By Monica Hesse
This book is about the Holocaust, mostly in the aftermath of liberation after WWII. It follows the path of Zofia Lederman, who was moved from various camps and separated from her brother, Abek. The plot is her trying to find him after she is released from the hospital tending her own injuries, going from one refugee camp to the next in her search.
I was not in the mood or head space for a Holocaust book right now, but I have encountered some books I never thought I would read or enjoy as I keep up with the Barnes & Noble YA Book Club, so I tried it anyway. Fortunately, I am glad I did.
Zofia takes us through some aspects of that horrible time with which I was not familiar with grace and humanity. I didn’t realize the extent of the confusion and inability for loved ones to find one another, especially given how German territory was divided among the Allies. People wrote hundreds letters a day to various organizations searching for loved ones that may have already been deceased.
Also, Jews still encountered hostility and resentment among some Germans still clinging to the remnants of the Nazi regime. It was still difficult to trust, even the soldiers of Allies posed threats, and there were few places of safety within their former homes. We see some of the brutality Zofia experienced through flashbacks as she works on her own mental health, the second largest casualty of the Nazis.
But there is also hope coming back to these displaced people. We see volunteers working tirelessly to answer those hundreds of letters. Donations are fought over, shared, and treasured from people trying to help. Other countries open their borders to grant fresh starts. Some families are reunited, even though most are not. Friendships bloom from nothing, weddings resume, romance, kindness and humanity are not dead. The unexpected is not always tragic. The accepted path may not be your path.
Soundtrack
- Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy by the Andrews Sisters
- Bei Mir Bist du Schon by the Andrews Sisters
- My Dreams are Getting Better all the Time by Doris Day and Les Brown
- Chiribim Chiribom by the Barry Sisters
- Exodus by the Barry Sisters
Pros & Cons & Potential Spoilers
Pros
- Though necessarily morose, it is not constant atrocities, death, and wallowing – there is underlying hope through all of it
- There are some neat twists that help keep it a good story
- I learned something
Cons
- Even though I predicted some things, it was still hard “watching” the characters go through it
- It’s the Holocaust – a low point in humanity that cannot be forgotten or repeated