Tag: Bookouture

Is it possible to say that a story about concentration is an easy yet uplifting read? If so, then this book qualifies for that type of description.

It’s hard to put my finger exactly on what made this book different from other historical novels involving concentration camps that I have read (and there have been a lot of them).

I think for one thing, the author seemed to focus on the attitudes of the inhabitants rather than the horrors they were facing. That’s not to say that they weren’t detailed – they just didn’t take center stage in the overall story.

I guess I could say that the plot was more character-driven than event-driven.

I thought that the author did a great job of weaving the stories of Anna and Isaac and how they are shaped by their dual status. They “enjoy” a special status for working at the private home of the Sturmbannfuhrer.

Of course, they don’t enjoy it at all. But it puts them apart from the other residents of the camp who are tasked with menial labor and torture. The way that Anna and Isaac individually deal with their conflicting emotions was well-done.

I found Friedrich to be an especially complex character. At 11, he is old enough to understand some of what is going on, but he is also wise enough to know right from wrong. His remorse at how he talked to Isaac (apparently emulating his father) was genuine and made him a sympathetic character.

He was also interesting because his uncertainty about the truth of…well, everything (including his mother’s hatred of pretty much…well, everything including him) was indicative of how I think many people felt.

Take Greta as another example. She was from the town, but she treated Isaac and Anna with compassion and gentleness, not as if they were any different. Whether he knew it or not, I think Friedrich learned from her.

This is much in the same way that Isaac learned from Levi, who I found to be delightful (again, a word not usually associated with WWII Nazi atrocities). Levi’s attitude and sense of humor was both enlightening and poignant.

In the face of having everything taken away, a person must make a decision. Levi chose to keep his spirit as much as he could – that was something that the Nazis couldn’t take, he could only give it up. And it only went away when he did.

That’s an important lesson, I think.

I could go on about all of the lessons that could be learned from the characters in this book, because there were many. But I will just say that you should probably have tissues ready for the last 25% of the book (or so).

Another thought-provoking and heartfelt novel from this author. Also, don’t miss The Ringmaster’s Daughter.

Author Bio:
Carly Schabowski worked as a journalist in both North Cyprus and Australia before returning to Oxford, where she studied for an MA and then a PhD in creative writing at Oxford Brookes University. Carly now teaches at Oxford Brookes University as an associate lecturer in Creative Writing for first and second-year English literature students. 

This author’s The Child of Auschwitz is a book that stayed with me for a long time. I thought she had a very strong understanding of the horrors of Nazi actions during WWII but balanced those with illustrations of compassion and resilience quite effectively.

 I was, therefore, very excited to see her latest book revisiting WWII. I was not disappointed.

I particularly liked how the contemporary storyline took place in Sweden. Most of the historical fiction WWII novels I have read recently either have a British or American connection. I enjoyed (if one could say that about Nazi persecutions) the different perspective.

I also thought the author did a good job of setting up the contemporary story line. I know that my grandfather never talked about his time in the South Pacific when he returned from WWII, but that he was a changed man (by all accounts)

I think that this was a common story among people (especially men) who saw and experienced the atrocities of war. Didn’t matter if it was in combat, or at the hands of the enemy. Their positions as protectors of their families were threatened – and often destroyed.

Ingrid’s grandfather personified that. By establishing this from the beginning, the author made him a sympathetic character in a way that went beyond simply feeling sorry for his story. He was very real.

Because of this, I thought there was a good balance between the contemporary and historical story lines. Sometimes one is stronger than the other, but in this case, they complimented each other. To me, this meant that the reading was smoother because the transitions were natural and not abrupt.

My only complaint (and it’s really a minor one) is the change in title. It was originally titled The Flight of Swallows. I thought this was much more evocative and thought-provoking. I don’t know why it changed to the mundane and non-descriptive The German Girl.

In looking at my review of the author’s last book, it seems as if the same thing occurred. Interesting to note (though not of any real importance, I suppose).

Still, this was a good read with interesting characters and a unique perspective. I would recommend it.

Author Bio:

Lily has been telling stories since she was a child, starting with her imaginary rabbit, Stephanus, and their adventures in the enchanted peach tree in her garden, which she envisioned as a magical portal to Enid Blyton’s Faraway Tree. She’s never really got out of the habit of making things up, and still thinks of Stephanus rather fondly.

She lives with her husband and her English bulldog, Fudge, and brings her love for the sea and country-living to her fiction.