In the Garden of Beasts by Erik Larsen

Join us in the Best Cafe at VMFA for our July event (inside if it is hot, outside if it is cool enough). In the Garden of Beasts offers a chilling, deeply human look at life in Berlin as Hitler consolidates power, seen through the eyes of the American ambassador and his family. Erik Larson masterfully blends history and narrative suspense, showing how ordinary people can overlook the warning signs of authoritarianism. The book sparks timely discussions about political complacency, moral courage, and the consequences of looking away. Kirkus Book Review