As the dark spectre of the Nazis settles over Germany, two wealthy and educated brothers are suddenly thrust into the rising tide of war. Karl, a former soldier and successful businessman, dutifully answers the call to defend his country, while contemplative academic Gerhard is coerced into informing for the Gestapo. Soon the brothers are serving in the SS, and as Hitler's hateful agenda brings about unspeakable atrocities, they find themselves with innocent blood on their hands.
Following Germany's eventual defeat, Karl and Gerhard are haunted by their insurmountable guilt, and each seeks a way to escape from wounds that will never heal. They survived the war and its revelation of systematic horrors, but can they survive the unshakable knowledge of their own culpability?
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The city lay in the deep slumber of Siesta. PROLOGUE
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(Amazon Crossing, 1 March 2016, ebook, 340 pages, bought from @AmazonKindle, translated by @kesemmel)
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This was an Amazon First Reads choice in February 2016 but I haven't had a chance to read it until now. I've read a decent amount of historical fiction about the Nazi's so was in familiar territory with Winter Men. I thought this was a bit different than other books I've read about the same subject matter in that the focus is people living in Germany plunged into the War rather than outside of Germany that has been the focus of other books. I enjoyed the way Gerhard develops over the course of the book and how I found myself sympathising with his plight. He does terrible things but not through choice. This is an engrossing read.
