A Crack in the Wall: Growing Up Under Hitler

Rating:
Summary: Candid self-examination
Review: I thought this book was a fascinating description of the author's experiences and conclusions after years of self-examination. It is a topic that people like him are loathe to discuss face-to-face, one which so easily devolves into polemics that it is traumatic for all participants. Since it is a monologue, the reader is muted, a provoking experience in itself, given the nature of the subject matter.

Rating:
Summary: This is an author who is seeking salvation.
Review: I was struck by the defensive stance of the author. The story itself was interesting in a factual sense, but at every turn it seemed that the author was asking for our forgiveness and our understanding that not every German was a monster. The "I didn't know" attitude didn't convince me. I could more easily understand an "I knew but there was nothing I could do about it" excuse of the horrors of WW2. That the author's life was tough I have no doubt, but I don't feel sorry for him.