In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin

by Erik Larson

*** 3/5

This is an interesting account of the US ambassador to Germany during the rise of the Third Reich. I read this book because I am interested in this period but in general I am not a fan of the author. Ambassador Dodd experiences a frustrating time in his embassy but his thwarted in his attempts to communicate the coming danger of the Hilter era. He was harshly treated by the state department and made a series of mis-steps that created challenges through the course of his service. The book does a good job of painting a picture of pre-war Berlin and the culture of the time.

The Paris Wife

by Paula McClain

** 2/5

This is the fictional account of the first wife of Ernest Hemingway. I don't know that I realized this when I bought the book, because I am not a huge Hemingway fan. It chronicles his early works like the writing of "The Sun Also Rises" and others. Interesting but more focused on the love life and his relationship with his contemporary writers. The author doesn't flatter him in this portrayal and the wife is the heroine.

Bright's Passage

by Josh Ritter

*** 3/5

This book tells the story of a man on a strange journey. The protagonist "Bright" finds himself fleeing his home with his baby on horseback in the years following the first world war. He has flashbacks to his time in the military and the whole book is colored by his experiences.

This book is a fast read, but I expected to enjoy it more since I really like Josh Ritter's music. Well told and interesting but lacking a bit of depth to the story.