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Willfully Ignorant
Carin Miller has reluctantly gone to Berlin to work in the bakery of a family friend. She arrives in 1933, just as Adolf Hitler became Chancellor of Germany. Her stay in Germany was to last only two years, but instead spanned over twelve years, until the end of World War II.
She is appalled by the treatment of the Jews and the policies of the Nazi regime. She begs her friend, Anna, who is Jewish, to get out of Germany. Carin wonders why the German people put up with Hitler and the atrocities of the SS. She criticizes their willful ignorance, but discovers that she too is guilty of hiding her head in the sand.
Carin falls in love with Peter and then finds out that he is a high-ranking officer in the SS. He confesses his love for her and asks her to wait for him until after the war. As a Christian, she knows that the relationship must end.
Standing by while the horrific events unfold around her does not sit well with Carins conscience, but why get involved when Germany is not her country? She is a Christian, not a Jew. And what can one person do?
Will she join the Resistance, knowing the risks?
She is appalled by the treatment of the Jews and the policies of the Nazi regime. She begs her friend, Anna, who is Jewish, to get out of Germany. Carin wonders why the German people put up with Hitler and the atrocities of the SS. She criticizes their willful ignorance, but discovers that she too is guilty of hiding her head in the sand.
Carin falls in love with Peter and then finds out that he is a high-ranking officer in the SS. He confesses his love for her and asks her to wait for him until after the war. As a Christian, she knows that the relationship must end.
Standing by while the horrific events unfold around her does not sit well with Carins conscience, but why get involved when Germany is not her country? She is a Christian, not a Jew. And what can one person do?
Will she join the Resistance, knowing the risks?
318 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 17, 2014
7 people are currently reading
64 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
October 16, 2014
Read the book description first. I really got wrapped up in the characters. The book is an easy read. There is adventure, romance, suspense and disaster. There is history, truth and hard reality. This book teaches the dangers in government using hard facts that cannot be denied. No one would consider reading this as a waste of time after reading it. There is so much to be appreciated from these pages.
February 11, 2016
Excellent
I enjoyed reading this novel. Very well written with real eventS in mind. I was able to visualize Carin's role as a Nazi resistance fighter. I never read any accounts of Americans in Germany as resistance fighters during the time Hitler began the Holocaust.
I enjoyed reading this novel. Very well written with real eventS in mind. I was able to visualize Carin's role as a Nazi resistance fighter. I never read any accounts of Americans in Germany as resistance fighters during the time Hitler began the Holocaust.
April 1, 2022
When I started reading this book, Russia has already invade Ukraine, peace talks had broken down several times, and sanctions had been placed. And even though much has been done, news reported, like the title of the book, some are still Willfully Ignorant, not about the invasion, but of the full implications of what it means to us.
Extract form the book which Gretchen was speaking to Carin; "Do not be ignorant about what is going on, like some of my friends. I was trying to talk to a friend about the Germany we now live in and what is going on. Do you know what she said? She said she does not know and does not want to know because if she did she might feel like she had to do something about it. The Bible describes people like her of being willfully ignorant. Do not be willfully ignorant, Carin. I know you well enough by now to know that you still have a healthy conscious." This, to me is the deepest and one triggering to most reflection through the whole book for me.
Not wanting to know, for knowing we can't unknow. Not knowing we can be consider as uninformed or ignorant. Knowing, yet not taking action to correct is willfully ignorant.
In the case of the war in the book, we read about Christi, being influenced of what is thought in school. There is direct conflict and misalignment, not only with Carin but others in the family. Yet, when the teaching is deep, it is a program. The education of which is being thought, propaganda begins at a young again. I mentioned programming, yes, the propaganda of family, culture and community even before formal education.
"Give me just one generation of youth, and i'll transform the whole world" -Vladimir Lenin
We are indeed all begin transformed; with technology, with intention misinformation, false truth, mixed message. Lenin was talking in the context of the Soviet time, and today is social media and technology, the transformation is faster, wide spread and subconscious. The current war is more complex than just physical. The world is connected and involved as energies and raw materials have all been affected.
Would we stand up for what's right? Will we take action like Carin in the story? Or would we bury our head into the sand? Or pretend nothing's going on? It's not thinking one person can't make a difference, everyone, every effort matters. Message again for me, don't be ignorant in any ways, take appropriate actions from the higher self.
Extract form the book which Gretchen was speaking to Carin; "Do not be ignorant about what is going on, like some of my friends. I was trying to talk to a friend about the Germany we now live in and what is going on. Do you know what she said? She said she does not know and does not want to know because if she did she might feel like she had to do something about it. The Bible describes people like her of being willfully ignorant. Do not be willfully ignorant, Carin. I know you well enough by now to know that you still have a healthy conscious." This, to me is the deepest and one triggering to most reflection through the whole book for me.
Not wanting to know, for knowing we can't unknow. Not knowing we can be consider as uninformed or ignorant. Knowing, yet not taking action to correct is willfully ignorant.
In the case of the war in the book, we read about Christi, being influenced of what is thought in school. There is direct conflict and misalignment, not only with Carin but others in the family. Yet, when the teaching is deep, it is a program. The education of which is being thought, propaganda begins at a young again. I mentioned programming, yes, the propaganda of family, culture and community even before formal education.
"Give me just one generation of youth, and i'll transform the whole world" -Vladimir Lenin
We are indeed all begin transformed; with technology, with intention misinformation, false truth, mixed message. Lenin was talking in the context of the Soviet time, and today is social media and technology, the transformation is faster, wide spread and subconscious. The current war is more complex than just physical. The world is connected and involved as energies and raw materials have all been affected.
Would we stand up for what's right? Will we take action like Carin in the story? Or would we bury our head into the sand? Or pretend nothing's going on? It's not thinking one person can't make a difference, everyone, every effort matters. Message again for me, don't be ignorant in any ways, take appropriate actions from the higher self.
April 11, 2022
This is a must-read for everyone who is living in this modern, close-knitted world village. To become more aware of our actions or no actions themselves is an action. The choices we make or do not make themselves are a choice.
We knew about the butterfly effect, however, did we really do something about it?
This book brought us through Carin's perspective during WWI. She got to Berlin in 1933 just as Adolf Hitler became the Chancellor of Germany. We all knew the rest of history, you may also like me, cannot even comprehend how Germany allowed the holocaust of Jews under their own eyes? Who would allow killing women and children by poison gas?
How did Hitler get the buy-in from his own citizens to be part of these? Control of the information public to media? Isn't this sound familiar to what happened now in the world?
All the "customized" information available to use through social media has limited our exposure to whatever happened in the world.
One thing we as a resident of the world can do is to open up to different sources of information, starts to questions diligently about the pieces of information available, and not simply draw conclusions just based on ONE source of information received.
First, they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out, because I was not a socialist, then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out, because I was not a trade-unionists. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out, because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak for me. ~ Rev. Martin Niemoller, 1937.
How this simple statement has succinctly depicted what happened now in the world.
We knew about the butterfly effect, however, did we really do something about it?
This book brought us through Carin's perspective during WWI. She got to Berlin in 1933 just as Adolf Hitler became the Chancellor of Germany. We all knew the rest of history, you may also like me, cannot even comprehend how Germany allowed the holocaust of Jews under their own eyes? Who would allow killing women and children by poison gas?
How did Hitler get the buy-in from his own citizens to be part of these? Control of the information public to media? Isn't this sound familiar to what happened now in the world?
All the "customized" information available to use through social media has limited our exposure to whatever happened in the world.
One thing we as a resident of the world can do is to open up to different sources of information, starts to questions diligently about the pieces of information available, and not simply draw conclusions just based on ONE source of information received.
First, they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out, because I was not a socialist, then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out, because I was not a trade-unionists. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out, because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak for me. ~ Rev. Martin Niemoller, 1937.
How this simple statement has succinctly depicted what happened now in the world.
December 16, 2020
Good points made. Easy reading.
I like the points made, and it’s a good story. It’s interesting to think about what each of us would have done, and compare it to daily living now.
I like the points made, and it’s a good story. It’s interesting to think about what each of us would have done, and compare it to daily living now.
April 25, 2021
I really liked this book - however the ending was a bit of a disappointment. It seemed rushed and a little "hard to believe". Would still recommend it. The best part for me was the wrestling of faith and of conscience that went on in the main character's life throughout the book.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews