All the Broken Places

 
“All the Broken Places” by John Boyne
Published by Penguin Books
 
I know my words won’t do this book justice, but I’ll try because I absolutely loved every page of it.  It truly made me feel all my feelings, although somehow, I didn’t cry.  This is Greta’s story, told in dual timelines – fleeing Germany at the end of WWII through the 1950s and then current day, when she is in her 90’s.  Throughout, she needs to hide her true identity, keep secret the fact that her father commanded a concentration camp, and bury the guilt she feels over the small part she played in her brother’s death. It is a lot for a person to carry, especially a young adult.  Afterall, she was only 12 at the time.  In the current day, as a widow living alone, she meets a young boy needing her help but she is so conflicted by her past, she doesn’t want to get involved, risking her world falling apart if the truth comes out.  But could saving this one child make up for all the people she didn’t save during the war, including her brother?
 
Please know that yes, this can be a stand-alone book, BUT I feel like you wouldn’t have the true emotional connection to Greta’s brother without first reading (or watching) “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas”.  If you are going to read Greta’s story, you should first read Bruno’s.  Both are absolutely fabulous books.
 
Finished 5/21/25 – 5/5 stars
 
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