by Erik Larson
First published 2011
It's 1933, and William E. Dodd, a mild-mannered professor, becomes America's first ambassador to Hitler's Germany. As the Nazis tighten their grip on power, Dodd and his family are swept into a maelstrom of propaganda, violence, and shifting allegiances. His wilful daughter, Martha, falls for a Gestapo officer, testing the limits of family loyalty. Dodd must navigate a precarious diplomatic dance, even as the darkness of fascism encroaches. In the garden of beasts, the Dodds bear witness to history in the making, their lives forever changed by the shadows of a rising evil.
Genres: historical-fiction, 20th-century, world-war-ii, political-thriller
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, political-intrigue
Setting: United States, Germany
Period: 1933-1945, 1900-1945
448 pages · Paperback · Crown
Content warnings: racism, violence