In the Garden of Beasts, Part II: House Hunting in the Third Reich

[Lindsay♫SingerOfStories♫]

This "part" includes Chapter 6 (Seduction) through Chapter 10 (Tiergartenstrasse 27a)

[Lindsay♫SingerOfStories♫]

Somehow it was easier for me to make it through this section than the first. To me, it moved a lot faster and really gave great descriptions of all the people and places, and alluded to a lot of the horrors to come (ex: the transformation of scientist Haber's cyanide gas--originally invented to fumigate grain storage structures--into what eventually fueled the gas chambers).

I found it interesting when Martha wrote in her diary "[I] love the [German's] funny stiff dancing, listening to their incomprehensible and gutteral tongue, and watching their simple gestures, natural behaviors and childlike eagerness for life" (p.55). This, amidst all of the Dodd family's complete disregard for all of the warnings about the German government; how innocent and optimistic they all are. I can only imagine how much trouble the "sexy" Martha gets into, and how rude of a wake up call the family will get.

Also, I love that I'm learning so much without feeling like I'm reading a textbook. I learned how the Gestapo got their name, what uniform colors the different ranks wore, the geography of Berlin, etc. etc. etc.! And I also have to say that I am SO glad I am reading this on an eReader because I am looking up several words for definitions on each page. :)