The Book of Lost Names by Kristen Harmel

There are some books that grab you from the first page on. The Book of Lost Names was that kind of book for me. It was intriguing that the central character, Eva Traube Abrams, was a librarian and the opening of the book was set in the Winter Park, FL library in 2005. She sees an article in the New York Times that takes her back six decades to her life in Paris during the war and a book that had special meaning to her. Otto Kühn, a Berlin librarian, was attempting to return books that had been stolen by the Nazis to their rightful owners. Eva knew that she had to immediately fly to Berlin to try to retrieve it. 

The novel then shifts to her time as a young woman studying at the Sorbonne in 1942 when Paris was under siege by the Germans. She lives with her parents when her father, a Jewish typewriter repair person, is kidnapped by the Nazis, leaving she and her mother, Mamusia, alone. They are warned about the danger of staying in Paris and so with the help of a family friend who shows her how to forge papers, they escape to the countryside and the village of Aurignon in free France. They happen upon a boarding house where Madame Barbier takes them in and gives them advise on being safe. Shortly after Eva goes into a bookstore to purchase pens to help her with the writing she needs to do to forge papers for her father's release. She is introduced to Père Clément, a priest who is also secretly forging papers. Eva becomes part of the resistance and meets Rémy, a very handsome man, who is also part of the resistance and devoted to helping others even if it causes him harm and possible death. In Aurignon, Eva also is reacquainted with Joseph Pelletier with whom she had gone to school in Paris. He would be the perfect husband according to her mother, although Eva is not really attracted to him. He insinuates himself into their lives with the pretense for helping them. As Gérard Faucon, his alias, he becomes involved with another talented forger, Geneviève. 

The novel is consumed with the work the forgers accomplished in providing documents for persons to escape to Switzerland, especially orphans. It becomes a page-turner, when the group is compromised by someone who is leaking information to the Germans. Tragic deaths occur as they are uncovered. The reader has some comfort in knowing that Eva survives at least until 2005.

With the themes of resilience, bravery, love and kindness The Book of Lost Names provides the reader with a few hours of inspired writing. The characters are well-developed and exhibit the full range of human emotions. It is engaging and captures the reader from the get-go. One of the gems that portray the horrors of the Holocaust. 

 

 

The Nine: The True Story of a Band of Women who Survived the Worst of Nazi Germany by Gwen Strauss

It was somewhat difficult reading Madness and The Nine at the same time. Both nonfiction and both detailing horrific experiences of two groups of people who were made to endure situations that in many cases would destroy the human spirit.

Strauss tells the story of her great aunt, Hélène Podliasky who was part of the French Resistance during World War II and eight others who were arrested for their actions and sent to Ravensbrück Camp in Germany. During the journey there they became a cohesive group. The others in the group were

Suzanne Maudet (Zaza), Nicole Clarence, Madelon Verstijnen (Lon), Guillemette Daendels (Guigui), Renée Lebon Châtenay (Zinka), Joséphine Bordanava (Josée), Jacqueline Aubéry du Boulley (Jacky), and Yvonne Le Guillou (Mena). While on a death march from the camp, the nine decided to escape. Their journey to freedom is the crux of the book.

Strauss through her research of the time and with the survivors of The Nine, presents a book that is nearly unbelievable as to the heroics of these women. Their 10 day journey is told through the eyes of each woman who has her own chapter in the book. It presents a bit of biography and the roles that they each assumed while on their journey. Their goal was to get to the front and cross into the area that was held by the Allies and especially the Americans. With bloody feet, tattered clothing, and a dearth of food, the reader is brought along on the painful journey with them. They struggle to find safe places to rest and German citizens to trust. At times they played into the stereotypical role of women to advance their cause - helpless and ignorant about war.

Strauss also gives insight into how the Nazis treated the prisoners in the camps, babies snatched from mothers while those mothers were raped, slave labor and starvation. It was painful to read.

The nine women formed such a bond that gave them the strength to have hope and survive. It goes without saying that if they had tried to do this alone, none would have made it. They developed strategies for survival, including trading recipes, one of the more upbeat sections of the book.

The book is so well researched with an abundance of footnotes. At times, I had wished for a more linear account, but understood the rationale for Strauss to write the way she did. Another interesting feature was how the author managed to find the women and/or their surviving family members. It was an intriguing, tho painful read.



 

The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman

The Zookeeeper's Wife has been on my "want to read" list since its publication in 2007, just 10 years ago! It moved up the list to "currently reading" spurred by a Kindle Deal of the Day ($1.99) and the release of the movie based on it. I am glad that I did wait to read it until we had visited Poland. Having a picture of Warsaw in my mind allowed me to visualize the landmarks that were described and referenced. 

The zookeeper in this nonfiction book is Jan Żabiński and his wife is Antonina. The zoo in Warsaw was well renowned before World War II and Żabiński a well respected curator and as the Nazis moved in, Lutz Heck, the zoologist of the Berlin zoo, started pillaging the Warsaw zoo. He stole valuable animals and what he didn't steal he killed. The discovery of Kasia, a favorite elephant, dead in her enclosure was startling and a shocking beginning to the horrors that would follow. But the Żabińskis had a different plan in mind. Jan was also a professor in the underground and secret Warsaw University. With access to the Warsaw ghetto he was able to smuggle Jews out and hide them in the secret passages, cages, and tunnels of the zoo. Perhaps he was not suspected as carrying out these heroic deeds due to the fact that he was able to turn the zoo into a pig farm.

Once Jan got the "guests" to the zoo, it was then up to Antonina to take care of them. She never considered herself a heroine, but because of her efforts in hiding and feeding them she managed to save over 300 Jewish men, women, and children. She put herself and her children in danger as the Nazis became intent upon arresting those who were suspected of hiding the Jews. One of the clever ruses was when Antonina played an Offenbach tune with the refrain “Go, go, go to Crete” it was code to her “guests” to hide as Germans were around. To complicate matters Antonina was pregnant and required bed rest before giving birth to her daughter Teresa. During the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising Jan goes off to fight with the resistance and Antonina takes the children to a small village to avoid the decimation of the city. She desperately tries everything in her power to learn of Jan's fate. And when she does, it is not good. He was shot through the neck, but miraculously recovers.

After the war they reopened the zoo, but under the Communist regime it was just not the same. The theme of kindness, caring, and compassion resonates through this book. It is so hard to imagine what it must have been like to live during this horrific genocide. Even walking the streets of Warsaw today, the destruction is unimaginable. If there is such an entity as an enjoyable book about the Holocaust, this would be one. The spirit of the Żabińskis is so deep and caring that sets a high bar for us all. Would we have been able to accomplish what they did and with the courage that they showed. I am intrigued to read more about the Żabińskis. Ackerman relied on Antonina's diary for a lot of the book. That would be well worth searching out and reading a first hand account. It will be interesting to see how the movie portrays their lives, the Nazis, and the ghetto. I have a feeling  I may be disappointed after reading the book.

Poland by James Michener

Nearly a year after I started Poland by James Michener, the book has been finished. I began the book in anticipation of our trip to Poland in June of 2016. The tome was over 650 pages and really needed a very extended period of free time to be able to read it in a timely fashion. That is something that just doesn't happen in my life. Between book club books and client work, I had to read the book in piecemeal style. I have always enjoyed Michener's books, but this one was tedious and I probably would have not finished it if I weren't so stubborn about reading to the end of a book that I have started.

The novel centers around the story of three families of Buk, Bukowski and Lubonski from the very early history of the land around 1240 through the present time - that when Michener wrote it - 1983. They represent 3 social groups from peasant to noble to magnate. It begins in 1981 with a meeting of the minister of agriculture and the leaders of the farmers. It is during the Communist rule and centers around the possibility of forming a union. It is reminiscent of the beginning of the Solidarity movement. From that introduction to the families the reader is taken back to the time of the invasion of the Mongols into Poland.

It would take nearly as many pages to describe all the action of Poland as the length of the book itself. One of the most ponderous effects of the novel was the superabundance of names. It was difficult to keep them all straight. I did find that the pace of the novel picked up as we got to the 1800s. The story of the Golden Freedom, the partitioning of Poland, the rise of the Nazis and the horror of the Holocaust were much more accessible than earlier chapter. To this reader the in depth description of battles, armies, and armor is tedious and "skip-worthy." However, Michener does weave certain themes through the book. Poland has always been a liberal player in the history of eastern Europe and has been the target of numerous Russian invasions. Yet, through it all, the Poles have managed to survive and as we are witnessing today, almost thriving. Warsaw is a growing and vibrant world capital today, proving Michener's points. 

For anyone with the time and interest in this country, this is would be a great read. It begs to be read in less time than a year, but it did give insight and perspective into the history of a beautiful country that is a gem for anyone to visit.

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

I had really wanted to read this book and was disappointed when I wasn't going to be able to attend our neighborhood book group when we were going to discuss this. I tend to read my own selections when this happens. But, then, the date was changed and I ordered the book for my Kindle and got to reading. What an incredible read - an historical lesson, a page turner and tearjerker all rolled into one remarkable book.

The Nightingale begins with an elderly woman, about ready to move into an assisted living facility, going through some memorabilia in a trunk in her attic. The reader is told of an old passport that obviously has had some disturbing memories tied to it. The in flashback, the novel begins its story of two diametrically different sisters who live in rural France during the Nazi occupation of the country. Vianne lives on the family homestead, Le Jardin, while Isabelle is being disciplined at a boarding school for showing her defiant and rebellious attitude.  The sisters' mother died when they were young leaving their father to try to cope with raising the two girls. He couldn't cope with this and virtually left the girls to fend for themselves. Vianne marries the postmaster, Antoine,  the village in the Loire Valley and has a daughter, Sophia. Their life is then torn apart when Antoine goes off to war and Vianne is left to maintain the house, teach in the local school, and raise Sophia.  Add to this the arrival of Isabelle, who has been sent by their father when he shuns her living with him in Paris.

As the novel unfolds the horrific crimes of the time are revealed without sugar-coating the events or feelings of the time. Vianne's home is requisitioned by a Wehrmark officer and he billets there. Isabelle joins the resistance movement and guides downed airmen over the Pyrenees to Spain and safety. Jewish friends of the family disappear overnight and children are left as orphans. The result of this is a heart-wrenching story of a time that was filled with calculated torture, persecution, and lack of compassion for the human race.

Kristen Hannah has given her readers a novel that takes twists and turns and will, ultimately, keep the reader not wanting the book to end. A definite must read that will stay with her readers long after the book is closed.

Winter of the World by Ken Follett

The second part of Follett's Century Trilogy, Winter of the World, continues the saga begun in Fall of Giants. It didn't take nearly as long to read this book as the last. The novel begins in 1933 as Germany is struggling with the rise to power of Hitler, fascism, and economical distress. England is dealing with much the same issues and the United States is trying hard to avoid another international conflict.

It would be impossible to summarize this book of over 950 pages. Follett again centers his novel on the families of Fall of Giants with the children of the significant characters becoming the protagonists. They are there at the center of the action, but also give voice to the philosophic ideas of the time leading up to World War II and when they are living out parts of that tortuous time in the history of the world. Paramount among those are Daisy Peshkov who marries into British political royalty, but who loves another, Woody and Chuck Dewer, sons of a powerful American senator, Carla Von Ulrich, a young German girl who dares to challenge Hitler's policies, and Russian spy Volodya Peshkov. It is around their stories and the historical events that the novel turns. 

Although the book continues through to the end of the war, there are a few seminal scenes that will stay with the reader long after the book is finished.  One will never forget when the Carla finds evidence of Hitler's killing of the infirm and mentally challenged children. It is painful to read and the reader is as outraged as she is. Would any of us have had the courage to do what she did. The bombing of Pearl Harbor is described in such detail that you can hear and feel the bombs falling and see the planes above. It is tragic for not only for our nation, but also for those characters who were in close proximity. And then there is the crushing London blitz, the plan to invade France and the landing on Normandy Beaches. The Battle of Midway is portrayed as a real turning point in the war and where the code breakers managed to outwit the Japanese. We can detest Stalin as much today as many of his contemporaries did. Follett's roots as an espionage and writer of spy fiction shine through as he focuses on Russians gathering intelligence on the development and production of nuclear bomb.

The book is a compelling read and this reader is anxious to have a block of time to be able to read the next installment in the trilogy, The Edge of Eternity.

Skeletons at the Feast by Chris Bohjalian

So I took a break from Fall of Giants' 985 pages to read the November selection for the Flower Memorial Library Book Club. Chris Bohjalian's Skeletons at the Feast was a quick read, but not an easy one. Taking place at the end of World War II, it is a chronicle of the horrors and atrocities of war. Bohjalian was given a diary that belonged to a friend's East Prussian grandmother, Eva Henatsch, kept from 1920 through 1945. The novel was as absorbing as it was horrific. I was thankful that there were sections that lightheartedly broke through the darkness.

Skeletons at the Feast is a novel with 3 concurrent story lines. Taking place as World War II is drawing to a close, men, women, and children from Prussia are streaming to the west as refugees trying to escape from the Russian army. We first meet the Emmerichs, a well-to-do family who own a beet farm. Mutti and Rolf, parents to Werner, twins Anna and Helmut, and Theo. Their home, Kaminheim, is well-appointed and comfortable. Mutti is a strong supporter of Hitler and has a portrait of him hanging in the parlor. They have received help in working the land from British POWs, one of whom, Callum Finella, has fallen in love with Anna. As the family is poised to leave their beloved home for the west, Helmut and his father join up with the German army to fight in a counteroffensive mission. Werner has already left and with no word of him in months, he is presumed to be dead. Mutti, Theo, and Anna continue on with the carts full of possessions and their horses leading them. Callum goes too, often hidden under the grain and oats.

Uri Singer is a Jew, separated from his family, as the Nazis took Jews as prisoners. He finds himself on a train to Auschwitz and realizes what will happen there, tho most of the transported prisoners have no clue. He throws himself from the train, eludes the guards and eventually assumes the identity of Manfred, a Wehrmacht officer. As time passes and he struggles to reach the west and the American and British lines, he meets with the Emmerichs and joins them in their flight. He searches for his sister Rebekah and is determined to undermine at any point the German army.

The third element of the story is the plight of French refugees, namely Cecile. Cecile is a privileged young woman who show incredible character and resilience. She and others whom she meets are moved from work camp to work camp as the fighting grows closer. Through her and her friends Leah and Jeanne we gain another insight into the atrocities that were committed in this war.

Bohjalian masterfully weaves all these stories together and creates a strong and compelling narrative. His descriptions of the march, the horrendous conditions during the winter months, and the morally corrupt Red Army are vividly portrayed. At times it is painful to read. His strong craft, tho, is his character development. Each person in this novel brings a point of view that allows the reader a glimpse at this war through many different lenses. All together they present a pictures that are disturbing and yet enlightening. The romance and true love between Callum and Anna, the acceptance of Uri (Manfred) by Mutti, her realization of what the Nazis were actually doing, and the sheer courage of all remind us that we are sometimes human beings that cannot always control what goes on around us, but we can, at least, carve some of our own personal destiny. Human beings when allowed to be just that without superficial barriers, can and will find a way to survive even in the most atrocious situations.

This was an inspirational and incredible read.

The Rembrandt Affair by Daniel Silva

Daniel Silva is a master of the intelligent thriller, spy novel. His latest, The Rembrandt Affair will not disappoint the millions of his fans. It is the next in the series about Gabriel Allon, Israeli intelligence agent and professional art restorer. Silva takes us back to Cornwall, England ( I will get there in my lifetime) where Allon is living a quiet life with his wife Chiara, also a former Israeli operative. The action begins immediately and Silva has his reader hooked. A friend and fellow art restorer has been working on a mysterious Rembrandt painting. He is murdered and the canvas stolen, the action that sets the stage for the novel.

At first Gabriel becomes involved as a favor to Julian Isherwood, Allon's friend and proprietor of a sometimes profitable art gallery in London. However, as the action escalates, Allon becomes immersed with the history of the painting that takes him to Amsterdam and secrets of the Holocaust. The Rembrandt Affair is somewhat a departure from the usual Silva novel. Evidenced by his interview with a "hidden child", there are many poignant moments in the book. Allon is on the move and he or his colleagues travel to Glastonbury, London, Buenos Aires, Paris, Lake Geneva, and of course Jerusalem. A familiar team is assembled with the likes of Shamron, Uzi Navot, archaeologist, and Eli Lavon. Add to the mix a very attractive British journalist, Zoe Reed, CIA operatives from Langley, British M16 personnel, and you have a group of agents who will search for the painting and in the process encounter nefarious and ruthless business magnates who are willing to undermine world peace for in exchange for amassing wealth.

There is not as much violence in this novel as in the previous Allon books, nor the arms descriptions that the reader has come to expect. Instead we are treated to an array of electronic devices and the tasks that they can accomplish. It was enough to send the best technophile into overdrive. In an interview with Matt Lauer on the Today Show, Silva responds to 3 disturbing accusations about defiling the art world, his writing process, and putting his marriage in jeopardy. In The Rembrandt Affair we also get an insight into some of Silva's political beliefs - his support of Israel, skepticism about global warming, and the ineffectiveness of the Homeland Security department. Silva's writing is accomplished and polished, his characters are more than believable and the reader needs to remember that this is really fiction, and the plot moves more quickly than the reader can turn the page. And now we have to wait at least another year before we are treated to the next Allon installment. Not FAIR!

The Mozart Question by Michael Morpurgo

After just a couple of weeks on the job as a new reporter, Lesley gets the opportunity to interview world-renowned violinist, Paolo Levi before a concert that will celebrate his 50th birthday. She is is told, however, that she must not ask him The Mozart Question. To her amazement, upon meeting with Mr. Levi, and asking the first question that comes into her mind, she is told his story from the very beginning of how he started playing the violin. By the British Children's Laureate this is a story that takes you from the beautiful city of Venice to the horrid concentration camps of World War II. It is Paolo's story from a boy who wants to have what he knows he can't and what he will do to get it. It is a story of secrets that need to be told and in the end it is a story of hope and perseverance.