All For Nothing, Kempowski - B

                                                      This superb German novel is about a well-off family on a small estate in East Prussia in 1945.  Eberhard is away with the Wehrmacht in a civilian capacity, the beautiful Katharina dreamily floats through every day, Peter is twelve, and Auntie pretty much runs the place. Life goes on. All is peaceful and quiet even though war has raged in Europe for five-and-a-half years. The occupants of the Georgenhof know the Russians are not far away, but the question remains 'if' not 'when'. "Our men will throw them straight back to the Urals" was the consensus of the village. One late night, Eberhard calls from Italy and tells them to get out immediately. Katharina exhibits no enthusiasm to leave and delays consideration for some time. Auntie sees to it that a cart is piled high with as many of their possessions as it will hold. For sheltering a refugee for one night at the request of the local pastor, Katharina was taken in for jail and questioning. Auntie and Peter leave with Vladimir, the Polish laborer assigned to the estate, and Vera, the Ukrainian girl also working there. Soon, Vladimir takes all their goods and leaves them behind. Peter sees him a few days later hanging from a tree with a looter sign draped over him. They are walking when Auntie is killed by a bomb. Peter continues west. With help from various people, he survives and is still on the move  in May, when the Nazi functionary who had reported his mother gives up his place to Peter in the last escaping motor launch.
                                                     This is an excellent book, one that skillfully depicts the trials and tribulations of the millions who took to the roads at various times throughout the war. Three-quarter of a million Germans fled Prussia.  Almost half perished in the flight. The author witnessed the refugees arriving in Rostock, where he lived as a boy, and watched his father, a ship's captain, ferry them from the east. Over the course of the author's life, he compiled a twenty volume collection of reminiscences, letters, diaries and other written memorabilia of the war.