The Road We Took

The years before World War II were years of increasing tension, especially in Germany. Antisemitism was on the rise as Hitler came to power, and bitterness about how the country had been treated after World War I only made matters worse. The Road We Took is a snapshot of this time, seen through the eyes of two Jewish violinists, a German boy sent to Dachau, and an American Boy Scout coming home from an international trip. The stories weave together in a way that can best be described as Dickensian, and the tension mounts with every chapter as the four each do their best to escape the country before it’s too late.

It’s an ambitious story, but unfortunately, the reality falls short of what the book could be. The characters, especially the antagonists, were all flat and one dimensional. The first few Dickensian twists took me by surprise, but before long I began to expect them. The writing style failed to grab me, and the author’s attempts to explain everything made me feel as though I couldn’t be trusted to make my own judgments or know anything at all about this period of history. I didn’t enjoy the book, and I don’t know anyone who would.