The Other Me

I absolutely loved this novel. I loved it because it was more than just a story steeped in history and prejudice. This story brought the Third Reich to life in a completely different way. Here, we see how what happened in the past can affect future generations, and how decisions and mistakes can haunt us forever. This novel showed how events shape one's identity and affect our relationships with others. It made a historical event into something personal, something unique that isn't shared by millions of others. It brought perspective. The author did a fantastic job in portraying all of the different characters and their struggles, as well as their acceptance of fate. I could go on and on about all of the things that I love about this show more novel (which is pretty much EVERYTHING about this novel!) but I would rather urge you to read it and enjoy it yourself. show less

The Other Me is the story of Klaudia Meyer who re-invents herself as Eliza Bennett but is caught out when her real and invented worlds collide.

There seems to be several double life stories around at the moment, but this one is different from the usual genre. The past Klaudia is trying to escape is her unhappy childhood and what she believes to be her family history. As a result it's easy to be on her side as a sympathetic onlooker. Having created a new life for herself and found the perfect boyfriend in Cosmo, she is in danger of losing everything because of her deceit, something that at times I found annoying and frustrating - I just wanted her to come clean instead of turning her life into a car crash.

Eliza/Klaudia's story is show more interspersed with that of her Uncle Ernst, her father's (Otto) brother. His revelations about his and Otto's life during 1930's Germany highlighted the bleak reality of living through a period where ancestry was everything. I liked the way the story unfolded and the real truth behind what she believed was revealed.

This is a an engaging story that maintains your interest throughout and has you longing for the desired outcome for Eliza/Klaudia and Cosmo - as to whether that happens. You'll need to read the book.

I received a review copy of via NetGalley in return for an honest review. show less

I found this really interesting and it's no wonder that Klaudia is so mixed up with all of the secrets hidden within her family!

I enjoyed the story of Otto and Ernst Meyer - two German brothers who didn't know their parents and immediately sign up for the Hitler Youth in order to feel accepted and part of a family. As their stories unfold we see how deeply the actions of ancestors can affect their descendants. Klaudia feels more guilt for their actions than her Dad and Uncle do - mainly due to the fact that nobody spoke about their actions, so Klaudia thought the worst and thought it was something to be ashamed of.

It is due to this buried guilt that Klaudia reinvents herself as Eliza Bennet. She has so many issues that my head was show more spinning unlike Eliza on stage - she is a ballet dancer who suffers from stagefright. Her problems really multiply when she meets and falls in love with Cosmo - his grandmother is a holocaust survivor and Eliza feels she has no alternative but to end things with Cosmo. Despite the silly name, I was rooting for him!

A really interesting book about family secrets with some disturbing final scenes. A great psychological read examining the effect of the sins of the father.

I received this e-book from the publisher, Little Brown, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. show less

I really enjoyed this book. It moved back and forth in time, gradually bringing the main characters into context and revealing their relationships with each other.

The pace was perfect and it was the perfect length in that I didn't manage to read it all in one sitting. Each time I had to put it down I was eager to pick it up again when I could.

The only issue I have is that the author referred to incorrect markings on the German aircraft. The Messerschmidt had white and black crosses on the underwing, not swastikas.

But that aside, it was a great story and well written.

A multi-narrated mystery novel (they all seem to be multi-narrated at the moment), this book tells the story of Klaudia, Eliza and Ernst. In 1986 London, Klaudia is brought up in a strict Methodist household with a German father who works as a caretaker at her secondary school. Eliza is a dance student in Leeds in 1995. Ernst is a young man in Nazi Germany of the 1930s and 40s.

The chapters alternate between the three characters and then between two of them. It is a story of lies and deception, of love and despair. Of course the truth emerges eventually with dire consequences.

It is a good read and recommended to those who enjoy a well-written voyage of discovery.

Quite a good book - it lacked a little something for me that would have made it a five star read, but would read this author again.

Catalogue published in conjunction with the photography exhibition 'The Other & Me' at the Sharjah Art Museum from May to June 2014. The exhibition showcases works by 30 photography artists from 26 countries.