Rating: 
Summary: A Dwarf in Nazi Germany
Review: The much acclaimed Stones from the River left me with unanswered questions. I was uncomfortable with the idea that a female dwarf and central character, Trudi Montag, managed to live through the Nazi period safe and sound. We must recall Josef Mengele, the infamous Nazi doctor who experimenced not only with twins, but also with dwarfs, giants, and other such samplings. At one point, Mengele is said to have "welcome" an entire family of dwarfs for his nefarious experimenta (see Nazi Doctors, by Robert Jay Lifton, 1986). Yet Trudi Montag's continued existence is not in the least questionedby Ursula Hegi. True enough, this is a work of fiction,but how much can a writer stretch fiction and thereby distort reality? As a former Jewish refugee from Nazi Germany, I object, for example, to Hegi's reference to the widespread demolition of Jewish property (p.262, pb) without pinpointing that this marked the outbreak of Kristallnacht, of November 9/10, 1938, the cataclysmic pogrom that swept through Nazi Germany. She does use the term subsequently (p.310), but the average reader should not be expected to connect the two events. As a translator, I rebuff Hegi's faulty English rendering of German 'kinderreich' translated several times as 'child rich' when in fact it means 'fertile.' This is about the worst of several other mistranslations in the book. When in doubt, Ursula Hegi, consult a translator, although doubt is evidently not one of your priorities.
Rating: 
Summary: A magnificent must read
Review: A friend insisted I buy this book, telling me what a masterpiece it was. I was at first sceptical, and I must confess it did not grab me within the first few chapters as I had hoped that it would. The main character is a dwarf, the child of a mentally ill mother and a father disabled in World War 1, and whereas her life looked as if it would be interesting, if filled with angst, I was confident that this itself would not hold my attention for the whole of the book. How wrong I was, becuase it is not Trudi's life that grabs you, it is the world she is living in - the horror of Germany between the wars. It is difficult to find words to describe how that world changes, with the rise of Adolf Hitler, and the slow and deliberate persecution of the Jews, and the terror of ordinary citizens who barely dared to question what was hapening to their lives. The story becomes shocking, unimaginable and utterly compelling. I also think that it is something that everyone should read, and I like my friend, will recommend it to everyone. It is not an easy story to read, and Trudi, the main character is spiky and independent - not always easy to identify with. But is an important book because it also chronicles the life of everyday Germans who were caught up in unspeakable times, and it is with these characters that our sympathies lie. I am pleased that I took my friend's recommendation. Again, not an easy read, but a picture of history that cannot be ignored. It is a truly compelling and magnificent novel.
Rating:
Summary: Entertaining, Touching
Review: This book is no literary masterpiece, but it is a touching and enjoyable read. The zwerg (dwarf) progagonist is the center of the story, which spans both world wars and the aftermath of both in small-town Germany.
Rating:
Summary: Inspires Thought
Review: I found this book insightful on many avenues. Opens up a different perspective of the country and its people during this most written about episode in history. The characters are well developed and easily identified with. A difficult book to put down once you get involved in the plot.
Beverly J Scott author of Righteous Revenge
Rating:
Summary: One of the best books I've ever read!
Review: To find a book that opens up a new world for you, that challenges you to think of situations never before possible, to empathize with characters you've never encountered before... this book does all that and more! It is spellbinding and unforgettable. Read this book!
Rating:
Summary: Tough to like but good story
Review: This was tough to like. It was a good story and the author does a good job developing the characters. I think what I know of this era made it hard for me to like this novel. The events before, around and after jews and some germans were taken from their homes are told here. This is basically how one town survived. I liked the way the story included the role of the church. I didn't like the use of german words, phrases, songs and titles since I felt it interrupted the flow of reading. Borrow this one to read it.
Rating:
Summary: Remarkable book
Review: ...this is the only book I have read set during WWII that gave me the perspective of the normal everyday citizens of Germany. For every time you have said, "How could the Holocaust have happened? How could people have allowed this to happen to their friends, their neighbors?", this is the closest I have ever come to understanding the answer to those questions. This is a remarkable book, and I think everyone should read it - not only for the perspective on WWII, but also for the perspective of the main character, Trudi, on being a little person in a big person's world.
Rating:
Summary: My two cents' worth
Review: I read this wonderful novel for a book discussion group--and now I'm eager for the discussion day to arrive so we can talk about it! Since I'm usually the only male in the group, I always look forward to hearing female insights into characters like Trudi. By the way, is her last name--Montag--an intentional reference to Guy Montag from Fahrenheit 451, who, like Trudi, keeps the stories alive despite opposition and danger? I'd highly recommend this novel to men who might not normally consider it. You guys might enjoy the look at WWII from the home front of Germany, or you might appreciate the insight Trudi's stature brings her into men's lives. There are positive male characters as well as clearly negative ones, and the two groups make for a well-rounded and entertaining book.
Rating:
Summary: Moving
Review: You need to read this book! I was moved to tears at times ... which is very rare for me when reading. It really just swept me away to another place.
Rating:
Summary: Powerful, evocative, and haunting
Review: Ursula Hegi paints a rich and complex portrait of life in a small German town in period between WWI and the end of WWII, as seen through the eyes of Trudi Montag, a Zwerg, or Dwarf who stands outside of the town's broader culture, but is also the repository of all its secrets. The story moves slowly, almost cautiously, as it examines a mosaic of relationships and on the town's small canvas, examines how evil was able to seize an entire country. Hegi's prose are rich and evocative and her characters, even the smallest of them, is designed to give the reader pause. Her eye for detail so captivates the reader as to make him or her feel as though they are delivered back to those dark years. Moreover, the author does not use her story as a cudgel to beat you, but rather takes you through a masterful tapestry that brings the story to life.
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