Stella is an absorbing read but a difficult subject matter (unlikely to be a surprise once you’ve read the blurb). Many years ago I read the book Stella, written about a real woman from the Second World War so I was interested to read this version. The style of writing is a little different to a “usual” novel. There are snippets of real exerts from an actual trial from Berlin sprinkled amongst the story. The beginning focuses on the formative years for Friedrich, depicting his wealthy but somewhat chaotic homelife and some of the key events of his childhood. When he leaves to explore Berlin his eyes are opened, albeit somewhat slowly, to the realities of wartime life and he meets an assortment of characters from widely different backgrounds. I found his naivety difficult at times but he grew upon me. The story feels a little disjointed but somehow works rather well. A powerful read.