In the Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson
Larson has done it again. If you read The Devil in the White City, you know that Larson can tell a great historical story. This one is about William Dodd, a history professor who became the U. S. Ambassador to Germany just as the Nazi Party was taking over. He and his family witnessed the terrifying transformation of Germany into a dictatorship and repressive regime almost beyond compare (Stalin anyone?). As usual, Larson weaves two stories at once, letting the reader see through two sets of eyes. In this instance, the second point of view is provided by Dodd’s daughter Martha, an aspiring writer who kept a detailed journal. While Dodd quickly saw the Nazis for what they were, Martha was enamored of them at first, and in fact dated a wide variety of Nazis and other diplomatic types. She eventually realizes that evil lurks beneath the surface. Fans of historical nonfiction and WWII books will love this!
