To Die in Spring by Ralf Rothmann - 3 stars (BWF)

[Joy D]

To Die in Spring by Ralf Rothmann - 3* - My Review

Walter and Fiete are seventeen-year-old friends working on a dairy farm in northern Germany. They are forced to enlist in the Waffen SS at the end of World War II. In 1945, the Russians are closing in on Germany from the East and the Allies from the West. Walter becomes a driver and Fiete is sent to the front lines. One of the two decides that loss is inevitable and takes drastic action, which impacts them both. The conceit is that Walter’s son is reconstructing what happened to his father during WWII, which Walter is reluctant to discuss but has written a few notes. The war scenes are brutal. I found this book rough going. The writing is decent, but it is extremely bleak, and I found it difficult to become invested in it.

PBT August BWF - fits letter not tag