Some Girls, Some Hats and Hitler: A True Love Story Rediscovered

Taking place over multiple years and in three primary locations (Vienna, Prague, and London) this Holocaust memoir is more a tale of love than a horror story of Nazi-occupied Europe. In a linear narrative of short chapters, the reader is transported through the inner workings of Kanter’s relationship with her second husband, Walter. When Kanter, a hat maker, meets Walter, it’s love at first sight, and their relationship blossoms, only to be complicated by the sudden Nazi occupation of Vienna. From then on it is a tale of Trudi trying to stay one step ahead while not losing hold of her current beau and future husband. But it becomes difficult for the couple to maintain a healthy, stable relationship amid the Nazi invasion and occupation of the city. It reads almost like a diary and at times feels disjointed, while at other places the words and imagery flow beautifully. (Oct.)