The berlin boxing club, paperback/robert sharenow

Sydney Taylor Award-winning novel Berlin Boxing Club is loosely inspired by the true story of boxer Max Schmelings experiences following Kristallnacht.

Publishers Weekly called it a masterful historical novel in a starred review.

Karl Stern has never thought of himself as a Jew; after all, hes never even been in a synagogue.

But the bullies at his school in Nazi-era Berlin dont care that Karls family doesnt practice religion.

Demoralized by their attacks against a heritage he doesnt accept as his own, Karl longs to prove his worth.

Then Max Schmeling, champion boxer and German hero, makes a deal with Karls father to give Karl boxing lessons.

A skilled cartoonist, Karl has never had an interest in boxing, but now it seems like the perfect chance to reinvent himself.

But when Nazi violence against Jews escalates, Karl must take on a new role: family protector.

And as Maxs fame forces him to associate with Nazi elites, Karl begins to wonder where his heros sympathies truly lie.

Can Karl balance his boxing dreams with his obligation to keep his family out of harms way? Includes an authors note and sources page detailing the factual inspirations behind the novel.