Book Club Pick: In the Garden of Beasts

My second book club met last week and had a tough time deciding between two picks, Defending Jacob by William Landay and In the Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson. Ultimately In the Garden of Beastss won the vote and I am excited to start since I just finished the book {The House at Riverton} for my other book club. Here is a brief summary from Amazon of the book:

"In the Garden of Beasts is a vivid portrait of Berlin during the first years of Hitler’s reign, brought to life through the stories of two people: William E. Dodd, who in 1933 became America’s first ambassador to Hitler’s regime, and his scandalously carefree daughter, Martha. Ambassador Dodd, an unassuming and scholarly man, is an odd fit among the extravagance of the Nazi elite. His frugality annoys his fellow Americans in the State Department and Dodd’s growing misgivings about Hitler’s ambitions fall on deaf ears among his peers, who are content to “give Hitler everything he wants.” Martha, on the other hand, is mesmerized by the glamorous parties and the high-minded conversation of Berlin’s salon society—and flings herself headlong into numerous affairs with the city’s elite, most notably the head of the Gestapo and a Soviet spy. Both become players in the exhilarating (and terrifying) story of Hitler’s obsession for absolute power, which culminates in the events of one murderous night, later known as “the Night of Long Knives.”"

I am looking forward to reading a true story about one of the most tumultuous times in American History. Let me know if you have read this pick or if you have any recommendations for the next meeting for either book club! Happy Reading!