讀書筆記
看小說寫感想
史料記載希特勒沒有兒子，但在Mandy Robotham 的小說---助產師（The German Midwife) 中希特勒情婦Eva給他生了個兒子。
德國助產師Anke因為同情猶太人被關進了集中營，就在她瀕死的邊緣，Anke被帶到了希特勒的行宮Berghof, 在那兒她才知道Eva有了身孕，Anke被要求24小時待命。 嬰兒生出來後，也就是希特勒的兒子，被發現是個殘疾。Eva知道嬰兒肯定活不成，出於母愛她懇求Anke帶著嬰兒遠走高飛。
小說創意很獨特，特別是對Eva形象的刻畫不貶也不褒，反而花了很多筆墨描寫她人性的一麵。 Eva最大的罪惡可能就是做了希特勒的情婦吧。
主角Anke在Berghof 無意中撞見希特勒這一段寫得很有意思，這也是全書中希特勒唯一出場的地方。
....He (Hitler）was directly in my view, walking towards me, head also down, stature unmistakable. The sight of a German shepherd at his side confirmed what I feared.....
... 'Good day,’ clicked his tongue at the dog and took his eyes back to the ground, moving on. And that was my encounter with the Führer, not a syllable uttered – no fear exuded, no monster on show, no devilish glint in his eye. A man who showed common courtesy, to someone he had never met before. ...
Anke發現小孩先天右手缺失後和Eva的對話：
‘But what? Is everything OK?’ 'He's alive and well, but he's missing a hand.’ ‘What do you mean? How is that possible?’'He's perfect to me, but not to them, is he? Not to …’ and she really did stop herself saying his name. The name of the baby's father. ...
...'I want you to take him away, to safety. To live.’'Eva, do you know what you're saying? You may never see him again. Are you sure?’... She gave a weak smile and squeezed my hand. ... 'Please. Help me one more time, Anke. Help my baby.’....
當Anke知道Eva為希特勒殉情時：
When I heard about the end for them both – the newly betrothed Herr and Frau Hitler – I wasn't surprised or shocked. She would have followed him to the ends of the earth, and she did. I only wonder if Eva thought about her boy, in that moment when she bit down on the cyanide pill, whether he was lodged in her heart the moment it stopped beating.
最後嬰兒被送到一個農場，至今都沒人知道他的身份。小說最後結尾畫龍點睛。
He could easily be a farmer, or a carpenter, an artist. Who knows? Its good that he doesn't. He need never carry the burden of shame, of the genes in his blood. He only needs to know that he was born out of a mother's love ... A child of the time, a war baby, and not the Reich's child.
金句
When you saw so much horror, destruction and inhumanity in one place, it was the simplest things that broke your resolve and reminded you of kindness in the world.
