👶👶👶👶 Rose Under Fire, by Elizabeth Wein

Truth be told, as I began this novel, I didn’t think I would enjoy it, for two reasons. Firstly, as the novel opened, Rose’s voice didn’t seem to fit with the time period; her language and behavior did not align with that of a young lady in the WWII era. Secondly, the book is written in flashbacks, and therefore begins with the reader already being aware of the final result. Generally, when a book is written that way, too much suspense is lost, and the reader is left with nothing to look forward to.

However, despite my qualms, about a quarter of the way through the novel, I was hooked, and very glad I stuck with it. At that point, the novel seemed to take a 180 degree turn, and suddenly became a novel of great profundity. Rose became a character with great depth and her actions seemed more in line with the epoch. In addition, the rich detail was such that it made the story gripping, despite already knowing the outcome.

As with many novels dealing with concentration camps of WWII, there were some excruciatingly difficult parts to read. The horror of what was done to these helpless people is repulsive. Nonetheless, it is in uncovering these atrocities, that such horrendous events will never again be repeated.

Read 10/4/15