Winter Men by Jesper Bugge Kold

Historical Fiction ~ Audible Edition

I stumbled upon Winter Men by Jesper Bugge Kold purely by accident. I'd never heard of this historical novel before or it's author. 

After reading the plot summary about Winter Men by Jesper Bugge Kold on Amazon and seeing the 1,600+ reviews and 4 star rating of this novel by customers, I decided to listen to the unabridged audio version from Audible.

Listening time for Winter Men by Jesper Bugge Kold is 11 hours, 10 minutes and it is narrated by Nick Sandys.

I enjoy historical fiction... And Winter Men by Jesper Bugge Kold is definitely a good historical work of fiction. I really liked Jesper Bugge Kold's writing and story telling, even if many scenes in this novel were difficult to stomach. I'm still trying to wrap my brain around the contents of Winter Men by Jesper Bugge Kold as it leaves you thinking about it long after you've finished reading it.

Winter Men by Jesper Bugge Kold primarily tells the story of two brothers, Karl and Gerhard,  during Nazi Germany. Neither of these men are fans of Adolf Hilter or the Nazi regime. Yet both brothers become complicit in wrongdoings during the war, which weighs heavily on each man by the end of the novel. 

Winter Men is a thought provoking read. Questions of morality and evil kept coming to mind while reading Winter Men. As I was reading about Karl and Gerhard's lives, I came across a few gray areas... Sometimes things just aren't always black and white. I am not condoning the wrongdoings performed by either brother by any means, but simply found myself filled with questions about their actions and many other situations presented in this novel. 

By the way, Nick Sandys is a terrific narrator!! He narrated Winter Men very well. I will forward to hearing other books he narrates.

I think Winter Men by Jesper Bugge Kold would make a great book club selection to discuss with other readers. 

The following is a plot summary for Winter Men by Jesper Bugge Kold from Audible:

As the dark specter of the Nazis settles over Germany, two wealthy and educated brothers are suddenly thrust into the rising tide of war. Karl, a former soldier and successful businessman, dutifully answers the call to defend his country, while contemplative academic Gerhard is coerced into informing for the Gestapo. Soon the brothers are serving in the SS, and as Hitler's hateful agenda brings about unspeakable atrocities, they find themselves with innocent blood on their hands.

Following Germany's eventual defeat, Karl and Gerhard are haunted by their insurmountable guilt, and each seeks a way to escape from wounds that will never heal. They survived the war and its revelation of systematic horrors, but can they survive the unshakable knowledge of their own culpability?

I am giving Winter Men by Jesper Bugge Kold a rating of 4 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!