Our Conquest

by Gert Hofmann, Christopher Middleton (Translator)

A novel seen from the perspective of a German child. Starting at the end of World War II with a family hiding in a cellar from the Allies, it proceeds backwards, through memories, to reveal their town's shameful history.

Genres: Fiction

281 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1984

About the author

Gert Hofmann (1931 – 1993) was a German writer and professor of German literature.

He was the father of poet Michael Hofmann, who translated some of his father's works into English.

Reviews

[João Reis · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent post-war tale of dark humour and depravity.

[Hannah Katsman · Rating 4 out of 5]

As the daughter of a Holocaust survivor, it's hard to sympathize with the suffering of the German people. However, Hofmann's depiction of two boys who leave their house on the day after the Americans or Russians, no one is sure, have conquered the country, shows us the confusion and suffering of the children and the townspeople as well as their struggle to survive. Yet Hofmann never minimizes the atrocities committed by the Nazis and their many helpers, including members of the children's own families.
This is a book that I didn't want to read, but I felt compelled to finish it.