All The Broken Places book review: All The Broken Places by John Boyne is the first book I read by this author. He also wrote The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, which was made into a movie. I have not read the book or seen the movie yet. I just wanted something fun to read. Lately, I’ve been reading a lot of business books and needed a change. All The Broken Places includes some history about World War II and Hitler, which I like because I get to learn some history while reading a fiction story.

Synopsis

All the Broken Places is about the experiences of a woman, Gretel, from when she was twelve years old until she was 92. In the first chapter, she is 91 years old and anticipating a new resident moving into the flat below her. The previous resident was old and died. He had lived there for many years. The residents in the building are primarily people who have lived there for many decades. A couple with a 9-year-old son moves into the flat below Gretel, and she develops a friendship with this boy.

Each chapter alternates between the present and the progression of her younger life. The whole story hinges on the fact that she is the daughter of a high commander under Hitler. Gretel was just coming of age when she saw what was behind the fence; the enemies came and destroyed the whole operation.

Everyone who worked for Hitler scattered and hid in other countries with new names so that they would not be caught and put in jail for war crimes. Gretel and her mother were among these people. Gretel’s father was hanged, and Gretel and her mother escaped to Paris under new names. Her whole life, Gretel hid the fact that she was German to evade persecution. She lived with the guilt of her involvement in the activities under Hitler.

The chapters on Gretel’s past took us through different stages of her life and her move to other countries. Her past life in Germany, with her father working under Hitler, played a part in each season of her life. She had to keep it secret at all times. She told only a few people, her husband among them. He knew her past and still loved and wanted to care for her. Their marriage, however, plays a very small role in the story.

If you enjoy stories that explore memory, identity, and how the past shapes a person’s life, you might also enjoy my review of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. While All the Broken Places examines the long shadow of history and guilt, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue explores what it would be like to live a life where no one remembers you.

My Analysis of All The Broken Places

I didn’t want to stop reading All The Broken Places because it was so good. I would read one chapter and be disappointed that the author ended the scene because I wanted to discover what happened next. Then, I would read the next chapter, which either returned to the present or took me back to the past. I got involved in that part of the book. It kept happening over and over. I wanted to keep reading to find out more. The transitions in the book were perfect.

Gretel is a likable person. We see everything through her perspective. Her brother is mentioned a lot in the book, but she never speaks his name. A lot of bad things happen in her life after her brother dies. Throughout the story, we wonder how he died and what happened to him.

I’m glad everything was answered in the end. There was one question at the beginning. Gretel said she wanted to move into this flat for a particular reason. She never told her husband why; however, she did regret that decision. After he died, she wished that she had told him. It was mentioned a few more times throughout the book. But we were never told the answer. At the end of the book, one word summed it all up. However, I didn’t get it until after reading the book, and I started ruminating about it. Then I put the pieces together and saw that the author answered the question for us and did not leave the reader hanging.

I loved every minute of the book. I ordered another book from the author, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, which was written before this one.  I’ll be reading that book next.