Presented by the Great Books Council of San Francisco
May 11, 2013, Mercy Center in Auburn, CA
The Auburn Great Books group invites you to discuss Erik
Larson’s award-winning nonfiction novel of an American family in Berlin during
Hitler’s rise.
Larson’s story reads like a thriller with compelling historic
detail. 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.” The rise of Nazi Germany is a
well-chronicled time in history, which makes In the Garden of Beasts all the more remarkable. Erik Larson has crafted a
gripping, deeply-intimate narrative with a climax that reads like the best
political thriller, where we are stunned with each turn of the page, even
though we already know the outcome. ---Shane Hansanuwat
We meet at the Mercy Center, 535 Sacramento Street, Auburn, CA
95603. Check-in on
Take this opportunity to see California’s historic gold country
when the hills and gardens are at their greenest. Donna Reynolds, Auburn
Registrar, has recommendations for local motels and restaurants, and she
usually offers a piano medley to our day.
Saturday, May 11, 2013, 9:30 am to 4:30 pm. Cost: $35 per person including lunch. For more information call Donna at (916) 797-8561 or go to www.greatbooks-sf.com . For a registration form CLICK HERE.
