Summary

The novel “The Berlin Boxing Club,” is set in Berlin, Germany during the beginning years of Hitler’s reign. The main character, Karl Stern, is a Jewish teen who finds refuge during this tumultuous time in boxing. Through a barter arrangement, Karl gets the opportunity to take boxing lessons from Max Schmeling, a championship boxer. Themes in the novel include the increasing restrictions put on Jews by the Nazi regime and the development of the father/son relationship.

In the chapter “How I Became Jewish,” Karl details the final day of the school year. He is asked by his teacher to stay after school to help put the students’ final essays in alphabetical order. All Karl’s friends are gone from school by the time he is finished. He hears footfalls behind...