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A review by kalynaobyrne
Shadows of Berlin by David R. Gillham
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Shadows of Berlin follows Rachel Pearlman, a Jewish World War II survivor living in NYC navigating life after the war in 1955. Rachel, who changed her name from Rashka Morgenstern to better fit in after moving to NYC in 1948 with her only living family member, her uncle Fritz. Rachel marries American-born Jew Aaron Pearlman but continues to struggle with depression and survivors guilt about the things she was forced to do to survive the Holocaust. After her Uncle Fritz finds one of moms paintings in a pawn shop, Rachel is tortured even more by the ghosts and memories of her past.
The premise of this book intrigued me because most of it is set in the aftermath of World War 2 and I feel like few books focus on the emotional aftermath of the Jewish people that survived the war. I found the exploration into mental health especially for the time period this took place very interesting. Throughout the book you see Rachel struggling to live a normal life because of her past trauma, anger, and survivor's guilt. These issues interfere with her developing and maintaining close relationships with people in her life.
This novel is definitely more of a character focused book than a plot driven book. Suzanne Toren did a great job with the audio and her accents were fantastic and made the audio experience even better even though I listened to this on 1.5 speed. This audiobook was over 16 hours and I felt like it could have been trimmed down. I think this book brings up an important discussion of the lasting mental trauma many faced after the war but it felt a little too long.
Thank you to NetGalley, RB Media and Recorded Books for an audio arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The premise of this book intrigued me because most of it is set in the aftermath of World War 2 and I feel like few books focus on the emotional aftermath of the Jewish people that survived the war. I found the exploration into mental health especially for the time period this took place very interesting. Throughout the book you see Rachel struggling to live a normal life because of her past trauma, anger, and survivor's guilt. These issues interfere with her developing and maintaining close relationships with people in her life.
This novel is definitely more of a character focused book than a plot driven book. Suzanne Toren did a great job with the audio and her accents were fantastic and made the audio experience even better even though I listened to this on 1.5 speed. This audiobook was over 16 hours and I felt like it could have been trimmed down. I think this book brings up an important discussion of the lasting mental trauma many faced after the war but it felt a little too long.
Thank you to NetGalley, RB Media and Recorded Books for an audio arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.