The relationship between a 15 year old boy and an older woman who turns out to be a Nazi war criminal might seem an odd choice of material but this book manages to walk the fine line between telling a very human story and challenging the actions of those who participated in war crimes. Told from the point of view of Michael, first as a 15 year old then at two different points in his life, the story captures the difficulties of a generation in reconciling the people they loved with those who had committed mass murder and other crimes during World War 2.

In the company of other books.