Speak out for the fate of millions or turn a blind eye? We all have choices.
âAbsolutely exceptional. So beautifully written, with precision and wisdom and real emotional acuity ⊠A remarkable achievementâ STEPHEN KELMAN, author of Pigeon English
1944, Germany. Ernst Beckâs new job marks an end to months of unemployment. Working for Erfurtâs most prestigious engineering firm, Topf & Sons, means he can finally make a contribution to the war effort, provide for his beautiful wife, Etta, and make his parents proud. But there is a price.
Ernst is assigned to the firmâs smallest team â the Special Ovens Department. Reporting directly to Berlin his role is to annotate plans for new crematoria that are deliberately designed to burn day and night. Their destination: the concentration camps. Topfâs new client: the SS.
As the true nature of his work dawns on him, Ernst has a terrible choice to make: turning a blind eye will keep him and Etta safe, but thatâs little comfort if staying silent amounts to collusion in the death of thousands.
This bold and uncompromising work of literary fiction shines a light on the complex contradictions of human nature and examines how deeply complicit we can become in the face of fear.
