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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
How far would you go to discover your origins? Famous Israeli author Yoel Blum is besieged by his publisher to attend publicity events for his books in Amsterdam, the place of his birth, therefore breaking a promise he made to his mother to never return to Amsterdam. Taking advantage of downtime, Yoel and his wife, Bat-Ami, go to the Jewish Historical Museum, where they find a photo of Blum’s mother, his older sister Nettie and an infant who is not Yoel. What follows is a compelling and forceful look into religious and family ideals, classism and World War II in Holland. As Yoel researches deeper into his family history, into the secret his mother and sister kept hidden from him, the story overlaps with what was currently happening in Amsterdam. Haunting and evocative prose shows the reader how upper class Jews in Holland thought they would be able to use their connections and wealth to escape their oppressors, only to be shamed, humiliated and proven devastatingly wrong. This is an engrossing depiction of inter-generational PTSD, of optimism bias and World War II/Holland history. Enuna Elon’s detailed and illuminating prose filled up my senses so that I felt as though I was in Amsterdam, seeing the canals, the architecture, the art work, the pain and the horror that laid underneath the charming, picturesque facade. I absolutely recommend this novel for a superb look into Holland during World War II.
emotional
sad
slow-paced
At the heart of this book is a mystery - a mystery of love and loss, family, history, and identity. The mystery begins when Yoel Blum, a noted Israeli author, arrives in Amsterdam, the city where his family lived until the war, for a book tour. During a visit to the Jewish Museum, Yoel sees a black and white filmstrip that, ostensibly, shows his mother and an infant son who is not himself. So begins Yoel's quest to decipher precisely it is what he saw.
At the point, the book constructs itself in two separate but parallel narratives - the story of Yoel uncovering the secrets of his family, and the story of his mother, Sonia, in the days before and during the German occupation of the Netherlands. The device of using parallel narratives to tell a story can be a tricky one as one narrative may outweigh the other in the mind of the reader. That is what occurs in this case. Yoel's narrative drags a bit, understandably due to the fact that it is mostly centered around his wanderings and musings in the city of Amsterdam. While Sonia's story is centered on her fraught realizations that the terror of the war is not-so-slowly encroaching on her once-happy life. I found myself wanting a little less of Yoel and little more of Sonia.
Nevertheless, there are some truly poignant and moving parts to this book. As it leads up to the heartbreaking denouement, there are so many engaging and taught moments that make the reader want to follow Yoel until he discovers what has been hidden from his history.
Thank you to netgalley, the author, and Atria Books for an arc copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
At the point, the book constructs itself in two separate but parallel narratives - the story of Yoel uncovering the secrets of his family, and the story of his mother, Sonia, in the days before and during the German occupation of the Netherlands. The device of using parallel narratives to tell a story can be a tricky one as one narrative may outweigh the other in the mind of the reader. That is what occurs in this case. Yoel's narrative drags a bit, understandably due to the fact that it is mostly centered around his wanderings and musings in the city of Amsterdam. While Sonia's story is centered on her fraught realizations that the terror of the war is not-so-slowly encroaching on her once-happy life. I found myself wanting a little less of Yoel and little more of Sonia.
Nevertheless, there are some truly poignant and moving parts to this book. As it leads up to the heartbreaking denouement, there are so many engaging and taught moments that make the reader want to follow Yoel until he discovers what has been hidden from his history.
Thank you to netgalley, the author, and Atria Books for an arc copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
reflective
slow-paced
I hate books which rely on a huge reveal to keep you turning pages, especially when the narrator already knows what it is but is just being coy about revealing it. I end up just skim reading.
The House on Endless Water • Emuna Elon
⭐️⭐️⭐️/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3/5)
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“And he knows they will continue hearing it until each and every metal bell in Amsterdam had been appropriated to feed the German arms industry.”
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⭐️⭐️⭐️/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3/5)
———————————————————
“And he knows they will continue hearing it until each and every metal bell in Amsterdam had been appropriated to feed the German arms industry.”
——————————————————
I'm European so I can't say "I didn't know what happened in Amsterdam during WWII" as Anna Frank Diary was something I had to read at 12 and my father was involved in helping the Jews to run to Switzerland.
That said it was a great read that does a great job in depicting a historical period and what happened in Netherlands during the WWII to Jew children.
I liked both the parts the contemporary and historical, I think that the writer wrote well thought and fleshed out characters and the plot is poignant and engrossing.
Strongly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.
That said it was a great read that does a great job in depicting a historical period and what happened in Netherlands during the WWII to Jew children.
I liked both the parts the contemporary and historical, I think that the writer wrote well thought and fleshed out characters and the plot is poignant and engrossing.
Strongly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.
challenging
sad
slow-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
reflective
slow-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes