a new life for herself.
Although well written, I really failed to sympathise with the characters in this book. Klaudia/ Eliza frustrated me as a character and the wartime parts of the novel, although well told, felt very much like a constructed ‘creative writing’ exercise and not a story which flowed. Although I feel that the author tried her best to weave together the strands of the story, ultimately for me personally, it didn’t work. However, certainly it was a competent, if not inspiring, novel. Lastly, I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley.
When we first meet Klaudia, she is an uncertain young girl. Home schooled by her religious parents, who are much older than those of her contemporaries, Klaudia suffers the embarrassment of starting school for the first time and of having her German father working as the caretaker at Kelwood High. It is 1986 and Eliza suffers intense bullying once her peers discover Otto Meyer is her father. Lampooned as a Nazi, her classmates are not aware how real their taunts are – as Otto Meyer has wartime secrets that cause Klaudia immense shock when she discovers them.
Later, Klaudia becomes Eliza and falls deeply in love with a fellow student, Cosmo, while at University. As the story unfolds, we see flashbacks of the events of Otto, and his brother Ernst’s, early life and their experiences in Germany during the war. Meanwhile, Klaudia has to come to terms with her background and see if she can build a new life for herself.
Although well written, I really failed to sympathise with the characters in this book. Klaudia/ Eliza frustrated me as a character and the wartime parts of the novel, although well told, felt very much like a constructed ‘creative writing’ exercise and not a story which flowed. Although I feel that the author tried her best to weave together the strands of the story, ultimately for me personally, it didn’t work. However, certainly it was a competent, if not inspiring, novel. Lastly, I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley.
February 7, 2017
I'm getting extremely annoyed with writing this review. I wasn't able to write anything for 2 days then yesterday I accidentally deleted my draft with no possible way to recover the data.
So this book is about Klaudia Meyer who in order to escape the past creates a new identity for herself when she moves from her parents, and from that moment she exists as Elisa for her friend and new boyfriend. But as it commonly happens with elaborate lies she has to face reality and make the decision whether she risks telling the truth to the ones who are the most important to her.
The book used many different POVs, Klaudia in the present, Klaudia when she was a child and we got to know her father through the eyes of his brother, Ernst. The changes between the point of views and even within them were too quick and hectic, which made the reading experience a little bit confusing. My other main problem was, that there were a relatively lot secondary characters and I felt like their story, existence was left hanging in the air, that's the main reason why I gave 3.5 stars.
The writing is very nice though I'm pretty sure that the writer has some sort of oral fixation because there are a lot of descriptions of such things, for example lips making a smacking sound, licking lips, clicking tongue, having a dry throat, dry mouth etc. These expressions are genuinely annoying after a while.
Though despite of those things it's not a bad book at all, focusing on the topic of identity and how the lack of communication in a family can leave long lasting damage.
So this book is about Klaudia Meyer who in order to escape the past creates a new identity for herself when she moves from her parents, and from that moment she exists as Elisa for her friend and new boyfriend. But as it commonly happens with elaborate lies she has to face reality and make the decision whether she risks telling the truth to the ones who are the most important to her.
The book used many different POVs, Klaudia in the present, Klaudia when she was a child and we got to know her father through the eyes of his brother, Ernst. The changes between the point of views and even within them were too quick and hectic, which made the reading experience a little bit confusing. My other main problem was, that there were a relatively lot secondary characters and I felt like their story, existence was left hanging in the air, that's the main reason why I gave 3.5 stars.
The writing is very nice though I'm pretty sure that the writer has some sort of oral fixation because there are a lot of descriptions of such things, for example lips making a smacking sound, licking lips, clicking tongue, having a dry throat, dry mouth etc. These expressions are genuinely annoying after a while.
Though despite of those things it's not a bad book at all, focusing on the topic of identity and how the lack of communication in a family can leave long lasting damage.
June 24, 2020
This book actually really surprised me. Im not a big fan of historical fiction, but it had to play a part in this book. It has romance, history and thriller in it. I highly recommend you give it a try.
March 6, 2016
Klaudia Meyer is a shy homeschooled girl living in 1980s London. It's her first year of high school (and real school!), so she's a bit nervous, especially since her father works at the school as the caretaker. Klaudia's childhood has been anything but normal. Her parents are strict, religious, and she hasn't really interacted with other young adults. She loves to dance and has always dreamed of taking dance lessons, but her parents say they can't afford it. While at high school, she realizes that the other kids make fun of her father since he has a German accent and Klaudia comes to realize that he fought for the Nazis during WWII. This has brought much shame to her, especially when her classmates find out that he's her father. Then there's Eliza living in the 1990s in Leeds, England. She's a dance student and seems to have her whole life in front of her: a steady boyfriend, a best friend, and she's following her dream of becoming a professional dancer. But there's one problem. Her life is built on a lie and what happens when people find out the truth? Will her walls come crashing down? Lastly, there's Ernst living in Nazi German during WWII. All he has got is his brother as he is adopted and his family treats both boys horribly. Now that Hitler has taken over, things get more complicated. Ernst's brother is all for Hitler, but Ernst is hesitating. Is this the path he really wants to take? Saskia Sarginson weaves a tale that at first seems disjointed, but as readers gain more information, the picture gets clearer and things start to make sense in The Other Me. There's something here for everyone: a coming-of-age story, a historical story, a romance, and a family drama.
Read the rest of my review here: http://www.confessionsofabookaddict.c...
Read the rest of my review here: http://www.confessionsofabookaddict.c...
September 7, 2015
I had a serious debate with myself as to whether I should give this book three or four stars. As you can see, in the end, I decided upon three stars. I realised that, despite those moments in which I believed the book could make it to a full four stars, there wasn’t quite enough to be rounded up.
I’ll start with a small amusing detail for those reading this review, so you can understand my mind set throughout part of this book. The love interest of our main character goes by the name of Cosmo. Pretty cool name, right. I’m sure my generation will jump towards the Fairly Odd Parents character. I, however, take that one step further. I have pet lizards, and guess what I named them after? If you said the fairies in Fairly Odd Parents you’re correct. So, as you can guess, every time the name Cosmo was used my mind jumped towards my pets and I found myself rather distracted.
Perhaps the fact that I was so easily distracted shows I was not completely engaged in the read. To begin with there was a fair amount of procrastinating on my behalf. I would read between five and ten percent of the book at a time, when my usual minimum for a read on my Kindle is around the twenty-five percent mark. I will say that once I reached around the forty-five percent mark I worked my way through it in one sitting, but at the start I was procrastinating far too much.
I think, for me, my problem was my inability to connect with the characters. In my eyes Cosmo (I promise you, there is no bias despite the fact he shares a name with one of my pets) was the only character with any sense. At first I thought he was going to be one of those annoying male characters – we all know the type, the ones who exist as eye candy for the main character and nothing more – but towards the end of the book he says some things that resonated with my thoughts throughout the book. In fact, at almost the very end he says something that had crossed my mind on many occasions and basically points out why the storyline of the book was a bit farfetched and exaggerated in my mind.
Klaudia lives a double life. Due to embarrassment caused in her teenage years through her father’s history the female wants to recreate herself. Moving away to university the female does just that. Until, as you would expect, events come to be that cause all her lies to come crumbling down around her. Lies are built up atop lies until the female is backed into a corner. However (and this is another ‘as you would expect’ moment) Klaudia is not the only person in her family who is living a lie. Her father and his brother have a history tracing back to their time in the Hitler Youth, with the distance between the brothers having only grown larger throughout the years. Everything comes together for the characters at the same time creating a mass event that we all see coming from quite early on.
I guess a part of me simply wanted more twists. I really did see far too much of it coming. The reveals made by certain characters were never shocking. The choice of action that certain characters made were more than predictable. As a whole, I was hoping for a little bit more as there were moments when I was engaged enough to believe that I was going to be given a surprising read.
Overall, it was interesting but not my favourite read of the year.
As a final note, I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me the chance to advance read this novel.
I’ll start with a small amusing detail for those reading this review, so you can understand my mind set throughout part of this book. The love interest of our main character goes by the name of Cosmo. Pretty cool name, right. I’m sure my generation will jump towards the Fairly Odd Parents character. I, however, take that one step further. I have pet lizards, and guess what I named them after? If you said the fairies in Fairly Odd Parents you’re correct. So, as you can guess, every time the name Cosmo was used my mind jumped towards my pets and I found myself rather distracted.
Perhaps the fact that I was so easily distracted shows I was not completely engaged in the read. To begin with there was a fair amount of procrastinating on my behalf. I would read between five and ten percent of the book at a time, when my usual minimum for a read on my Kindle is around the twenty-five percent mark. I will say that once I reached around the forty-five percent mark I worked my way through it in one sitting, but at the start I was procrastinating far too much.
I think, for me, my problem was my inability to connect with the characters. In my eyes Cosmo (I promise you, there is no bias despite the fact he shares a name with one of my pets) was the only character with any sense. At first I thought he was going to be one of those annoying male characters – we all know the type, the ones who exist as eye candy for the main character and nothing more – but towards the end of the book he says some things that resonated with my thoughts throughout the book. In fact, at almost the very end he says something that had crossed my mind on many occasions and basically points out why the storyline of the book was a bit farfetched and exaggerated in my mind.
Klaudia lives a double life. Due to embarrassment caused in her teenage years through her father’s history the female wants to recreate herself. Moving away to university the female does just that. Until, as you would expect, events come to be that cause all her lies to come crumbling down around her. Lies are built up atop lies until the female is backed into a corner. However (and this is another ‘as you would expect’ moment) Klaudia is not the only person in her family who is living a lie. Her father and his brother have a history tracing back to their time in the Hitler Youth, with the distance between the brothers having only grown larger throughout the years. Everything comes together for the characters at the same time creating a mass event that we all see coming from quite early on.
I guess a part of me simply wanted more twists. I really did see far too much of it coming. The reveals made by certain characters were never shocking. The choice of action that certain characters made were more than predictable. As a whole, I was hoping for a little bit more as there were moments when I was engaged enough to believe that I was going to be given a surprising read.
Overall, it was interesting but not my favourite read of the year.
As a final note, I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me the chance to advance read this novel.
August 17, 2015
Whilst the story itself was ok, I feel that the blurb is a little misleading. I was expecting a story about a girl on the run, a thriller, but this was more like a family saga.
November 27, 2016
4.5*
a really underhyped book who sould get more atention
a really underhyped book who sould get more atention
January 29, 2016
I really hate to give this book a low score. However,the only thing that was captivating was the prologue. Besides that,I forgot about the characters after they turned the page. The book had absolutely no characterization,consistency or anything!
The short chapters made it even more forgettable,it was embarrassing to read through all the loopholes.
Interesting cover,intriguing synopsis,but terrible execution!
The short chapters made it even more forgettable,it was embarrassing to read through all the loopholes.
Interesting cover,intriguing synopsis,but terrible execution!
June 6, 2015
This wasn’t the book I expected but oh my, it was so much better! I expected a tale, similar to other ones I’ve read this year where the protagonist has changed her identity because she is either hiding from someone or something, and to an extent that is exactly what this story is about, but it tells a tale much deeper than that, truly exploring how we identify ourselves and illustrates how events in the past have very real consequences in the present.
Klaudia is the only daughter of Otto and Gwyn Meyer and we first meet her in the 1980s as she starts secondary school where her father is the caretaker. Having been home-schooled by her religious mother surrounded by the religious figures her father carves out of wood, Klaudia struggles to socialise, something not helped by the fact her father is a figure of fun and called a Nazi by her classmates. Saskia Sarginson paints a realistic picture of a teenage angst without it ever feeling melodramatic and so when Klaudia finds some evidence that seems to suggest that the name calling isn’t just childish taunts, but may have roots in reality, her reaction was entirely believable.
Klaudia leaves home in the 1990s, she moves to Leeds and becomes Eliza Bennett, named on the spur of the moment in honour of Austen’s Elizabeth Bennett. She leaves behind the taunts that had followed her through her teenage years and reinvents herself, but she can’t quite forget the suspicions she has about her father’s past and is in no hurry to return to the claustrophobic home in London.
Interspersed with Klaudia’s and Eliza’s stories we have the story of Ernst, Otto’s brother. Ernst’s tale begins in the 1930s in Germany. Ernst and Otto were foundlings, taken in by the Meyer family living a bleak life, one where they aren’t treated as family but more as servants despite being young boys. We follow Ernst as life in Germany is changing with fascism on the rise and proving your ancestral line is a requirement of staying safe.
This book really moved me and although I had some sympathy with Klaudia/Eliza, the character I really grew to love was Ernst. If you want to find out why, well you’ll have to read the book!
I’d like to say an enormous thank you to Little Brown Book Group who allowed me to read a copy of this book in return for my review. The Other Me is already available to read as an e-book with the physical copy being published on 13 August 2015.
Klaudia is the only daughter of Otto and Gwyn Meyer and we first meet her in the 1980s as she starts secondary school where her father is the caretaker. Having been home-schooled by her religious mother surrounded by the religious figures her father carves out of wood, Klaudia struggles to socialise, something not helped by the fact her father is a figure of fun and called a Nazi by her classmates. Saskia Sarginson paints a realistic picture of a teenage angst without it ever feeling melodramatic and so when Klaudia finds some evidence that seems to suggest that the name calling isn’t just childish taunts, but may have roots in reality, her reaction was entirely believable.
Klaudia leaves home in the 1990s, she moves to Leeds and becomes Eliza Bennett, named on the spur of the moment in honour of Austen’s Elizabeth Bennett. She leaves behind the taunts that had followed her through her teenage years and reinvents herself, but she can’t quite forget the suspicions she has about her father’s past and is in no hurry to return to the claustrophobic home in London.
Interspersed with Klaudia’s and Eliza’s stories we have the story of Ernst, Otto’s brother. Ernst’s tale begins in the 1930s in Germany. Ernst and Otto were foundlings, taken in by the Meyer family living a bleak life, one where they aren’t treated as family but more as servants despite being young boys. We follow Ernst as life in Germany is changing with fascism on the rise and proving your ancestral line is a requirement of staying safe.
This book really moved me and although I had some sympathy with Klaudia/Eliza, the character I really grew to love was Ernst. If you want to find out why, well you’ll have to read the book!
I’d like to say an enormous thank you to Little Brown Book Group who allowed me to read a copy of this book in return for my review. The Other Me is already available to read as an e-book with the physical copy being published on 13 August 2015.
February 25, 2016
The Other Me is an absolutely wonderful story. It is the perfect mix of Thriller and Romance, and Contemporary and Historical. It's just practically perfect in every way (and my first 5/5 review of the year)!
The Other Me is told from the first person perspectives of Eliza/Klaudia (from this point on I will refer to her as Eliza) and her Uncle Ernst. It is also set during 3 different time periods: the 1930s to 1940s, 1986 and 1995 to 1997. This is brilliant and the reader slowly learns more and more about why Eliza chose to run. The story also depicts the harsh reality of being a German boy before and during World War II and the long-running effect in later life.
I grew to really love Eliza. She's had a tough (and different) upbringing and the family secrets only make it harder for her. She learned to rely on the perception of others and this really skewed her own opinion of her family. If she only knew the truth to begin with, I believe she wouldn't have felt the need to isolate herself from them (but then she wouldn't have met Cosmo, so hurray for awful family secrets haha!). No wonder she's confused and slightly scared too. I just wanted to hug her.
I adored Cosmo, Eliza's boyfriend. He's just a nice, simple guy with his own dreams. But he feels pressurised to live to his family's expectations. Both Cosmo and Eliza have a brilliant way of showing each other that it's perfectly acceptable to follow their own dreams. He's confused by Eliza's behaviour, and it's no wonder really, but he does really loved her and I don't think he would have it any other way.
In fact, all of Eliza's friends are incredibly supportive. It's just her fear of being rejected and ostracised getting in the way of telling them the truth. But of course, they don't care as long as she's happy.
Ernst is also a brilliant. Through him, we see the harsh reality of the Hitler Youth. He is made to take part in so many awful things and he truly hates it. But of course, he can't do anything. His sections of the story were truly gripping and gave a sadly perfect insight into the war.
The pace of The Other Me is just perfect. I even read a good 80% of the book in a day. I just couldn't put it down! I needed to know what happened. There are so many wonderful twists to the story and the full story is not revealed until remarkably close to the conclusion. It's just perfect and the story wraps up so nicely.
One tiny, incy wincy downside is that I wish more of Eliza's story was revealed between 1986 and 1995. But the story is still brilliant without this so I can definitely overlook it.
The Other Me is a fantastic and gripping read, written is such a wonderful way. I would definitely recommend it to fans of contemporary romance and thrillers, who don't mind a bit of history. There is something for everyone. I definitely want to read more by Saskia Sarginson.
This review and many more can be found at My Expanding Bookshelf.
The Other Me is told from the first person perspectives of Eliza/Klaudia (from this point on I will refer to her as Eliza) and her Uncle Ernst. It is also set during 3 different time periods: the 1930s to 1940s, 1986 and 1995 to 1997. This is brilliant and the reader slowly learns more and more about why Eliza chose to run. The story also depicts the harsh reality of being a German boy before and during World War II and the long-running effect in later life.
I grew to really love Eliza. She's had a tough (and different) upbringing and the family secrets only make it harder for her. She learned to rely on the perception of others and this really skewed her own opinion of her family. If she only knew the truth to begin with, I believe she wouldn't have felt the need to isolate herself from them (but then she wouldn't have met Cosmo, so hurray for awful family secrets haha!). No wonder she's confused and slightly scared too. I just wanted to hug her.
I adored Cosmo, Eliza's boyfriend. He's just a nice, simple guy with his own dreams. But he feels pressurised to live to his family's expectations. Both Cosmo and Eliza have a brilliant way of showing each other that it's perfectly acceptable to follow their own dreams. He's confused by Eliza's behaviour, and it's no wonder really, but he does really loved her and I don't think he would have it any other way.
In fact, all of Eliza's friends are incredibly supportive. It's just her fear of being rejected and ostracised getting in the way of telling them the truth. But of course, they don't care as long as she's happy.
Ernst is also a brilliant. Through him, we see the harsh reality of the Hitler Youth. He is made to take part in so many awful things and he truly hates it. But of course, he can't do anything. His sections of the story were truly gripping and gave a sadly perfect insight into the war.
The pace of The Other Me is just perfect. I even read a good 80% of the book in a day. I just couldn't put it down! I needed to know what happened. There are so many wonderful twists to the story and the full story is not revealed until remarkably close to the conclusion. It's just perfect and the story wraps up so nicely.
One tiny, incy wincy downside is that I wish more of Eliza's story was revealed between 1986 and 1995. But the story is still brilliant without this so I can definitely overlook it.
The Other Me is a fantastic and gripping read, written is such a wonderful way. I would definitely recommend it to fans of contemporary romance and thrillers, who don't mind a bit of history. There is something for everyone. I definitely want to read more by Saskia Sarginson.
This review and many more can be found at My Expanding Bookshelf.
July 6, 2015
The Other Me is a thought-provoking and rather insightful book that is being described as psychological and suspenseful. Due to these descriptions, I expected somewhat of a psychological thriller, but that is not what this is. It definitely digs into the psychology of the characters and idea of whether we are where we came from. However, there is nothing in these pages that would make me call it a “thriller.” In ways, The Other Me has historical fiction aspects with suspense and a psychological look into why one would reinvent themselves based on what occurred in their family history. If I had gone into this book with more of the right expectations, I truly think I would have enjoyed it a lot more.
With those thoughts aside, I did enjoy the story. Klaudia is a young girl starting secondary school in London for the first time. Her father, Otto, is the caretaker of the school. It doesn’t take long for Klaudia to realize the kids in the school all make fun of Otto and say he is a Nazi. This whole section felt so real being that Klaudia’s feelings were realistic to a teenager just trying to fit in. The rumors almost seem like there could be a truth to them and Klaudia is so ashamed and sick of being taunted that she moves to Leeds for University reinventing herself as a girl named Eliza. Being Eliza means lying about everything from her name, hair color (she dyed it from blonde to brunette) and her family (she claims to be an orphan) to lying to her family about what she is doing in Leeds (degree in geography, but really attending a dance academy). Eliza’s world of lies is quite intriguing. It really shows how badly she wants to escape her past. It gets more complicated when Eliza begins dating Cosmo, who she discovers has Jewish relatives. When do the lies become too much?
We are given narratives from the perspective of a young Klaudia, Eliza (which would be the older Klaudia), and interestingly Otto’s brother, Ernst, which goes into what happened to him and his brother in Nazi Germany in the past. I found it so enlightening to get Ernst’s perspective. It added a layer to the story that made it so much more interesting.
There is mystery to the story and a whole lot of psychological insight. I would absolutely recommend to anyone that finds the concept intriguing. I would only hope that you go into it with the right expectations, so that it is as enjoyable as it deserves to be.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review via netgalley.
With those thoughts aside, I did enjoy the story. Klaudia is a young girl starting secondary school in London for the first time. Her father, Otto, is the caretaker of the school. It doesn’t take long for Klaudia to realize the kids in the school all make fun of Otto and say he is a Nazi. This whole section felt so real being that Klaudia’s feelings were realistic to a teenager just trying to fit in. The rumors almost seem like there could be a truth to them and Klaudia is so ashamed and sick of being taunted that she moves to Leeds for University reinventing herself as a girl named Eliza. Being Eliza means lying about everything from her name, hair color (she dyed it from blonde to brunette) and her family (she claims to be an orphan) to lying to her family about what she is doing in Leeds (degree in geography, but really attending a dance academy). Eliza’s world of lies is quite intriguing. It really shows how badly she wants to escape her past. It gets more complicated when Eliza begins dating Cosmo, who she discovers has Jewish relatives. When do the lies become too much?
We are given narratives from the perspective of a young Klaudia, Eliza (which would be the older Klaudia), and interestingly Otto’s brother, Ernst, which goes into what happened to him and his brother in Nazi Germany in the past. I found it so enlightening to get Ernst’s perspective. It added a layer to the story that made it so much more interesting.
There is mystery to the story and a whole lot of psychological insight. I would absolutely recommend to anyone that finds the concept intriguing. I would only hope that you go into it with the right expectations, so that it is as enjoyable as it deserves to be.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review via netgalley.
October 8, 2017
Eliza is a great dancer, she has friends, she has a boyfriend and she's happy. However, Eliza doesn't really exist. Eliza's real name is Klaudia and she's ashamed of her background. She's been bullied because of where she comes from. Her family has secrets and there is a lot Klaudia doesn't know. What will happen when she can no longer live as Eliza and needs to go back home, to the place she doesn't want to return to?
Ernst and Otto are brothers, but they aren't particularly close. Ernst is in love with a Jewish girl. It's shortly before the start of the Second World War and he knows she isn't safe. The situation becomes worse ever day and the brothers know they will have to fight. Otto seems to be excited to join the army, he's tougher than Ernst. The brothers have to join to survive, but what will happen to them when they have to leave home for their country? How will the war change their lives, will they ever see each other again?
The Other Me is an impressive story. Klaudia is a sweet and talented girl. Her childhood was difficult and my heart ached for the girl who didn't really have a safe place in the world. I kept hoping she'd find someone who'd give her more than she received in her life so far, some much needed care, kindness and happiness. Klaudia is struggling with her family's past. Her father and uncle are German and they had to fight in the war. She's having difficulties with that knowledge, but there's so much she isn't aware of, and Saskia Sarginson describes her issues in a beautiful poignant way.
The Other Me gripped me from the start. It's a serious story about a complex family with plenty of heartbreak. Hope balances the sadness and Saskia Sarginson writes about it in such a skillful way that I couldn't stop reading. I had to know what would happen next. The war years and Klaudia's present are equally interesting and they both made me go through an emotional rollercoaster. The Other Me is beautiful compelling read, it's a moving story filled with many surprising twists and turns that will stay with me for a very long time.
Ernst and Otto are brothers, but they aren't particularly close. Ernst is in love with a Jewish girl. It's shortly before the start of the Second World War and he knows she isn't safe. The situation becomes worse ever day and the brothers know they will have to fight. Otto seems to be excited to join the army, he's tougher than Ernst. The brothers have to join to survive, but what will happen to them when they have to leave home for their country? How will the war change their lives, will they ever see each other again?
The Other Me is an impressive story. Klaudia is a sweet and talented girl. Her childhood was difficult and my heart ached for the girl who didn't really have a safe place in the world. I kept hoping she'd find someone who'd give her more than she received in her life so far, some much needed care, kindness and happiness. Klaudia is struggling with her family's past. Her father and uncle are German and they had to fight in the war. She's having difficulties with that knowledge, but there's so much she isn't aware of, and Saskia Sarginson describes her issues in a beautiful poignant way.
The Other Me gripped me from the start. It's a serious story about a complex family with plenty of heartbreak. Hope balances the sadness and Saskia Sarginson writes about it in such a skillful way that I couldn't stop reading. I had to know what would happen next. The war years and Klaudia's present are equally interesting and they both made me go through an emotional rollercoaster. The Other Me is beautiful compelling read, it's a moving story filled with many surprising twists and turns that will stay with me for a very long time.
December 27, 2017
So this was one of those "will read it just so I can get rid of it" books sitting on my tbr shelf.
Wasn't expecting much from it based on the reviews I'd read and was wondering how I even ended up buying it. But wow, very pleasantly surprised - its a real page turner, flicking between the story of two brothers in Germany and Russia during the war and a young woman in 1990s Britain. Very good read indeed.
Wasn't expecting much from it based on the reviews I'd read and was wondering how I even ended up buying it. But wow, very pleasantly surprised - its a real page turner, flicking between the story of two brothers in Germany and Russia during the war and a young woman in 1990s Britain. Very good read indeed.
April 28, 2022
That was a nice WWII book — I think I can definitely give it 3 1/2 ⭐️! It had several plot twists and good character development (albeit a bit predictable) but wasn’t really dark and morbid. A quality book club read.
Additionally, the author’s personal note regarding her heritage and family story makes a great connection to this piece! There are SO many World War 2 books out there — and now we know why Saskia wrote this one.
Additionally, the author’s personal note regarding her heritage and family story makes a great connection to this piece! There are SO many World War 2 books out there — and now we know why Saskia wrote this one.
June 26, 2015
Saskia Sarginson, diplômée de littérature anglaise de l'université de Cambridge, a également un diplôme de mode et de design. Elle a travaillé pour la presse magazine, la radio et l'édition, mais se consacre désormais totalement à l'écriture. Elle est l'auteure, chez Marabout, du best-seller Jumelles (2013) et de Sans toi (2014).
Enfant, Klaudia a toujours été terrifiée par son père. Quant aux crimes commis par celui-ci dans son passé, elle en éprouve une effroyable honte. Aussi, son éloignement pour entrer à l'université est-il pour elle l'occasion rêvée de se réinventer. Elle se transforme alors en Eliza Bennet, une jeune femme pleine d'assurance. Mais lorsque Klaudia se retrouve obligée de revenir chez elle, la voilà dramatiquement piégée dans une double vie.
«Nous héritons tous de la culpabilité de nos parents. Elle se transmet comme la couleur de nos cheveux, le strabisme ou les maladies de sang. Nous n'avons d'autre choix que de vivre avec elle.»
«Le mensonge est un art à part entière. En devenir le maître requiert du temps et de l'entraînement. Deux possibilité s'offrent à vous : inventer des mensonges tellement énormes que personne ne les remettra jamais en question, ou coller à la vérité et mentir par omission. Il y a une chose que j'ai apprise à mes dépens : une fois que l'on a menti, on ne peut plus revenir en arrière. C'est un cercle vicieux. Plus je mens, plus je m'en veux. Et je ne peux pas en parler à personne, sous peine de faire éclater la vérité au grand jour et de blesser ceux que j'aime. Il est plus généreux, plus courageux de cultiver le mensonge et de leur cacher la vérité. C'est non seulement un besoin, mais aussi - et surtout - un devoir.»
La révélation de secrets enfouis dans le passé de son père oblige la jeune femme à affronter enfin son héritage familial. Mais elle va bientôt soupçonner qu'elle n'est pas la seule personne de la famille à s'être forgé une double identité et pas la seule non plus à être capable de mettre un terme à une existence...
«Ma culpabilité mourra-t-elle avec lui une fois que je l'aurai tué ?»
Le troisième roman de Saskia Sarginson, est un mélange captivant de mystère, de suspense et de drame familial qui trouble et touche tout à la fois. Son style vif, allié à des sujets forts et inattendus, confère à ce roman une intensité toute particulière, qui ne laissera aucun lecteur indifférent...
Car si tout le monde a des secrets, certains sont si lourds et si explosifs qu'ils dévastent tout lorsqu'ils éclatent au grand jour... L'histoire d'Eliza et Klaudia est si intense, si bouleversante et si pleine d'humanité que vous ne l'oublierez pas de sitôt...
Après un best-seller absolument captivant, Saskia Sarginson monte encore le niveau ! L'autre moi-même est un roman tragique et puissant, qui allie suspense et émotion jusqu'à la dernière page. Un très bon roman, à l'ambiance trouble et à la sensibilité rare. À lire d'urgence et d'une traite pour un maximum d'émotions !
Enfant, Klaudia a toujours été terrifiée par son père. Quant aux crimes commis par celui-ci dans son passé, elle en éprouve une effroyable honte. Aussi, son éloignement pour entrer à l'université est-il pour elle l'occasion rêvée de se réinventer. Elle se transforme alors en Eliza Bennet, une jeune femme pleine d'assurance. Mais lorsque Klaudia se retrouve obligée de revenir chez elle, la voilà dramatiquement piégée dans une double vie.
«Nous héritons tous de la culpabilité de nos parents. Elle se transmet comme la couleur de nos cheveux, le strabisme ou les maladies de sang. Nous n'avons d'autre choix que de vivre avec elle.»
«Le mensonge est un art à part entière. En devenir le maître requiert du temps et de l'entraînement. Deux possibilité s'offrent à vous : inventer des mensonges tellement énormes que personne ne les remettra jamais en question, ou coller à la vérité et mentir par omission. Il y a une chose que j'ai apprise à mes dépens : une fois que l'on a menti, on ne peut plus revenir en arrière. C'est un cercle vicieux. Plus je mens, plus je m'en veux. Et je ne peux pas en parler à personne, sous peine de faire éclater la vérité au grand jour et de blesser ceux que j'aime. Il est plus généreux, plus courageux de cultiver le mensonge et de leur cacher la vérité. C'est non seulement un besoin, mais aussi - et surtout - un devoir.»
La révélation de secrets enfouis dans le passé de son père oblige la jeune femme à affronter enfin son héritage familial. Mais elle va bientôt soupçonner qu'elle n'est pas la seule personne de la famille à s'être forgé une double identité et pas la seule non plus à être capable de mettre un terme à une existence...
«Ma culpabilité mourra-t-elle avec lui une fois que je l'aurai tué ?»
Le troisième roman de Saskia Sarginson, est un mélange captivant de mystère, de suspense et de drame familial qui trouble et touche tout à la fois. Son style vif, allié à des sujets forts et inattendus, confère à ce roman une intensité toute particulière, qui ne laissera aucun lecteur indifférent...
Car si tout le monde a des secrets, certains sont si lourds et si explosifs qu'ils dévastent tout lorsqu'ils éclatent au grand jour... L'histoire d'Eliza et Klaudia est si intense, si bouleversante et si pleine d'humanité que vous ne l'oublierez pas de sitôt...
Après un best-seller absolument captivant, Saskia Sarginson monte encore le niveau ! L'autre moi-même est un roman tragique et puissant, qui allie suspense et émotion jusqu'à la dernière page. Un très bon roman, à l'ambiance trouble et à la sensibilité rare. À lire d'urgence et d'une traite pour un maximum d'émotions !
July 31, 2015
I have been unsure if the star rating to give this book and I believe that's because this is not my usual read. I would have given this overall 3.5* but I have rounded this up for Goodreads and Amazon. This is my first book by Sarginson, I do have another of her books on my shelf, which is a thriller. I think I went into this one thinking it was going to be in the same genre.
The cover and the blurb give little away to this book, to be honest I think I went into this pretty blind with what it was about. I am kind of pleased I did as I don't think I would have picked this book up due to the themes. Historic fiction is not my thing and it's saving grace for me was the crossing into modern - ish day life.
I got into this book quite quickly, I found it more of a struggle reading Ernest's POV, again I think that's down to the act this was the historic aspect of the book. I liked the way the story was presented through the change POV's.
The novel is broken into three sections, the first part is where we meet Klaudia and Eliza, these people are one, Klaudia is leading a double life, due to being bullied at school and wanting to change her past. She ends up getting herself into a big hole with the lie and it begins to spiral out of control.
Ernest as we quickly find out is Klaudia's uncle and he tells us his story along with his brothers through his POV. Some of the story I felt was predictable and I did see aspects of the book coming. This didn't make it any less enjoyable though.
I thought that the description in the novel was beautiful, for me I found the novel a little slow at times, there were parts in the middle I began to lose a little interest in, this was just because it was a little slow. I also thought that the novel deserved more twists and turns, a lot of what happened I could see coming, even though it was a beautifully written novel and a joy to read it just left me feeling a little flat. I also think that it was left with a few questions still to be answered.
I think if you enjoy historical fiction in particular you will enjoy this novel. I also think this is a good novel for finding yourself and discovering who you are. This theme is covered expertly well in the novel.
Overall I did enjoy the novel, it was a different type of read for me, but I felt it could do with more of a punch at the end.
I would like to thank the publisher for sending this in exchange for an honest review.
The cover and the blurb give little away to this book, to be honest I think I went into this pretty blind with what it was about. I am kind of pleased I did as I don't think I would have picked this book up due to the themes. Historic fiction is not my thing and it's saving grace for me was the crossing into modern - ish day life.
I got into this book quite quickly, I found it more of a struggle reading Ernest's POV, again I think that's down to the act this was the historic aspect of the book. I liked the way the story was presented through the change POV's.
The novel is broken into three sections, the first part is where we meet Klaudia and Eliza, these people are one, Klaudia is leading a double life, due to being bullied at school and wanting to change her past. She ends up getting herself into a big hole with the lie and it begins to spiral out of control.
Ernest as we quickly find out is Klaudia's uncle and he tells us his story along with his brothers through his POV. Some of the story I felt was predictable and I did see aspects of the book coming. This didn't make it any less enjoyable though.
I thought that the description in the novel was beautiful, for me I found the novel a little slow at times, there were parts in the middle I began to lose a little interest in, this was just because it was a little slow. I also thought that the novel deserved more twists and turns, a lot of what happened I could see coming, even though it was a beautifully written novel and a joy to read it just left me feeling a little flat. I also think that it was left with a few questions still to be answered.
I think if you enjoy historical fiction in particular you will enjoy this novel. I also think this is a good novel for finding yourself and discovering who you are. This theme is covered expertly well in the novel.
Overall I did enjoy the novel, it was a different type of read for me, but I felt it could do with more of a punch at the end.
I would like to thank the publisher for sending this in exchange for an honest review.
August 19, 2015
I wasn’t really sure what to expect when I picked up my copy of The Other Me. I had previously read and enjoyed The Twins by the same author, so I knew it was going to be good. I have to admit, the first thing that drew me to this book was the beautiful cover. If you know me at all, you’ll know that I’m passionate about dance (although I can’t dance myself!) I love to watch dancing, I love to read about dancing and I adore photos of beautiful dance work. So the cover really was its selling point for me. I wasn’t expecting such an intense, thought provoking read.
The Other Me tells a story of Klaudia who has changed her identity to attempt to hide from her family’s past. Klaudia is an only child, daughter of Otto and Gwyn Meyer. The story starts with the reader learning about Klaudia she she starts secondary school in the ’80s. Prior to secondary school, Klaudia was home schooled, so she’s nervous to make friends. Klaudia finds herself ashamed of her father who is German, and works as a caretaker at her secondary school. Klaudia is ashamed of him, as she learns that her peers call her father a Nazi. Klaudia wants to learn more about her family history and worries that the taunts of her peers may have some substance. As the story progresses, we hear from Klaudia who is living life in Leeds as Eliza, a dancer. Even though Klaudia leaves her past behind it always haunts her. As well as the story from Klaudia/Eliza we also learn about the story of Ernst, Klaudia’s father’s brother. At the heart of The Other Me is a story about identity and finding out who we really are, no matter what our past.
I thought this was an incredibly well written story. I found it utterly engrossing and once I picked it up, it was hard to put down again. This book is well worth exploring. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and didn’t expect to love it so much.
The Other Me tells a story of Klaudia who has changed her identity to attempt to hide from her family’s past. Klaudia is an only child, daughter of Otto and Gwyn Meyer. The story starts with the reader learning about Klaudia she she starts secondary school in the ’80s. Prior to secondary school, Klaudia was home schooled, so she’s nervous to make friends. Klaudia finds herself ashamed of her father who is German, and works as a caretaker at her secondary school. Klaudia is ashamed of him, as she learns that her peers call her father a Nazi. Klaudia wants to learn more about her family history and worries that the taunts of her peers may have some substance. As the story progresses, we hear from Klaudia who is living life in Leeds as Eliza, a dancer. Even though Klaudia leaves her past behind it always haunts her. As well as the story from Klaudia/Eliza we also learn about the story of Ernst, Klaudia’s father’s brother. At the heart of The Other Me is a story about identity and finding out who we really are, no matter what our past.
I thought this was an incredibly well written story. I found it utterly engrossing and once I picked it up, it was hard to put down again. This book is well worth exploring. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and didn’t expect to love it so much.
May 4, 2015
I have read the other two books by Saskia Sarginson and in my opinion each book just gets better and better! This is certainly my favourite of the 3 and I loved it! It's beautifully written and an emotional journey into whether or not our identities are related to where we come from.
Klaudia is living with her parents, an only child born to a religious mother and a German father. She is teased at school and her father called a Nazi. Away from home, studying, she becomes Eliza, desperate to escape from her family roots. Her story is interspersed with the struggles in pre war Nazi Germany of 2 brothers Otto and Ernst. Becoming members of the Hitler Youth affects them both in different ways. Otto is keen to belong and show his true Aryan roots, even though he doesn't know who his parents are, and Ernst is in love with Sarah, a Jewish girl.
This book is about a search for identity, not just in the Klaudia/Eliza part but also for Otto/Ernst. I loved the way it was explored and the way the characters unfolded. Ernst was a great narrator and I wanted to know more about him and what became of him after the war. I found it harder to relate to Klaudia but this was her personality and it was understandable from the way she had been raised why she was like this. The story took a little while to get into but once I understood where it was going and the way it was being told, I couldn't put it down.
I received a copy of this book via netgalley in return for an honest review.
Klaudia is living with her parents, an only child born to a religious mother and a German father. She is teased at school and her father called a Nazi. Away from home, studying, she becomes Eliza, desperate to escape from her family roots. Her story is interspersed with the struggles in pre war Nazi Germany of 2 brothers Otto and Ernst. Becoming members of the Hitler Youth affects them both in different ways. Otto is keen to belong and show his true Aryan roots, even though he doesn't know who his parents are, and Ernst is in love with Sarah, a Jewish girl.
This book is about a search for identity, not just in the Klaudia/Eliza part but also for Otto/Ernst. I loved the way it was explored and the way the characters unfolded. Ernst was a great narrator and I wanted to know more about him and what became of him after the war. I found it harder to relate to Klaudia but this was her personality and it was understandable from the way she had been raised why she was like this. The story took a little while to get into but once I understood where it was going and the way it was being told, I couldn't put it down.
I received a copy of this book via netgalley in return for an honest review.
October 23, 2015
To put this into perspective, one woman two lives I think is a little strong. Klaudia was a child and then she called herself Eliza when she went to University - not quite the dramatic event of two lives that the book cover proclaims.
So I was wrong footed when I began to read, as I had assumed (!) that this was going to an adult who had reinvented herself.
Ultimately I suppose the book is about identity and how others perceive you through the bloodline you carry.
However, to me this book was far more interesting from the perspective of Klaudia's Father and Uncle who had been brought up in Nazi Germany. Through Ernst eyes we re live the terror of the jews and their awful fate at the hands of the Nazis - of which Ernst was one. A perspective I had not read this part of history from before.
The writing is really very sensitive and insightful - difficult to read at times, but very poignant.
I kept turning the pages wanting to know if the sins of the father were going to prevent happiness for Klaudia/Eliza - but as I don't do spoilers you need to turn those pages to find out yourself.
I'm giving this book 5 out of 5 stars.
My thanks go to Net galley and Little Brown Book group for a free advance e copy of this book.
So I was wrong footed when I began to read, as I had assumed (!) that this was going to an adult who had reinvented herself.
Ultimately I suppose the book is about identity and how others perceive you through the bloodline you carry.
However, to me this book was far more interesting from the perspective of Klaudia's Father and Uncle who had been brought up in Nazi Germany. Through Ernst eyes we re live the terror of the jews and their awful fate at the hands of the Nazis - of which Ernst was one. A perspective I had not read this part of history from before.
The writing is really very sensitive and insightful - difficult to read at times, but very poignant.
I kept turning the pages wanting to know if the sins of the father were going to prevent happiness for Klaudia/Eliza - but as I don't do spoilers you need to turn those pages to find out yourself.
I'm giving this book 5 out of 5 stars.
My thanks go to Net galley and Little Brown Book group for a free advance e copy of this book.
September 29, 2024
Eliza is trying to live a normal life. She’s trying to make it as a dancer but events from the past have come to disrupt not only her dream but also her relationships.
Interwoven with this is the story of Ernst. A teen at the start of WWII wrapped up in the infancy of the Hitler Youth movement. He and his brother want to belong to differing degrees of want.
Then there is Klaudia, a young girl going to school for the first time. A school where her father is a cleaner / maintenance man. Someone with a reputation, one Klaudia is keen not to be associated with. But can she keep their relationship quiet?
The three different story lines at three very different points in time made for interesting reading, especially Klaudia’s experience at school. As the three stories went on, the threads gradually came together where lives smash together and Eliza has to deal with her secret past.
The Other Me is a very different read to my previous experience of Sarginson’s writing, Identical. It was still packed with tense with characters put in awkward domestic situations not of their making. Sarginson definitely brings to the forefront the question of whether children should be held accountable for the actions of their parents.
Interwoven with this is the story of Ernst. A teen at the start of WWII wrapped up in the infancy of the Hitler Youth movement. He and his brother want to belong to differing degrees of want.
Then there is Klaudia, a young girl going to school for the first time. A school where her father is a cleaner / maintenance man. Someone with a reputation, one Klaudia is keen not to be associated with. But can she keep their relationship quiet?
The three different story lines at three very different points in time made for interesting reading, especially Klaudia’s experience at school. As the three stories went on, the threads gradually came together where lives smash together and Eliza has to deal with her secret past.
The Other Me is a very different read to my previous experience of Sarginson’s writing, Identical. It was still packed with tense with characters put in awkward domestic situations not of their making. Sarginson definitely brings to the forefront the question of whether children should be held accountable for the actions of their parents.
April 20, 2022
“His history has changed my lie.”
Tears were shed during this read, possibly a sob here, and there. Rich, delicious, sentences. I followed these characters stories with my whole heart, a shake of my head, eyes closed, with head in hands. I felt like an honored guest to the fragile lives that unfold in delicately detailed landscapes and places in these pages. Finally taken off my shelf, and so glad that I did.
Tears were shed during this read, possibly a sob here, and there. Rich, delicious, sentences. I followed these characters stories with my whole heart, a shake of my head, eyes closed, with head in hands. I felt like an honored guest to the fragile lives that unfold in delicately detailed landscapes and places in these pages. Finally taken off my shelf, and so glad that I did.
September 16, 2023
Are we to be held responsible but the sins of our ancestors? This is the central question of this intriguing book which tells the story of Klaudia, daughter of a former Nazi. There are so many secrets hidden in the past of her father, mother, and uncle. As the tale weaves back and forth between present and past, more and more is revealed. Ultimately, aren’t we all responsible for our own choices and the way navigate through life?
February 7, 2021
It was okay probably an understatement on my part.
February 13, 2023
A good 4.5, enjoyed it more than I thought.
Read
May 27, 2025DNF'ed at 30%. This wasn't a bad book but I was just bored. I didn't care at all and the connections felt obvious.
October 24, 2015
A NetGalley Review
Have you ever so hated your family and background that you have created a whole new persona? Right down to name, home, family? And maintained it for 2 whole years without a slip?
Well Klaudia Meyer did in this book.
She became Eliza Benet and didn't reveal who she really was until circumstances forced her into it. Her best friend didn't know her. Her lover didn't know her. And she avoided her family in all that time.
This book had sat in my to read pile for several months and for some reason kept slipping off my list and I grasped the new sweetie instead. Which was a shame as although I initially found the book slow and somewhat difficult to follow why I was moving from one character to another and different timelines, it all became clear later why and who these characters were and what their connection to each other was.
I thought that Ernst's story was perhaps the most compelling as he described in great detail how life was in Germany during the 1920s and 30s on a farm near a small town, for 2 children who had no parents.
The children were placed as foundlings with a farm family and were treated as unpaid servants with sleeping accommodation over the stable unless it really got too cold, and fed after the rest of the family had eaten very sparingly.
The times were hard and difficult on a farm and it was no surprise that the children were drawn to the Hitler youth programmes as a way of establishing an identity. The story makes it quite clear how this movement began to take hold and the how the country began to follow Hitler.
I was interested in the description of the races that they were taught in the school (by nuns no less, who clearly were enthusiastic supporters of all that the Regime wanted). The Eugenics researchers were, at the time, very influential with the Nazis and Hitler as well as Mussolini and felt that the rule of the world was the birthright of those with the best physical and mental stature - the Nordic (sometime referred to as the Aryan) race.
The races were listed as -in order of best to worst - and I really hadn't heard of most of them so, of course, looked them up.
Wikipedia explains that:
Nazi policy stressed the superiority of the Nordic race, a sub-race of the white European population defined by the measurement of the size and proportions of the human body and each race was given a different amount of food, rights, housing and so on. each race was strictly separated from each other - ghettoed in effect. This was part of some early anthropological and eugenics research that claimed by measuring certain physical characteristics people could be defined. They could then be determined as to what they could undertake in the way of jobs etc. Nordic characteristics being prized for breeding purposes of course in order to improve the general population.
The Nordic, or superior race, was a person with light-coloured hair, light-coloured eyes, fair skin, long and narrow skulls and tall stature. They were supposed to be universally truthful, equitable, competitive, naïve, reserved and individualistic.
Dinaric was a mixed type consisting of Nordic race and Armenoid race who have a slightly darker pigmentation.
Falic or Phalic race as described by Hans Friedrich Karl Günther as being inferior to Nordic and Dinaric and consisting of a defined height and stature,being robust and heavily built, with a rosy skin, blond hair, light eyes (blue, grey or green), big mouth and thin lips.
Ostic race is often refierred as the Alpine race and is defined as:
A typical Alpine skull is therefore regarded as broad-headed. As well as being broad in the crania, this thickness appears generally elsewhere, as Hans Günther describes:
...the Alpine race is thick-set and broad. The average height of the Alpine man is about 1.63 metres. This small height is brought about by the relatively short, squat legs. This broadness and shortness is repeated in all the details: in the broadness of the hand and its short fingers, in the short, broad feet, in the thick, short calves.
Ost-Baltic has a medium to low stature, fair skin, strong build, brachycephallic (broad) skull, light hair and eyes.
Slavs were unternmenshcen or sub-human and thus ripe for slavery and exploitation. They were of a racially mixed "Asiatic" type. Barbarians and read for ethnic cleansing.
Not mentioned in the book was the Mediterranean race with low stature, brown skin, physical constitution varying from gracile to slender, straight nose, regular features, dolicocephallic, dark hair and eyes. Doliocephalic means that the head is longer than would be expected, relative to its width as with the skulls of Neanderthals.
There are various other racial 'types'that the Eugenicists also described and the late 19th century the science was much admired in many parts of the world.
So, what do I finally think of this book? I was conflicted. Was it a 4 star or was it a 5 star? So 4.5 is the compromise.
Have you ever so hated your family and background that you have created a whole new persona? Right down to name, home, family? And maintained it for 2 whole years without a slip?
Well Klaudia Meyer did in this book.
She became Eliza Benet and didn't reveal who she really was until circumstances forced her into it. Her best friend didn't know her. Her lover didn't know her. And she avoided her family in all that time.
This book had sat in my to read pile for several months and for some reason kept slipping off my list and I grasped the new sweetie instead. Which was a shame as although I initially found the book slow and somewhat difficult to follow why I was moving from one character to another and different timelines, it all became clear later why and who these characters were and what their connection to each other was.
I thought that Ernst's story was perhaps the most compelling as he described in great detail how life was in Germany during the 1920s and 30s on a farm near a small town, for 2 children who had no parents.
The children were placed as foundlings with a farm family and were treated as unpaid servants with sleeping accommodation over the stable unless it really got too cold, and fed after the rest of the family had eaten very sparingly.
The times were hard and difficult on a farm and it was no surprise that the children were drawn to the Hitler youth programmes as a way of establishing an identity. The story makes it quite clear how this movement began to take hold and the how the country began to follow Hitler.
I was interested in the description of the races that they were taught in the school (by nuns no less, who clearly were enthusiastic supporters of all that the Regime wanted). The Eugenics researchers were, at the time, very influential with the Nazis and Hitler as well as Mussolini and felt that the rule of the world was the birthright of those with the best physical and mental stature - the Nordic (sometime referred to as the Aryan) race.
The races were listed as -in order of best to worst - and I really hadn't heard of most of them so, of course, looked them up.
Wikipedia explains that:
Nazi policy stressed the superiority of the Nordic race, a sub-race of the white European population defined by the measurement of the size and proportions of the human body and each race was given a different amount of food, rights, housing and so on. each race was strictly separated from each other - ghettoed in effect. This was part of some early anthropological and eugenics research that claimed by measuring certain physical characteristics people could be defined. They could then be determined as to what they could undertake in the way of jobs etc. Nordic characteristics being prized for breeding purposes of course in order to improve the general population.
The Nordic, or superior race, was a person with light-coloured hair, light-coloured eyes, fair skin, long and narrow skulls and tall stature. They were supposed to be universally truthful, equitable, competitive, naïve, reserved and individualistic.
Dinaric was a mixed type consisting of Nordic race and Armenoid race who have a slightly darker pigmentation.
Falic or Phalic race as described by Hans Friedrich Karl Günther as being inferior to Nordic and Dinaric and consisting of a defined height and stature,being robust and heavily built, with a rosy skin, blond hair, light eyes (blue, grey or green), big mouth and thin lips.
Ostic race is often refierred as the Alpine race and is defined as:
A typical Alpine skull is therefore regarded as broad-headed. As well as being broad in the crania, this thickness appears generally elsewhere, as Hans Günther describes:
...the Alpine race is thick-set and broad. The average height of the Alpine man is about 1.63 metres. This small height is brought about by the relatively short, squat legs. This broadness and shortness is repeated in all the details: in the broadness of the hand and its short fingers, in the short, broad feet, in the thick, short calves.
Ost-Baltic has a medium to low stature, fair skin, strong build, brachycephallic (broad) skull, light hair and eyes.
Slavs were unternmenshcen or sub-human and thus ripe for slavery and exploitation. They were of a racially mixed "Asiatic" type. Barbarians and read for ethnic cleansing.
Not mentioned in the book was the Mediterranean race with low stature, brown skin, physical constitution varying from gracile to slender, straight nose, regular features, dolicocephallic, dark hair and eyes. Doliocephalic means that the head is longer than would be expected, relative to its width as with the skulls of Neanderthals.
There are various other racial 'types'that the Eugenicists also described and the late 19th century the science was much admired in many parts of the world.
So, what do I finally think of this book? I was conflicted. Was it a 4 star or was it a 5 star? So 4.5 is the compromise.
October 1, 2018
Although this was “another” Holocaust story I loved this book! This writer wrote so descriptively I felt that I was a part of the story.
October 5, 2023
This was an exceptional read … loved it
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