Last Train from Kummersdorf

Germany, 1945. The Russian armies are closing in. When Hanno Frisch sees his twin brother killed, he's had enough. On the run, he meets streetwise Effi. She's on her way to the West to find her father, who's in the US Army. Effi's learned the hard way that she must keep secrets to herself - and she's even less keen to trust Hanno when she finds out he's a policeman's son. But there are far more dangerous people on the road: Russian soldiers, German deserters - and Major Otto, who likes to play games with people before he kills them.

Last Train from Kummersdorf seems to be a realistic account of what life was like for a German at the end of World War II. I had no trouble believing in the brutality and trouble faced by Hanno and Effie as show more they try and find somewhere that is safe. The book certainly held my interest, although I must confess I found the writing a trifle mechanical. It gave the book a robotic feel that made it difficult for me to truly feel for the characters and the circumstances they were in. Of course, this may have been a good thing, as the situations they were in were frequently horrifying, but I would have liked to have been able to feel closer to them during their journey. show less