World War II is primarily associated with Nazism, the Holocaust, and the suffering of the Jewish people. Less frequently told are the stories of the others living in Germany and surrounding Europe at this time, many of them ignorant to these happenings or not directly involved in its execution. From the events leading to the reign of Hitler and the repercussions that followed, each person holds a different vantage point of this historic time. These varying perspectives help to further understand the significance of the era. Such is Gerda Senner, who was raised under the thumb of the Hitler Youth, finding herself in the midst of a warzone and political shifting. Gerda's life is an exciting story that takes the reader on a journey through the eyes of a German girl before the Third Reich eventually falls, leaving her hometown of Wittenberge under Soviet occupation. Gerda's suffering begins away from concentration camps and does not end with Hitler's collapse, but continues throughout her adolescence as she aspires to escape her troubled life in Germany. When Reading All The Thoughts Are Free, the reader will see how Gerda goes on to overcome struggles and hardships in hope of one day making it to America, where she could find her place in the world away from chaos and harm.