This story was different. Not only because of the setting on a German airfield near Berlin in the last days of WWII. Not only because both main characters were German Wehrmacht soldiers, and not only because of the first person present tense narrative. But still, all those factors worked together to make it exceptional. As far as I can tell, this story captured the spirit and the mindset of the time perfectly. I recognized them from my grandfather's tales, battle-weary, honorable, conscientious Baldur; arrogant, self-destructive Wischinsky; and Felix, romantic, disillusioned and so eager for life. They pulled me into their lives and their time, and I felt privileged to be granted a peek. Impressive, touching, surprisingly sweet and just so damn romantic.
