All the Beautiful Things

September 3, 2024
Approaching her fourth World War II novel, All the Beautiful Things, I feared Katrina Nannestad may have run out of stories to tell, but this book was as compelling and delightful as her first historical novel, We Are Wolves. Nannestad’s strength lies in tying her stories closely to historical events, and in her strong characterisation. In this new novel, there is a rich cast of characters, but the story hinges on seven-year-old Eva, whose wondrous view of the world positively impacts all around her. Told from the point of view of her older sister, Anna, the novel shows how Eva finds everything ‘beautiful’ despite being locked in a tiny room for most of the war because her disability makes her vulnerable in Hitler’s Germany. Soon, other girls are hidden away with Eva, and many people, including Anna, must take great risks to keep them safe from the Nazis. The moral question of how to tell the difference between a ‘monster’ and an ‘angel’ underpins the novel, with Anna befriending Eva Braun and even visiting her at Hitler’s chalet. Anna hopes Braun is just pretending to like the Führer, but after the war, she discovers Braun was Hitler’s girlfriend throughout their friendship. There is much hardship and sadness, but moments of levity and a heartwarming finale. Fans of Nannestad’s historical fiction will adore this powerful story, but it will also win her new readers aged 11 and up.