I thought I knew a lot about World War II from numerous books and my college courses in history, but nothing prepared me for this read. To Be a Nazi Family by Dick Parsons threw a whole new light on the war. For me, he brought into perspective the fear and feelings of what it meant to be a Jew under Hitler’s regime. His clever use of two brothers, one who marries a Jewish girl and the other who has an Aryan wife, shows stark contrasts. The children who are half Jewish are in danger, expelled from school, and their future is at risk. Their parents Golda and Klaus make the ultimate sacrifice and send them away, never knowing if they will ever see them again. Their son escapes to Palestine and Hedwig is accepted in the Kindertransport to live in England. On the Aryan side, one son eagerly enrolled in the Hitler Youth and was selected for the SS, and later promoted. The older son joins the German Navy and serves on the submarines tasked with attacking the supply routes to Britain to starve the country into surrender.

I was blown away by Dick Parsons's To Be a Nazi Family as I learned so much. I am in awe of the amount of research he has done, in particular, the information on the design and testing of the German aircraft used in World War II. He presents the information in an easy-to-understand way, yet within this factual material, he weaves the stories of two families caught up in Hitler’s Germany. The characters spring off the pages, they are real, and we can relate to them and feel their fears and joys. He cleverly moves from family life to German war objectives to historical events and aircraft manufacture seamlessly. I was engrossed in this book and would recommend it to young people as, of its writing, history in Europe appears to be repeating itself and the parallels are disconcerting. I would love to see Parsons's book included as extra-prescribed reading in schools as an example of how hate and the rise to power can afflict so many lives and cause so much distress. Thank you, Dick Parsons, for writing this book. Five stars without a doubt.

In To Be A Nazi Family by Dick Parsons, the author has delved into a very controversial subject, taking the reader into the lives of a family who lived in Germany at the time of Hitler's rise to power and the obstacles that faced the sons and each of their families. The author uses his characters so beautifully that the reader will find that they keep reading just to see what happens to each family and if they survive or not. The author does not sugarcoat the times that they live in so the reader really gets the feeling of being a fly on the wall observing what is happening, both good and bad.

To Be A Nazi Family by Dick Parsons involves the Boddenburg family and their children Horst and Heinrich. One brother married a German Jew and the other married a German girl. The main characters lead the reader through the ups and downs, twists and turns, and worry about how the family who is half Jewish will survive. The family becomes divided as a form of self-preservation, which makes it hard for familial ties to remain strong. The journey that these two families take is so very interesting and different and will have the reader not stopping until the very last page. An unexpected twist in the tale will leave the reader with a smile on their face as it is not the outcome that they would be expecting. This book is one that you could read at least two or three times. There is so much history wrapped around the main characters and their lives that you find that the second read will reveal more. This book is well worth your time. It was a privilege to read.

To Be a Nazi Family by Dick Parsons depicts the Boddenburg family's experiences amidst Hitler's rise to power and the subsequent atrocities of the Nazi regime. Golda Boddenburg witnesses the escalating persecution of Jews in Germany, leading her family to contemplate conversion and escape. Klaus Boddenburg, an aeronautical engineer, faces dilemmas regarding his Jewish identity and professional success in Nazi Germany. Despite efforts to navigate the perilous situation, the family encounters tragedy, arrest, and separation. Through the Boddenburg experience, Parsons follows various family members and those connected to them through World War II, shining a light on their struggles, decisions, and conflicts against the backdrop of the horrors of war and Nazi ideology. Through their perspectives, the author explores the complexities of loyalty, identity, and survival during one of history's darkest periods.

In To Be a Nazi Family by Dick Parsons, readers are presented with insights into the human experience of the Holocaust through a thoughtful portrayal of a German family. For me, it is Golda's conflict regarding her Jewish identity and national loyalty that form the crux of Parson's literary cross-hairs of contemplation on individual and collective belonging amid persecution. Parsons adds authenticity with real historical figures like Hermann Goering and pivotal events such as Kristallnacht that ground the novel in its historical milieu. I found Moshe's move to Palestine under the Ha'avara Scheme the most interesting, and it shows us that, while he is physically removed from the immediate danger of Nazi persecution, his departure represents the sacrifices made by families torn apart by the Holocaust. The writing is simple, clean, and straightforward, and I can see this being well-received by readers who appreciate solid historical fiction. Recommended.

To Be a Nazi Family by Dick Parsons chronicles the rise of Hitler, the increasing terror within Germany, and World War II through the eyes of two very different yet related families. Two brothers must come to terms with the fact that Hitler’s ascent in Germany will change their lives forever. One brother, Klaus, is married to a Jewess, and he and his family are under dire threat from the Third Reich’s draconian measures against Jews. Klaus has one thing in his favor though that may provide some protection to his family in this crisis; he is an aeronautical designer who has found favor with Reichsmarschall Hermann Goering, the head of Germany’s Luftwaffe. The other brother, Wolfgang, and his wife are true Aryans with their two blue-eyed, blond-haired boys as the perfect symbol of Hitler’s Aryan master race. As Klaus and his wife Golda fret over the danger to their two Jewish children and formulate plans for their escape from Germany, Klaus’ stakes in German warplane design continue to rise, affording them at least some respite from the horrors taking place against Jews all across Germany and the occupied countries. Wolfgang’s son, Horst, meanwhile has become enamored with Hitler and is determined to become a member of his most elite troops. He aims to join the infamous Waffen SS. Two families linked by blood but facing vastly different futures in Hitler’s Germany.

To Be a Nazi Family is a powerful story that will tug at the heartstrings of readers everywhere. The irony of two brothers in such different circumstances just because of who they chose to fall in love with is not lost in this tale. Author Dick Parsons presents a fascinating counterpoint between the brothers. I particularly appreciated the courage of Golda’s father who, like Klaus, had fought for Germany in the First World War and, despite being a proud religious Jew, was also a patriotic German and determined to show the authorities that this was the case. The relationship between Klaus and his wife is fascinating. Both had effectively foregone their religious convictions when they married to preserve harmony in their relationship and yet none of that mattered to the authorities. She and her children were Jewish and thus enemies of the Reich. Golda perfectly portrayed the dilemma of a Jewess caught between two worlds. She was German, first and foremost, but she could never fully relinquish her Jewish roots nor forget her father’s deep faith. Her anguish and pain over the atrocities being committed against Jews and the fears for her children were palpable and jumped off the page. The author does a tremendous job of presenting the day-to-day hazards Klaus and Golda faced as they attempted to fit into the Nazi regime and not be noticed. This is a very readable story and presents this period of history not only from a German perspective but from both a Jewish and Aryan perspective, which is what makes it stand out from others in this genre. This is an excellent read that I thoroughly enjoyed and can highly recommend.