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All That I Am {Review and Giveaway}

February 20, 2012 by 5 Minutes for Books

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

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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.

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5 Minutes for Books is the 5 Minutes for Mom sister site devoted to reviewing books for adults -- fiction, memoir, and nonfiction -- and kids of all ages.

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54 Comments

  1. Pamela Grant says

    November 17, 2019 at 8:31 pm

    I would be honored to read such a book. The World need to know history, so these things wont happen again. I sympathize with the pain these people endured. I just couldn’t fathom. Being a poor Cherokee family raised in the 60’s was hard enuf but this😱God bless them all.

    Reply
  2. Lauren Ayer says

    March 5, 2012 at 6:19 pm

    I love to read and I would LOVE to win this book! Thank you for the Giveaway!

    Reply
  3. kathy brower says

    March 5, 2012 at 12:46 am

    i’d like this for my husband.

    Reply
  4. Tina F says

    March 4, 2012 at 11:37 pm

    this book sounds so good love to read it

    Reply
  5. Jeff says

    March 4, 2012 at 4:58 pm

    Would really like to read this one.

    Reply
  6. Kimberly says

    March 4, 2012 at 11:15 am

    I would be very interested to read this book.

    Reply
  7. Chuck says

    March 3, 2012 at 8:14 pm

    Sounds so interesting.

    Reply
  8. Lori says

    March 2, 2012 at 9:09 am

    Would like to read this one.

    Reply
  9. Don says

    February 29, 2012 at 10:47 am

    Would be great to win a copy of this book.

    Reply
  10. nannypanpan says

    February 28, 2012 at 8:38 pm

    thanks for the chance
    [email protected]

    Reply
  11. Sadrina Cassiopeia says

    February 28, 2012 at 1:32 am

    It does sound interesting. Would love to win a copy!

    Reply
  12. Brittani says

    February 27, 2012 at 11:19 pm

    I’d love to get a copy!

    Reply
  13. Van says

    February 27, 2012 at 3:04 pm

    This book sounds so good.

    Reply
  14. Barb says

    February 27, 2012 at 12:09 pm

    I am definitely adding this to my list!

    Reply
  15. Tara says

    February 27, 2012 at 10:56 am

    Thanks for the chance to win!

    Reply
  16. June says

    February 27, 2012 at 10:38 am

    What a great find.

    Reply
  17. Garrett says

    February 27, 2012 at 8:15 am

    Another great book, thanks

    Reply
  18. Cindy Murray says

    February 27, 2012 at 12:36 am

    It sounds like an interesting read!

    Reply
  19. Rebecca Parsons says

    February 27, 2012 at 12:29 am

    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.

    Reply
  20. Michele Behlen says

    February 26, 2012 at 11:19 pm

    This sounds like a great book. I love to read this type of book.

    Reply
  21. Brenda Witherspoon-Bedard says

    February 26, 2012 at 8:40 pm

    sounds like a good book
    brendawitherspoon at hotmail dot com

    Reply
  22. Angela E. says

    February 26, 2012 at 7:38 pm

    Sounds fascinating, would like to read.

    Reply
  23. Kimberly Hutchins says

    February 26, 2012 at 3:35 pm

    My daughter wants to win this. She reads all the time, she loves it and I’m glad.

    Reply
  24. Tina F says

    February 26, 2012 at 2:45 pm

    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

    Reply
  25. Mama Zen says

    February 26, 2012 at 10:15 am

    I would love to read this!

    Reply
  26. Samantha D says

    February 26, 2012 at 9:11 am

    Sounds good, I’d love to have this book!

    Samantha
    Dull2000 at cox dot net

    Reply
  27. Jenn says

    February 24, 2012 at 11:38 pm

    I would love to win this book!

    Thanks!
    Jenn from Making Hair Bows
    [email protected]

    Reply
  28. Francine Anchondo says

    February 24, 2012 at 10:18 pm

    Thanks for the giveaway

    Reply
  29. samantha w says

    February 24, 2012 at 8:00 pm

    sounds really good

    Reply
  30. Linda Kish says

    February 24, 2012 at 12:34 am

    I would love to read this book.

    lkish77123 at gmail dot com

    Reply
  31. Staci A says

    February 23, 2012 at 10:26 pm

    It sounds like an interesting book!

    Reply
  32. lauren knott says

    February 23, 2012 at 4:24 pm

    Looks like a beautiful book!

    Reply
  33. Teresa Lukey says

    February 23, 2012 at 9:27 am

    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.

    Reply
  34. kristin D says

    February 22, 2012 at 11:23 pm

    Thanks for the great Giveaway

    Reply
  35. Daniel M says

    February 22, 2012 at 8:37 pm

    sounds like a good one!

    Reply
  36. Isabelle says

    February 22, 2012 at 12:01 am

    Would like to win.

    Reply
  37. John says

    February 22, 2012 at 12:00 am

    Sounds like a great book!

    Reply
  38. Natalia says

    February 22, 2012 at 12:00 am

    I would like to win this book.

    Reply
  39. Mary Preston says

    February 21, 2012 at 10:29 pm

    ALL THAT I AM looks like an amazing read. Yes please!!

    Reply
  40. Cindi says

    February 21, 2012 at 8:38 pm

    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

    Reply
  41. CrossEm says

    February 21, 2012 at 4:41 pm

    Sounds good – I’m interested!

    Reply
  42. Margaret says

    February 21, 2012 at 2:49 pm

    I would absolutely love to read this! Thanks!

    Margaret
    singitm(at)hotmail(dot)com

    Reply
  43. Sandra K321 says

    February 21, 2012 at 12:57 pm

    I came over from 5 Minutes for Books to check this out. I love reading historical fiction and this sounds like a great book.

    Reply
  44. LaVonne says

    February 21, 2012 at 12:43 pm

    This sounds like a great book! I hope I win!

    Reply
  45. Beth says

    February 21, 2012 at 8:49 am

    This book sounds really interesting. Definitely adding to my list to check out.

    Reply
  46. Jennifer says

    February 20, 2012 at 6:12 pm

    Of course I’d love to win a copy! This sounds really interesting.

    Reply
  47. paige says

    February 20, 2012 at 4:28 pm

    hmmmm…i find this one very interesting. I would love to read it.

    Reply
  48. Joy says

    February 20, 2012 at 2:48 pm

    Sounds like a great story 🙂

    Reply
  49. Kate {The Parchment Girl} says

    February 20, 2012 at 12:12 pm

    Sound like an interesting book! I’d love to win a copy!

    Reply
  50. Victor says

    February 20, 2012 at 11:58 am

    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!

    Reply
  51. tennille says

    February 20, 2012 at 11:02 am

    Very interesting-sounds like another one to put on my list

    Reply
  52. Linda says

    February 20, 2012 at 10:52 am

    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

    Reply
  53. Ticia says

    February 20, 2012 at 8:44 am

    That does sound interesting……..

    Reply
  54. Tammy Gordon says

    February 20, 2012 at 7:16 am

    Sounds like a great book!

    Reply

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