In The Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson

Wow. I just finished In The Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson and it at times felt like a parallel world of what is currently happening in the United States. I’ve never read Larson’s other books before but I have heard great things about how he manages to weave true stories of history with great storytelling.

In The Garden of Beasts is a slow-boil recollection of one American family’s journey as ambassadors in Germany during the rise of the Hitler regime. It recounts the horror of realizing that the general public did not really see Hitler as that bad of a guy, but rather just a sorta-crazy person who can’t possibly ever take control. Hitler’s rise to power was not immediate and in fact was often dismissed by people as sensational news (sounds like what the US is doing now). As a reader, I couldn’t help but see the events of history mirroring what is happening today in the US.