Set during and after World War Two, this debut novel follows Oskar who grew up as a misfit in Nazi Germany where he was subject to violent abuse from his father. We first meet Oskar as a sensitive young boy who’s only comfort is books and the escape of reading. He bonds with his father over their shared love of planes but otherwise, the two could not be more different. A failure to please his father and navigate his temper leaves Oskar with a crippling inferiority complex, but also an urgent desire to study the mind and find answers as to why his childhood played out this way. After an inevitably traumatic career in the war, an adult Oskar achieves his dream of being a psychology professor and it is from here that a web of secrets is revealed.
This is a dense read with a lot to sink your teeth into. It’s certainly impressive in terms of historical research and Graydon’s exploration of how war and childhood trauma haunt a person. It’s also an interesting look at identity and belonging in general. However, I have to say that I struggled to connect with the characters and found a lot of the dialogue rather stilted which took me out of the story quite often and, for that reason, it was a bit of a slow read for me.
Review by Abi.
Leaving Fatherland was published on 20/08/24 by Cranthorpe Millner Publishers.
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