Pictures of the Past by Deby Eisenberg

Rating: ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆

Obtained from: Netgalley

Read: August 11, 2016

An Impressionist painting, hanging for decades in the Art Institute of Chicago and donated by the charismatic philanthropist Taylor Woodmere, is challenged by an elderly woman as a Nazi theft. Taylor's gripping and passionate story takes us back to 1937. Sent to Paris on family business, he reluctantly leaves his girlfriend Emily, a spoiled debutante from Newport, Rhode Island. But once in Europe, he immediately falls in love - first with an Henri Lebasque painting, and then with the enchanting Sarah Berger of Berlin. After Taylor returns home, the Berger family becomes trapped in the Nazi web, and any attempts for the new lovers to be reunited are thwarted. Interwoven with this narrative is the story of Rachel Gold, a beautiful and bright Chicago girl caught up in the times of the late 1960's. Pregnant and abandoned by her boyfriend Court Woodmere, Taylor's son, she moves to New York to live with her aunt, a Holocaust survivor. Years later, as the controversy surrounding the provenance of the painting becomes public, Rachel's grown son is disturbed by his inexplicable familiarity with the work of art. And it is only Taylor Woodmere who can unravel the complicated puzzle of their lives. With a heart-grabbing ending, Pictures of the Past is historical fiction at its best, giving a personalized window to the powerful events and intriguing venues of the eras. From a world torn by the horrors of war, a love story emerges that endures through years of separation.

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I liked the idea of Deby Eisenberg’s Pictures of the Past, but nothing about the author’s style or tone worked for me. The flow of the narrative grated my nerves and I ultimately skimmed the bulk of the novel to see how things played out. Fair warning folks, I am in the minority on this one, so take a look at the more favorable commentary before making up your mind on this one. 

The bullet style transitions and Eisenberg’s tendency to show more than she told didn’t appeal to me. I appreciate subtlety, depth, and development, but such gentle handling is not to be found within these pages. Eisenberg rushes from point to point without pause and while I appreciated the movement this created, I couldn’t help wishing the plot twists had been allowed to settle in before the author rushed the next one forward. 

I also struggled with the stereotypic characterizations Eisenberg employed throughout the novel and I found the inconsistent rotation between the large cast confusing. Their voices came together in an odd and unbalance chorus and my inability to differentiate one from the next undermined the emotions they felt and the relationships they engaged in.

My last and final complaint is that the novel didn’t have a lot of atmospheric detail. I couldn't envision the world these characters inhabited. The world building was shallow and I couldn’t envision it in my mind’s eye. Even the painting at the center of the narrative seemed a blank canvas in my imagination and I couldn’t help feeling cheated by the lack of detail.

I’m glad I tried it out, but at the end of the day Pictures of the Past wasn’t my kind of story and I don’t see myself recommending it forward.

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Although the initial scandal of a stolen painting had a short-lived play in the papers, it was only the resolution that caught and kept the national and international media’s attention. even Time magazine saved some pages to retell briefly what they termed “a heartwarming story, spanning generations, finally giving peace to those seeking provenance, giving closure to those clinging to pictures of the past.”

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The Muralist by B.A. Shapiro

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Obtained from: Netgalley/Local Library

Read: August 25, 2016

Alizée Benoit, an American painter working for the Works Progress Administration (WPA), vanishes in New York City in 1940 amid personal and political turmoil. No one knows what happened to her. Not her Jewish family living in German-occupied France. Not her artistic patron and political compatriot, Eleanor Roosevelt. Not her close-knit group of friends, including Mark Rothko, Jackson Pollock, and Lee Krasner. And, some seventy years later, not her great-niece, Danielle Abrams, who while working at Christie’s auction house uncovers enigmatic paintings hidden behind recently found works by those now famous Abstract Expressionist artists. Do they hold answers to the questions surrounding her missing aunt? Entwining the lives of both historical and fictional characters, and moving between the past and the present, The Muralist plunges readers into the divisiveness of prewar politics and the largely forgotten plight of European refugees refused entrance to the United States. It captures both the inner workings of today’s New York art scene and the beginnings of the vibrant and quintessentially American school of Abstract Expressionism. B.A. Shapiro is a master at telling a gripping story while exploring provocative themes. In Alizée and Danielle she has created two unforgettable women, artists both, who compel us to ask, What happens when luminous talent collides with inexorable historical forces? Does great art have the power to change the world? And to what lengths should a person go to thwart evil?

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B.A. Shapiro’s The Muralist has occupied a spot on my TBR longer than I care to admit. The subject matter intrigued me and I have always been intrigued by the face on the cover, but the book never demanded my immediate attention. It wasn’t until recently, in an effort to clean up my review backlog, that I turned my eye to the narrative and borrowed an audio edition from my local library.

Before I get too far ahead of myself, I want to say that I loved Xe Sands’ narration. I listened to this volume on the heels of Donna Thorland’s The Turncoat and couldn’t believe the contrast. Madeleine Lambert butchered the latter volume while Sands enhanced former. There is passion in Sands’ interpretation and I felt the subtle artistry of her tones complimented the text very nicely.

As far as the story goes, I feel the novel has a lot going for it. Shapiro explores the foundations of abstract expressionism by associating Alizée with Lee Krasner, Jackson Pollock, and Mark Rothko and I found the chapters dedicated their art absolutely fascinating. I thought Shapiro’s illustration of the artist community brilliant and I liked the attention she paid both the creativity and neurosis that characterized their company.

I felt the story took a hard turn when Eleanor Roosevelt entered Alizée’s world and I'm not sure it was for the better. The two women seemed to share an unnaturally close bond and the relationship didn’t feel authentic in my eyes. I liked the idea of the Breckinridge Long plot line, but in looking at the novel as a whole I felt there was too much going on. Alizée’s art and her personal troubles were more than enough and I found supplementing it with a political intrigue overwhelming.

I was equally unimpressed with the modern story line. Dani Abrams bored me and the conclusion of her experiences seemed heavy-handed, melodramatic, and overly coincidental. Here again I felt Alizée’s story could have carried itself and I have no problem admitting that I didn’t have much appreciation for her downtrodden and hopelessly clichéd niece.

Historically speaking, I liked how Shapiro described New York and American views of the day, but I can’t say I was particularly moved or impressed with the scenes that played out in France. I don’t know why, but that setting never came alive for me and I couldn’t help feeling those chapters were dominated by fact dumps and long winded exposition.

In sum, I liked the book and enjoyed the ideas and thoughts it inspired. I can’t say it my all-time favorite read, but I would definitely recommend it to fellow readers, especially those with an interest in art history.

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“You know,” Franklin said pointedly, “this is a Protestant country, and the Jews are here under sufferance. It’s my decision who gets visas and who doesn’t, and it’s up to the citizenry to go along with what I want.”

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Among the Living by Jonathan Rabb

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Obtained from: Netgalley

Read: June 10, 2016

In late summer 1947, thirty-one-year-old Yitzhak Goldah, a camp survivor, arrives in Savannah to live with his only remaining relatives. They are Abe and Pearl Jesler, older, childless, and an integral part of the thriving Jewish community that has been in Georgia since the founding of the colony. There, Yitzhak discovers a fractured world, where Reform and Conservative Jews live separate lives--distinctions, to him, that are meaningless given what he has been through. He further complicates things when, much to the Jeslers' dismay, he falls in love with Eva, a young widow within the Reform community. When a woman from Yitzhak's past suddenly appears--one who is even more shattered than he is--Yitzhak must choose between a dark and tortured familiarity and the promise of a bright new life. Set amid the backdrop of America's postwar south, Among the Living grapples with questions of identity and belonging, and steps beyond the Jewish experience as it situates Yitzhak's story during the last gasp of the Jim Crow era. Yitzhak begins to find echoes of his own experience in the lives of the black family who work for the Jeslers--an affinity he does not share with the Jeslers themselves. This realization both surprises and convinces Yitzhak that his choices are not as clear-cut as he might have thought.

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Jonathan Rabb’s Among the Living is a difficult book to review. The material is poignant, but it is also deeply sobering and I find the combination difficult to describe. I appreciate the perspective the novel affords, but it should be understood that the narrative is a bittersweet and introspective tale that challenges the perceptions of both the characters of the novel and those who read it.

I’d love to say I fell in love with Rabb’s characters, but his themes took center stage as I made my way through Yitzhak’s story. Holocaust lit tends to treat Jews as a single entity and I was captivated by the contrast Rabb created between these pages. His approach felt more authentic and I think he delved into some really interesting concepts in portraying Yitzhak’s post war experiences and emotional recovery.

The book is slow paced and isn’t an easy read. I don’t think it has enough action and movement to appeal to mainstream readers, but I found it quite satisfying and would definitely recommend it to those looking for something a little different.

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He was drifting — he knew it — lungs burning, desperation and hope draining from him with every stroke. He had never called out to God in the past, never once, not even at the edge of his own death — not to beg, not to thank — but now he thought: You must answer. Who are You if this is the moment You choose to remain silent?

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Galerie by Steven Greenberg

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Obtained from: Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours

Read: April 9, 2016

Every family has secrets, but some are far darker, reach deeper, and touch a rawer nerve than others. The daughter of Holocaust survivors, Vanesa Neuman’s childhood in the cramped intimacy of south Tel Aviv is shadowed by her parents’ unspoken wartime experiences. The past for her was a closed book... until her father passes away and that book falls literally open. Vanesa must now unravel the mystery of the diary she has received—and the strange symbol within—at all costs. From Jerusalem, to the backstreets of Prague, and into the former “paradise ghetto” of Theresienstadt, Vanesa’s journey of understanding will reveal a seventy-year-old secret darker than she could have ever imagined.

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Despite my appreciation for the materical, I have to admit to harboring mixed feelings about the time I spent with Steven Greenberg’s Galerie. I was naturally drawn to the subject matter and found the plot fairly interesting, but I didn’t feel the story was as polished as it could have been and I often found myself frustrated with certain elements of its presentation.

Greenberg’s narrative jumps back and forth across multiple times periods and while the structure itself didn’t bother me, I often struggled to appreciate the author’s characters and tone. I felt Greenburg’s use of the third person made it difficult to form an intimate attachment to his characters and felt the style choice distanced me from events of the story. I couldn’t get lost in the story and that fact went a long way in shaping my experience with the book.

I also had a problem with context. Chapter three opens in 1941 and centers on Vanesa’s mother, but third paragraph references “the menace who had attacked Israel on Yom Kippur of 1973…” Jumping backwards in time to cite some prior event is fine, but the same cannot be said of jumping forward along the space time continuum. I found similar instances throughout the book and was ultimately very frustrated with the author’s inability to limit the content to details relevant to the given period.

Why does all this information appear in the text? I can’t say for sure, but I believe Greenburg’s intense passion for the material has a lot to do with it. In reading the book, one can’t help noticing the amount of research that went into the novel and while I wasn’t particularly impressed with Greenburg’s presentation, I did admire the effort and enthusiasm he put into its creation.

Once the novel finds its feet, the plot takes some very creative twists and turns. I wasn’t on the edge of my seat, but I was curious enough to follow through to the final page. Greenburg’s utilization of the Holocaust and its repercussions is also worth noting. Few authors tackle concepts relating to second generation survivors and despite my difficulties and concerns, I did appreciate the themes and ideas at the heart of Greenberg’s story.

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But my Vanesa uncovered only one record— a single instance in the masses of documents, testimonies, and personal accounts that she examined that year and in future years— as to what had happened to Michael and his father Jakub between their arrival in Terezin and the end of the war. And this record made no sense.

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A Sparrow in Terezin by Kristy Cambron

Rating: ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆

Obtained from: Netgalley

Read: January 7, 2015

Two women, one in the present day and one in 1942, each hope for a brighter future. But they'll both have to battle through their darkest days to reach it. "Today. "With the grand opening of her new gallery and a fairytale wedding months away, Sera James appears to have a charmed life. But in an instant, the prospect of a devastating legal battle surrounding her fiance threatens to tear her dreams apart. Sera and William rush to marry and are thrust into a world of doubt and fear as they defend charges that could separate them for life. "June 1942. "After surviving the Blitz bombings that left many Londoners with shattered lives, Kaja Makovsky prayed for the war to end so she could return home to Prague. But despite the horrors of war, the gifted journalist never expected to see a headline screaming the extermination of Jews in work camps. Half-Jewish with her family in danger, Kaja has no choice but to risk everything to get her family out of Prague. But with the clutches of evil all around, her escape plan crumbles into deportation, and Kaja finds herself in a new reality as the art teacher to the children of Terezin. Bound by a story of hope and the survival of one little girl, both Sera and Kaja will fight to protect all they hold dear. 

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There's no point in denying it, I was excited about reading Kristy Cambron's A Sparrow in Terezin. I downloaded the book to my kindle the moment the publisher issued it for review and jumped in without a second of hesitation. Three pages later, I slammed on the breaks.

Had I done my homework it wouldn't have been a problem, but I'd jumped the gun and learned the hard way that Cambron's Hidden Masterpiece series aren't written as standalones. I'd barely scratched the surface, but I was brutally aware I'd missed something huge, so I did a little digging and learned A Sparrow in Terezin is in fact, a sequel. I also realized I had an advanced reader's copy of its predecessor on hand, so like any other book addict, I had a good laugh at my own expense and picked up The Butterfly and the Violin with the same blind enthusiasm I'd given its successor.

Things did not go well. Not well at all, but that's a story for another review. Suffice it to say skepticism replaced the eagerness I'd previously experienced and I was hesitant to pin my hopes on a second Cambron novel. Book in hand, I ultimately decided to proceed with caution, but I quickly discovered prudence had little effect on the end result.

I found the conclusion of book one incredibly far-fetched and I was bitterly disappointed to see Cambron refashion her improbable resolution as the foundation of book two. William and Sera continued to bore me, but I enjoyed being reunited with Penny and found something to appreciate in Liam, Kaja and Dane. I liked the historic details of the 1939 storyline, but can't say I thought much of the present day drama. I've never been of fan of instant romantic attraction so I had a lot of difficulty with Kaja's love life and while I enjoyed the scope of her experience, I found much of it predictable. The nail in the coffin, however, was the same lack of balance I noted in the original story. Again, some readers appreciate this sort of handling, but I personally prefer inspired lit that displays faith and fiction in equal measure. 

When all is said and done, I like Cambron's command of language and while I think her religious messages have merit, I admit the heavy-handedness of her presentation doesn't sit well with me. To each their own, but I don't believe I'll be returning to this series or author any time soon.

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Hannah’s face shifted as if she was finally giving up trying to hide something, with the blast of engines and the cadence of soldiers’ footfalls tromping in the street behind them. War was no longer coming—it was here. Staring them in the face. It was bleeding evil, trickling in the streets like vessels carrying death to the heart of Prague. 

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The Butterfly and the Violin by Kristy Cambron

Rating: ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆

Obtained from: Netgalley

Read: January 1, 2015

A Mysterious painting breathes hope and beauty into the darkest corners of Auschwitz--and the loneliest hearts of Manhattan. Manhattan art dealer Sera James watched her world crumble at the altar two years ago, and her heart is still fragile. Her desire for distraction reignites a passion for a mysterious portrait she first saw as a young girl--a painting of a young violinist with piercing blue eyes. In her search for the painting, Sera crosses paths with William Hanover--the grandson of a wealthy California real estate mogul--who may be the key to uncovering the hidden masterpiece. Together Sera and William slowly unravel the story behind the painting's subject: Austrian violinist Adele Von Bron. A darling of the Austrian aristocracy of 1942, talented violinist, and daughter to a high-ranking member of the Third Reich, Adele risks everything when she begins smuggling Jews out of Vienna. In a heartbeat, her life of prosperity and privilege dissolves into a world of starvation and barbed wire. As Sera untangles the secrets behind the painting, she finds beauty in the most unlikely of places: the grim camps of Auschwitz and the inner recesses of her own troubled heart.

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Kristy Cambron's The Butterfly and the Violin sat on my kindle far longer than it should have. I received a review copy before it ever went to print, but my attention only turned its way when Cambron released a sequel. I'm not a fan of starting in the middle so, naturally, I felt I had no choice and promptly bumped book one of the Hidden Masterpiece series to the top of my TBR. 

I cracked it open and to be perfectly honest, I fell in love with it. There was a lot of intrigue in the contemporary mystery surrounding the painting and I liked the inherent conflict of the 1942 premise. I didn't think much of William, Sera or Adele, but I quickly grew to appreciate supporting cast members like Vladimir, Penny and Omara. The pacing was great, I loved the amount of authentic detail offered in the Auschwitz scenes, and I thought the back and forth movement between the two storylines very well-done. I still think that, but none of it makes up for the elements I didn't appreciate.

The early chapters of the novel incorporated light religious references that complimented the situational drama of the narrative, but Cambron mounts a soapbox in the tail end of the story and infuses her novel with so much faith that the fictional elements of the novel fade into obscurity. Some readers of Christian fiction like this treatment and I can respect that, but I am not one of them. I have no problem with religion, if I did I wouldn't have picked up the book, but Cambron got so caught up in her message that she lost sight of the story she'd created and that is something I can't ignore. 

Bottom line, I felt The Butterfly and the Violin started strong, but it lost its way and never recovered. The story had tons of potential, but lacks balance between its fictional elements and faith-based themes and at the end of the day, I admit it is a piece I'd have great difficulty recommending alongside the American Family Portrait series by Cavanaugh or the Zion Covenant books by Thoene.

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"Now I understand the depth of the sadness.” William turned and looked at her. “In the painting? Adele’s eyes look as though they go deeper than the back of the canvas. It’s because of what she saw, because of all the people who walked by her and she was powerless to stop it.” 

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For Such a Time by Kate Breslin

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Obtained from: Netgalley

Read: March 7, 2014

In 1944, blonde and blue-eyed Jewess Hadassah Benjamin feels abandoned by God when she is saved from a firing squad only to be handed over to a new enemy. Pressed into service by SS-Kommandant Colonel Aric von Schmidt at the transit camp of Theresienstadt in Czechoslovakia, she is able to hide behind the false identity of Stella Muller. However, in order to survive and maintain her cover as Aric's secretary, she is forced to stand by as her own people are sent to Auschwitz. Suspecting her employer is a man of hidden depths and sympathies, Stella cautiously appeals to him on behalf of those in the camp. Aric's compassion gives her hope, and she finds herself battling a growing attraction for this man she knows she should despise as an enemy. Stella pours herself into her efforts to keep even some of the camp's prisoners safe, but she risks the revelation of her true identity with every attempt. When her bravery brings her to the point of the ultimate sacrifice, she has only her faith to lean upon. Perhaps God has placed her there for such a time as this, but how can she save her people when she is unable to save herself?

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I wanted to like this book, I mean really wanted to like this book, but unfortunately Kate Breslin's For Such a Time failed to impress. There were moments, but taken as a whole, the story felt overwhelmingly contrived and incoherent.

Breslin's inability to effectively develop the relationship between Aric and Hadassah made it impossible for me to accept the foundation on which the entire narrative is built. An SS officer sharing a romance with a Jewess is a challenging premise to pull off, but I've seen it done and done well for that matter. Not to put too fine a point on my opinion, but I think Breslin bit off more than she could chew here. 

I also found the biblical references to Esther distracting. Breslin forced the comparison with everything from the prophecy to her leading lady's given name. I have deep and abiding respect for those who chose to share their faith through their writing, but like any other theme, I prefer it to flow naturally and don't appreciate being force fed religion in the guise of narrative fiction.

The pacing leaves something to be desired, starting slow and meandering to a rushed finale, but for all its faults, For Such a Time, isn't a complete wash. I really liked Breslin's portrayal of the concentration camp, its inhabitants and the scenes in which Aric interacts with other members of the SS. 

Readable, but not one of my favorite war era fictions. Preachy and lacking the authenticity I crave.  

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Stella turned at the colonel’s good-natured threat. His humor and consideration threw her o$-balance. It also bothered her that when his features relaxed, he was a handsome man. She preferred to maintain her view of him as the grim-faced killer whose presence alone sent armies running in the opposite direction.

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Odette's Secrets by Maryann Macdonald

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Obtained from: Netgalley

Read: March 3, 2013

For Jews in Nazi-occupied Paris, nowhere is safe. So when Odette Meyer’s father is sent to a Nazi work camp, Odette’s mother takes desperate measures to protect her, sending Odette deep into the French countryside. There, Odette pretends to be a peasant girl, even posing as a Christian–and attending Catholic masses–with other children. But inside, she is burning with secrets, and when the war ends Odette must figure out whether she can resume life in Paris as a Jew, or if she’s lost the connection to her former life forever. Inspired by the life of the real Odette Meyer, this moving free-verse novel is a story of triumph over adversity.

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Odette Meyer and her mother, 1942
Loc 26, Odette's Secrets by Maryann Macdonald

I wasn't entirely sure what to expect from Maryann Macdonald's Odette's Secrets when I began reading it, but I was pleasant surprised by what I found in this touching WWII tale.

Based on the life of Odette Meyer, Macdonald's work is a fictional first person narrative of life in occupied France as seen through the eyes of a young Jewish girl. I'm not going to bother making comparisons to titles like The Diary of a Young Girl or I Have Lived A Thousand Years as I don't think it fair. Odette's Secrets is meant for younger readers and though it is still true to the emotional subject matter, it is a much subtler story.

Though I didn't fall in love with the book, I must admit I liked Macdonald's approach. Odette is almost five when her story begins and ages only five and a half years during the narrative. Hers is the voice of a child, one who sees and interprets the world with a naive innocence, focusing on the changes a child would have noted and been concerned over. Macdonald was able to recognize this and create a wonderful volume for adolescents who are just beginning to understand the war and how it affected the children of Europe. 

Written entirely in verse, Odette's Secrets has an almost lyrical quality. It is a simple story, but a poignant and sentimental one. An excellent introductory piece to some of the more intense subjects of WWII.

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Telling my story is what I must do. I'll write it down here in the most beautiful words I can find. The story of bombs and broom closets, of stars and soldiers, of cats and cousins, of family and friends, of heaven and hell. 

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The Things We Cherished by Pam Jenoff

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Obtained from: Local Library

Read: August 20, 2012

An ambitious novel that spans decades and continents, The Things We Cherished tells the story of Charlotte Gold and Jack Harrington, two fiercely independent attor­neys who find themselves slowly falling for one another while working to defend the brother of a Holocaust hero against allegations of World War II–era war crimes. The defendant, wealthy financier Roger Dykmans, mysteri­ously refuses to help in his own defense, revealing only that proof of his innocence lies within an intricate timepiece last seen in Nazi Germany. As the narrative moves from Philadelphia to Germany, Poland, and Italy, we are given glimpses of the lives that the anniversary clock has touched over the past century, and learn about the love affair that turned a brother into a traitor. Rich in historical detail, Jenoff’s astonishing new work is a testament to true love under the worst of circumstances.

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I’m a WWII junkie, but Holocaust fiction has always been hit and miss in my book. It wasn’t until reading The Lost Wife by Alyson Richman, that I was truly moved by the adapted subject matter which is what led me to Pam Jenoff's The Things We Cherished. I was familiar with Jenoff’s work, but even so, the material and angle seemed rather ambitious. Truth be told, I wasn't convinced she could pull off dual timelines anchored by a torsion style timepiece, but I crossed my fingers and hoped for the best. 

Turns out I needn’t have worried. Jenoff's use of the anniversary clock as a central plot element proved inspired and I was as thoroughly engaged in Charlotte and Jack's story as I was captivated by Roger and Magda's. Cover to cover I loved this book. 

My sole criticism has so little relevance it hardly deserves mention, but who exactly is the kissing couple on the cover supposed to be? Roger and Magda would never display their affection so publicly and the clothing is a bit outdated for Charlotte and Jack. I like the image and all, but am I the only one who likes the cover to represent the text? 

I didn't expect to fall in love with this book, but love it I did. The Things We Cherished is a superb WWII romance and an absolute must read.

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He imagined a home with a mantelpiece, tried to envision the people who would look at and admire it and take from it the cadence of their day. A piece of himself, going places he would never see.

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The Lost Wife by Alyson Richman

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Obtained from: Local Library

Read: June 2, 2012

In pre-war Prague, the dreams of two young lovers are shattered when they are separated by the Nazi invasion. Then, decades later, thousands of miles away in New York, there's an inescapable glance of recognition between two strangers. Providence is giving Lenka and Josef one more chance. From the glamorous ease of life in Prague before the Occupation, to the horrors of Nazi Europe, The Lost Wife explores the power of first love, the resilience of the human spirit- and the strength of memory.

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I flagged this book as 'to read' in October 2011. I skimmed the blurb at that time and added it to my list based on the time frame alone. World War II is sort of my thing after all. It wasn't until I noticed the book at the library that I actually absorbed the basic premise of the story and to be honest, my first thought was 'uh-oh.' I knew the minute I picked it up that it would be coming home with me, I couldn't say no, but I wasn't sure I'd enjoy the book as much as I have other war related fiction. The Holocaust is an important chapter of the war but it is far from my favorite sub topic. I was nervous. 

Two days later I finished the last page and came up for air. Alyson Richman's writing is nothing short of breathtaking. I've encountered plenty of authors with a gift for storytelling but only a handful have ever struck me as truly gifted in their ability to manipulate the written word. The Lost Wife is easily one of the most beautifully composed pieces I've ever picked up. 

As to the plot, Lenka and Josef experience great sadness in the course of their lives, each struggling with their own personal demons. Despite the somber tone of the book I really enjoyed the story Richman crafted for her characters from their first meeting in Prague to their reunion decades later in the United States. Personally I would have liked to see more of Josef's life during the war, more of Lenka's after it, maybe a scene or two after their reunion - I felt a little cheated there, but for the most part I was very satisfied with the piece. I even found aspects of the concentration camp interesting as I had never before studied life at Terezin. Richman didn't change my mind on Holocaust lit but she did craft an exquisite story of strength, love, faith and hope. 

On a side note I find it amusing that several of the reviews express surprise and/or disgust that the end of the story is given away in the opening pages of the book. It is true that we first meet our leading characters in their old age, but, quite frankly, that is disclosed in the blurb. I wonder if these individuals bothered to read the back cover or if they merely opened the title without much thought to the premise. Perhaps it is just me, but I don't think it is particularly fair to denounce a title for something so clearly stated in the description. This isn't a book about where a couple ended up, it is about how they get there. 

Go out, find a copy, and experience it for yourself. The Lost Wife is not one to be passed up. 

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I have come to believe that love is not a noun but a verb. An action. Like water, it flows to its own current. If you were to corner it in a dam, true love is so bountiful it would flow over. Even in separation, even in death, it moves and it changes. It lives within memory, in the haunting of a touch, the transience of a smell, or the nuance of a sigh.

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