Take A Pass On This Book!

This book, which is based on compelling but little known piece of history, turned out to be a major disappointment to me. This is due to Barry’s writing style being sub-par, her character development being sub-par, her using words/phrases that were not part of how people spoke during the time period in which the story takes place (“selfie” to cite one example), and to her plot being largely boring. I struggled to finish this book and thus my favorite part was when I came to the end.

#Newark Minutemen #NetGalley

I love historical fiction, but this one fell short for me. I read about 70% and had to stop. In my opinion, it was poorly written.

Princess Fuzzypants here: This is a true but largely unknown story that will both fascinate and repel, excite and frustrate. Most people think the Nazis only concerned themselves with events in Europe both before and after they attacked Poland. Nothing could be further from the truth. Sadly, there were many people who admired Hitler and the Nazis in both the UK and America. Some were celebrities who used their fame to entice others to the cause. People like the Duke and Duchess of Windsor and Charles Lindbergh were some whose admiration blinded people to the evil. But even those who know something of the Quislings amongst us have no idea of the pernicious spread that threatened liberties at home.

This is a story of a rag tag group of Jewish boxers in Newark NJ, who may have skirted the lines between legal and illegal activities, who did what the people like the police and the FBI and so many others were unwilling to do. They attacked the Nazis who were trying to turn America into another Nazi Germany. The Bund was using the very things like the freedom of speech and the right to bear arms against the democracy it was trying to bring down. This book, which is based on a true story, shows just how close the Nazis came to realizing their dream. It is chilling.

The two protagonists are fictional but based on two real people. Many of the characters in the book lived the story, including the author’s family. It was from the stories that 90 year old Esther told that the genesis of the book began. Many conversations and much research later a book emerged that should be read by any student of history. It shows how complacency in the face of hatred can destroy people. We all need to be vigilant and not let it happen again.

Five purrs and two paws up.

An epic true story, of 1930’s America and the threat of Nazism rearing it’s ugly head at a vulnerable period in American history. A story which has been well researched and intelligently written by the author. Highly recommended.

I enjoy reading historical fiction. It's interesting to find out how the author used an historical event or period to fit with the fictionized part and/or protagonist. Leslie K. Barry takes a little known bit of history and builds a love story within.
In the 1930s, before World War II but after Hitler became the leader in Germany, there was a large contingent of German-Americans who followed the Nazi propaganda. There were German Bund "clubs throughout the U.S. The one used in this book was well ensconced in the life of Newark, NJ. And those who took arms (frequently lead pipes) against the American Nazis in Newark were a gang of mostly Jewish boxers, called the Minutemen, led by Jewish mobster Abner (Longie) Zwillman. It's quite an interesting piece of American history. Unfortunately, Ms. Barry overlays it with a love story between Yael, one of the Minutemen, and Krista, whose father is a bigwig in the German American Bund.
That part of the story comes off being trite and predictable. The author fills the narrative with cliche after cliche.
The story is told in first person, but by the different main characters. I found myself having to check the beginning of the chapters every once in a while to see who is the narrator at that point. Perhaps because I know this piece of history, I feel the reader was deprived of the true feeling of the times.
My recommendation would be to read the excellent non-fiction "Nazis in Newark" by Warren Grover (whom Ms. Barry does mention in her acknowledgements.). There is enough drama in the real story to create a true picture of the time. (If you're interested in what happened on the West Coast, the non-fiction "Hitler in Los Angeles" by Steve Ross is also a great choice.

This is a blockbuster story of the Nazis in America, but mainly in Newark New Jersey. I was mesmerized by this book. This is an absolute must read novel based on fact and is an incredibly
powerful read. There are many layers to the story that struck many emotions and thoughts about the situation as well as the characters.

pecial thanks to NetGalley for providing a digital copy in exchange for an honest review

I have to DNF this one. I know when it comes to advanced copies, we're supposed to overlook grammatical and format errors. But this has been published for almost a year, and theres errors on every practically every page and it's so difficult to sift through.

And even if that wasn't the case, the writing style just isn't for me. It's repetitive. For example, Krista mentions how her mother died giving birth to her and her sister Heidi has had to fill the motherly role for her twice. I'm paraphrasing here, but it's pretty verbatim two chapters in a row. once we get that info once, we don't need it a second time. It's just redundant.

I feel really bad about this because I was so interested in the history behind the story, but I'm sorry I just can't continue on with it