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Although All That I Am by Anna Funder is a novel, it is based on the true story of four young Germans (Ruth, Dora, Hans, and Ernst Toller) who fled their country in order to keep raising the alarm about what was happening in their homeland as Adolf Hitler came to power.
Ultimately, it is the story of how an entire world can close their eyes and ears to oppression and danger.
The book opens in 2001 in Australia, where Ruth is living out her days alone. As she faces the approaching end of her life, she is remembering the past more and more. When her doctor tells her she may be losing her sight, she ruminates:
I had very good eyes once. It is another thing to say what I saw. In my experience, it is entirely possible to watch something happen and not to see it at all.
Ernst Toller was a Prussian Jew who fought in WWI, suffered a complete breakdown due to the experience, and later was imprisoned for several years for leading a socialist revolution. In All That I Am, Funder shows him in New York in 1939, where he continued to campaign against the Nazi regime. Despite this outspokenness, there were times in his life when Toller was rendered virtually mute by all that he had seen and heard. Toller says of a fellow resident from the psychiatric hospital, “He addresses me without waiting for an answer, as if being mute were an entirely appropriate reaction to this world.”
We learn about Dora and Hans’ lives through Ruth and Toller, perhaps giving us an idea of how their stories might end. We see the love between Ruth and Hans, and between Dora and Toller, although their natures and their ideals make the relationships less than traditional.
As Toller recalls his complicated affair with Dora, he reflects, “Our love was like a carpenter’s spirit level, each of us holding an end up so hard, fighting to keep that trembling bubble in sight.” Hans and Ruth seemed to be a bit more stable, although they all had their secrets.
This book is, first and foremost, a beautifully written novel which draws us in to the hearts and lives of people who lived and loved amidst some of the most horrific circumstances in recent history. It is also an exploration of how a world can avoid seeing or hearing what is happening until it is almost too late to do anything about it.
The exceptional way in which Funder has produced an amazing novel while also opening our eyes and ears to the world of pre-WWII Germany is why I am calling All That I Am a 5-Star Read, just as fellow 5 Minutes for Books reviewer Elizabeth did in her recent review of the nonfiction book Stasiland: Stories from Behind the Berlin Wall by the same author.
We have 3 copies of All That I Am to share with our readers. To enter, simply leave a comment below. We’ll announce the winners in this column on March 5th.
- The Girl Who Was on Fire, Hunger Games Movie edition winner is #21 Kate, The Parchment Girl.
A review copy of this book was provided by HarperCollins. 5 Minutes for Books reviewer Trish blogs about autism, books and daily life at In So Many Words.
I love to read and I would LOVE to win this book! Thank you for the Giveaway!
i’d like this for my husband.
this book sounds so good love to read it
Would really like to read this one.
I would be very interested to read this book.
Sounds so interesting.
Would like to read this one.
Would be great to win a copy of this book.
thanks for the chance
nannypanpan@gmail.com
It does sound interesting. Would love to win a copy!
I’d love to get a copy!
This book sounds so good.
I am definitely adding this to my list!
Thanks for the chance to win!
What a great find.
Another great book, thanks
It sounds like an interesting read!
I absolutely love stories based on truth. I used to not care much about the Hitler stories and then one day I started watching History Channel before I went to bed and I love learning about it all. I would so love to read this wonderful book.
This sounds like a great book. I love to read this type of book.
sounds like a good book
brendawitherspoon at hotmail dot com
Sounds fascinating, would like to read.
My daughter wants to win this. She reads all the time, she loves it and I’m glad.
sounds like a book that I would read. Books have to have substance thats appealing for me to read this sounds like its one of them
I would love to read this!
Sounds good, I’d love to have this book!
Samantha
Dull2000 at cox dot net
I would love to win this book!
Thanks!
Jenn from Making Hair Bows
learnquilling@gmail.com
Thanks for the giveaway
sounds really good
I would love to read this book.
lkish77123 at gmail dot com
It sounds like an interesting book!
Looks like a beautiful book!
I just finished Stones from the River by Ursula Hegi. It opens in 1915 Germany and follows through WWII. It was unnerving to understand how the German people were forced to go along with Hitler’s terrible ideas in order to stay alive. This one sounds like it would tie in nicely. Thanks for the giveaway.
Thanks for the great Giveaway
sounds like a good one!
Would like to win.
Sounds like a great book!
I would like to win this book.
ALL THAT I AM looks like an amazing read. Yes please!!
I love the quote by the aging Ruth about losing her
eye sight. My 93 year old dad is a WWII Veteran.
I enjoy listening to his stories and I would love to read
this pre-WWII, Germany story!
Many thanks, Cindi
Sounds good – I’m interested!
I would absolutely love to read this! Thanks!
Margaret
singitm(at)hotmail(dot)com
I came over from 5 Minutes for Books to check this out. I love reading historical fiction and this sounds like a great book.
This sounds like a great book! I hope I win!
This book sounds really interesting. Definitely adding to my list to check out.
Of course I’d love to win a copy! This sounds really interesting.
hmmmm…i find this one very interesting. I would love to read it.
Sounds like a great story 🙂
Sound like an interesting book! I’d love to win a copy!
My sister-in-law has been hounding me to read this book, says it’s absolutely wonderful. Glad you reminded me, I’m going to have to order it off Amazon ASAP!
Very interesting-sounds like another one to put on my list
I would absolutely love to read/win this book. I love learning about WWII. It will also be an eye opener about closing our eyes to oppression in other parts of the world.
desertrose5173 at gmail dot com
That does sound interesting……..
Sounds like a great book!