REVIEW: The Undertaking by Audrey MaGee

The Undertaking by Audrey MaGee. 

Desperate to escape the Eastern front during World War II, Peter Faber, an ordinary German soldier, marries Katharina Spinell, the daughter of a low level Nazi official, a woman he has never met; it is a marriage of convenience that promises 10 days 'honeymoon' leave for him and a pension for her should he die on the front. 

With leave secured, Peter visits his new wife in Berlin; both are surprised by the affection that soon develops between them. 

When Peter returns to the horror of the front, it is only his thoughts of Katharina that sustain him as he approaches Stalingrad. Back in Berlin, Katharina, goaded on by her desperate and delusional parents, quickly finds herself in the middle of the Nazi party hierarchy, unwittingly dedicating herself, her young husband and their unborn child to the regime. 

But when the tide of war turns and Berlin falls, Peter and Katharina, ordinary people stained with their small share of an extraordinary guilt, find their simple dream of family increasingly hard to hold on to. 

The Undertaking is a beautifully written book that perfectly describes the horrors of World War II and gives an insight into the German perspective during that time. The story is told largely through dialogue which gives the reader a better insight into what Peter and Katharina are experiencing.

The story and perspective are both new too me, never having read a World War II book from the perspective of someone, classed than as the "enemy". It was interesting to see the way the Germans viewed what was happening and how the soldiers felt about the war they were fighting. 

I think part of the brilliance of this book is the things that are not spoken and instead implied. What Peter spends his evenings doing with the low level Nazi officials regarding the "Jewish problem" is never explicitly mentioned but is instead hinted at.

We, the reader, knowing the outcome of the war, have a sense of foreboding the entire story, and can't help feel pity for the people so confident in their safety. Peter and his fellow soldiers sacrifice everything for their country, and never stop fighting, believing that there country will be the victor. 

This is a novel that deals with loyalty, the idea of hope, with bravery and at times with cowardice. It is also a love story in the most unconventional way. Audrey Magee is an extremely gifted author, and really makes you feel as if you're on the front with Peter and his fellow soldiers or at home with Katharina experiencing the bombing of Berlin.