By Debbie Stone and Gini Cunningham
Debbie: This book is about 100 pages too long. Most of the time, I think a good story is a good story, so it doesn’t matter how long it takes to tell, but in this case, while I did ultimately enjoy the book, it took forever to get to the point and honestly, the characters are hard to root for, which is sad, because this is a story that really needs to be told. A different take on the aftermath of World War II - a study in PTSD of a young woman who survived the horrors and atrocities of being Jewish in Berlin before, during and after the war.
Rachel (and I will only use the Americanized version of her name) immigrates to the United States after the war and is plagued by survivors’ guilt and Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome, which affects her whole life, causing strife in her marriage and everyday relationships. The story bounces around between America 1955, and Germany pre- and during the war, Rachel’s name changes several times, and the author uses Yiddish, German, and French frequently. Could this be distracting for some? Perhaps.
I’ve heard that this book reads more like a newspaper article (my apologies to the editor of the Sun) than a novel as there is nothing compelling to move the story along; it is just told to you, rather than drawing you in and I agree with that statement. But there are good parts, too. We don’t often hear about the trauma of these survivors. We hear only about survival and then a move to Florida. We are horrified about what they have experienced, but pretty much forget about them after that. This novel explores those consequences and asks the question: ”Is it possible to overcome life-altering trauma and learn to forgive yourself and find hope in the future?” The author does a great job drawing the reader into the settings of New York City and wartime Germany. It’s very thought provoking. I appreciate the different viewpoint, but it is just so slow.
And shock! I am agreeing with Gini. The ending is a bit too tidy plus the eternal question: “Can a man write a woman’s point-of-view believably?” The jury›s out on that, but maybe that is the root of why I found this book hard. Maybe I couldn›t connect with a male perspective of Rachel›s inner emotions, thoughts, and self-contempt. The book isn’t bad, but I would have to recommend it with reservations.
Gini: Dangerous opener but, Can a male write a book from a female perspective, especially something so intimate as the story of main character, Rokhl/Rashka/Ruchel/Rachel, with feeling, depth, and honesty? Rachel, as mentioned, goes by several names, depending on time, place, and age. A survivor of the Holocaust, the story setting alternates as the reader fills in mysterious blanks. Married to Aaron, Rachel works to be the “good wife” as shadows of her past creep in to overwhelm her body and mind. Images and guilt haunt her as she tries to overcome the fright and pain of losing her way of life and independence with the Nazi effort to create a “Judenfrei” city, one free of all Jews. Rachel and her mother, “eema”, Lavinia Morgenstern-Landau, a renown artist, become U-boats, floaters in and out of sight as they seek to survive, constantly dodging arrest and transport to concentration camps and death..
I had never heard of Jews living in plain sight of Nazis as U-boats, but what a fitting description. Gillham excels at drawing scenery and characters, bringing even a painting (and focal point) of the “Red Angel” to life. The only work of Lavinia to outlast Nazi burning, it reappears in New York, adding another twist to the story as Angelika, the subject of the artwork, arrives. The author often writes in German and Yiddish which adds interest as so many of the word meanings can be guessed at plus, he translates these. However, he frequently slips into French that if you are a non-speaker, you lose much valuable detail. And then, of course, there Is the ending. Tidy with ribbons and bows, I figure it had to end as such to prevent deep depression of the reader, but he really went overboard with non-reality supposed reality. Hate, confusion, bigotry, fear happily vanish and joy seeps in. Is this possible? I think not!