A review by rosemaryandrue
Shadows of Berlin by David R. Gillham

challenging emotional reflective medium-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

A decade after World War 2, Rachel Perlman may have moved to New York City and gotten married, but she is still haunted by her experiences as a Jewish girl hiding in plain sight in Berlin and the death of her mother.

Despite what the blurb led me to expect, this book is not a World War 2 novel - at least, not exactly. Though Rachel's experiences in Berlin hang over the entirety of the story, we spend most our time with her grappling with survivor's guilt in New York City, which works in some ways but not in others.

Rachel is a complicated lead character, an artist who is afraid of what might come out onto the canvas if she truly unleashes herself. Though her feeling of guilt is evident from the start, the reader only slowly uncovers what her crime is, as she grows strong enough to reveal it to herself. I enjoyed reading about the aftermath of the Holocaust on Rachel and the family she's married into, American Jews who feel survivor's guilt for having been safe thousands of miles away during this terrible time.

I also enjoyed how the author examined prejudices that both Rachel and her husband Aaron hold, and how they learn to overcome them. 1950s New York City is recreated with vivid detail, but that includes all its societal flaws - and the insane amounts of smoking.

However, the style of writing did not really work for me. It's a fast patter, interspersed with lots of commercial jingles and meticulous descriptions of things and their prices - a reflection on the rampant consumerism of the time and Rachel's efforts at assimilation to be sure, but they begin to wear on you. I felt similarly about Aaron's heavy New York accent and frequent use of slang, which made his speech sound almost like a caricature. And while I understood why the book concluded in the way that it did, I felt like it wiped out a lot of the conflict in Rachel's marriage without actually addressing it.

Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.