Summary from Novelist: During the final months of World War II, a small group of people make their way westward across a ravaged Europe in a desperate attempt to reach British and American lines.
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Each month, Rhode Island Center for the Book at Providence Public Library's Let's Talk Books blog will feature a RI writer, reader, or book artist who will share their thoughts.
3 comments:
What I enjoyed most about this book is that Bohjalian took a topic that has been written about over and over again (WWII survivors) and took a different approach. I loved that the story focused on a German family's journey to escape the encroaching war and get to safety. I loved that this family was depicted in a positive light. Plenty to discuss/teach with this story as well. I think this would be a fine RARI choice.
Although I loved the story and the writing was very rich, it would not be my first choice for the RARI read. It is true that there is much to discuss and teach. However I think that "Guernsey..." lends itself to the same and is much more accessible to a wider range of audience. The atrocities that the Jewish women endure and the German families at the hands of the Russians are painful to read and may be hard for some no matter the realism. As for this book being presented to middle and/or high schoolers, there may be just enough graphic content (some of it sexual) that it may prove problematic. This is not to say this book shouldn't be read. Just not as the RARI choice.
I am torn about recommending this book for RARI. I agree that the graphic sex and violence was hard to stomach even as an adult, but in the context of learning about the realities of war, I don't think there is any other way to portray the reality of atrocities committed by multiple countries. I liked how the author personalized the conflicts during World War II and did not reinforce stereotypes. Every character was real and complex; this book moved away from blaming one entire country for hateful war crimes and demonstrates that people made individual choices, which came around to haunt or help them as the war progressed.
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