Therese Down

I received this book as part of a FirstReads giveaway.

Only with Blood is a book about a fiercely intelligent girl sold into marriage by her father to a man twice her age. There is of course the dashing IRA agent who seeks to rescue her from her forced marriage and make her his own.

But this book is not the predictable romance I was expecting, and I'm very greatful. The heroine is intelligent, and headstrong and generally does not look to others to save her. The older man who buys her is not portrayed as the one dimensional ogre many authors would go with, but as a damaged and lonely soul. The dashing hero, while kind, intelligent, and outraged by the treatment of the heroine, nevertheless displays a streak of utter ruthlessness.

When I began this book, I had a specific idea about how the plot would work out, and I was pleasantly surprised by my inability to predict it's course up to the very end of the book.

Those looking for a typical romance may come away a bit disappointed, but someone looking for a story offset of the beaten path would enjoy this book.… (más)

In Berlin, Germany in 1933 three very different people are swept into the National Socialist (Nazi) regime. Walter, the ambitious SS officer seeking approval and promotion, becomes a fanatic. Hedda, his wife, embraces naivety and does her best to ignore the atrocities both around her and being done to her, until suddenly they can't be pushed to the side. Karl, an intelligent and emotional man, struggles to balance his conscience and his involvement in the new Nazi party. Their lives become tangled together through the T4 initiative, a systematic and secretive program designed to eradicate "unworthies" from the ideal Aryan society. As the years go by and evil spreads, they must come to terms with their choices.

While I've read many book about the Holocaust and WWII, it's rare to read a book that truthfully explores the world of and early Nazi Germany. This book was as informative as it was dark and emotional, and I got swept away into the trepidation of each characters life. I felt myself, while not totally sympathizing with them, understanding what made them make the choices that they did. Most importantly, I remembered that they were humans… (más)

I received this book as an ARC. I'm fascinated by WWII so this book was right up my alley. I can't add much that the other reviewers haven't already said. However, it was very hard to get through as it was very graphic. I, of course, know about the Holocaust and the aftermath....not sure why I never thought (or read about) how they decided on the best way to kill large amounts of people. The trial and error horrified me. Knowing the book is based on actual events and people made it even sadder. Despite that, the book was very good.… (más)

I reviewed this book for Library Thing Early Reviewers.

The End of Law is set in Germany during the early years of WWII. The story focuses on the lives of several SS Officers who are involved in the T4 program to exterminate mentally ill and other people who are deemed to be unworthy to live in Germany’s Third Reich.

A large portion of the book focuses on the wife of a Senior SS Officer Walter Gunther. Hedda Gunther loathes her husband and does everything in her power to shield their two kids from her husband and the horrors of the War.

Some of the SS Officers and family members achieve some form of redemption because of the actions that they take to try and bring this awful program to the attention of the World. They also try to save as many people as possible from killing.

The book is interesting because it tells some of the inner workings of the SS and the Nazi party. It also tells about how many of the Germans recognized and attempted to stop the holocaust. I never realized that Herman Goering’s brother, Alfred, was very against the war and the treatment of the Jews. The story tells how Alfred tried to save some of the Jews and the “unworthies” of the German people.

This is a very horrific yet touching story. The author told a very informative and entertaining tale which I enjoyed very much.
My only gripe about her writing style is that the Chapters are very long (most 20-40 pages). Also, the pause points in the chapters are sometimes scarce. I am a very busy person who loves to read, but often has to do it in small chunks. For me it’s much easier if there’s a lot of pause points in the chapters or the chapters are relatively short.

Overall, great book that I thoroughly enjoyed!! I would definitely read other works by Therese Downs in the future. 4.5 out of 5 stars.… (más)