The Reader by Bernhard Schlink

“The Reader is a fascinating and compelling novel about the meeting of a young boy and an older woman that takes place in Germany after World War II.
Michael Berg is recalling his life when he was fifteen years old and how he became physically and emotionally involved with Hanna, a thirty something year old street car conductor. Theirs was a passionate and difficult relationship but they seemed to care for each other very much. At first, the relationship was love making but Hanna became interested in Michael’s school work and learned that Michael had missed a lot of school because of illness but did not seem to care. Hanna told Michael that he could not come to see her unless he studied hard and caught up and further, he was to read his school reading assignments to her. Michael’s school work improved and his self confidence grew. He was able to hide his relationship with Hanna from his family and things went well; reading, loving, talking and some minor arguments but one day Hanna went away.

A number of years later, Michael was a law student attending a seminar on Nazi war crimes; he was assigned to observe a war criminal trial and discovered that Hanna was among those on trial but she refuses to defend herself. Michael followed the whole trial. As the trial unfolded and horrible deeds are discussed and a verdict for all of the defendants is rendered, the reader will remember details and actions of earlier years and will understand Hanna’s dilemma but, perhaps, will not understand Michael’s. This was a great and moving story.