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Half Notes From Berlin
Half Notes From Berlin | B. V. Glants
2 posts | 2 read
Berlin, 1933. Hans believes he and his family are safe from persecution. Then, he discovers his family's dirty secret: his maternal grandparents were Jews who converted to Christianity. Driven by the desire to understand who he is and whether his mother's blood really is tainted, Hans befriends Rebecca, the only Jewish girl he knows. Perhaps if Jewish blood isn't evil, his mother will be ok. To be a Jew in Hitler's Germany is dangerous. But to fall in love with one is unthinkable. Desperate to keep both his family's true heritage and his love for Rebecca a secret, Hans attempts to navigate this terrifying new world. He's disconsolate when his Jewish mother is kicked out from the Berlin Conservatory. He's disgusted by his Aryan father's aims to acquire Jewish business on the cheap. Worst, he must watch helplessly as his classmates target Rebecca with increasing violence and malice. But when his school announces it will expel Jewish students, Hans is determined to fight for Rebecca - and for the lives and souls of his family.
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Hana321
Half Notes From Berlin | B. V. Glants
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Set in 1933 Berlin, this story follows Hans, a teenage boy who learns of his own hidden Jewish ancestry just as Germany starts to turn on its own Jewish population. Hans falls for a Jewish girl complicating his legs even more. Story feels very authentic, was surprised to learn this is entirely fiction. Would have wished for more of a follow up on Hans and his love Rebecca after the story finished, but that was a little lacking

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ReadingisMyPassion
Half Notes From Berlin | B. V. Glants
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Mehso-so

I cannot even imagine the situation our male teenage protagonist finds himself in. Hans is German, safe from Hitler. Or so he thought. Suddenly, a skeleton in his family‘s closet is revealed – his grandparents on his mother‘s side were Jews who converted to Christianity. Stunned and feeling a bit lost and wanting to know more about his Jewish ancestry, he befriends Rebecca, the only Jewish girl he knows. Then he falls in love with her.