Friday, November 9, 2007
Book: Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum
Today I finished reading Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum. It's a novel that depicts the WWII era in Germany from the prospective of the German Citizenry. It's an interesting blend of the Jewish experience and the German Resistance, and the German citizens and how they intertwined in each others lives for better or for worse. It was a bit of an eye opener for me, as I have always been focused souly on the Jewish perspective. Recently I've become acquainted with a few German people, neither born during this period or just born or very young at the time, but whom feel great shame for what "their people" did at this time. The book is also about that shame and guilt. It's not an easy read, but in my mind an important one. (Amazon.com has 66 used copies. I got it at the local library).
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Hi Lynn, I appreciate very much our converstations about my people's past and the influence it has had on us, the next, younger generations. Thanks for being so open about everything. Have a peaceful day!
ReplyDeleteThis bk sounds interesting. I'll look for it. I just started reading "Sarha's Key" which is written by an American living in Paris w/French husband. It is in part about a time in Paris where many Jewish children and some parents too but esp children were rounded up and placed in a large building no longer in existence. Ultimately the children were separated from their parents. All ended up in a concentration camp and immediately killed. Apparently information in France about this event is scarce so this novelist is exploring something so shameful to the French they don't talk about it. The Germans did not come and get the French citizens who were Jewish, but rather the French police came and apparently conceirges turned in Jewish families for this gathering.
ReplyDeleteThe novel is moderately well written at the beginning however as it moves along it becomes so fascinating i can't put it down though as you say of yr novel, painful. The past events are interlaced with present event of a woman reporter investigating this past history.
Yes there were definitely others that suffered during that horrible era in Germany.
ReplyDeletei will definitely try to get this book. i am reading 'perfect match' by jodi picoult. her stuff is also very thought-provoking.
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