This is one of the most dramatic historical fiction novels I have read this summer. It is a quick read because of the intensity and it does not hold back!
Through Ala and Max, the reader is thrown on a wild ride in the ghetto of Warsaw. The authenticity of the characters in this novel is unparalleled, and their thoughts throughout the entire novel are real and meaningful, yet heart-breaking. The graphic and gory scenes experienced and seen by Ala and Max punctuates the scale of the nightmare endured by those living within the ghetto’s walls.
Through the perspectives of Ala, still a teen, and Max, in his late thirties, the reader is quickly immersed into the relocation of Jews moving into the ghetto. As part of the high-class society, family members of Ala and Max swiftly cling to their prominence by joining the Judenrat where the reader sees corrupt behavior, nefarious lawlessness, and deceit among Jews. Ala and Max struggle to adapt and survive the inhumane conditions of the largest Jewish ghetto of WWII while seeking to maintain their sense of humanity. “The awful thing is I feel shame and compassion every day but it doesn’t fundamentally change my behavior.” Both Ala and Max continue to examine that the plight of survival has exposed the most unsavory things about themselves. Meanwhile, the Jewish political parties pull for Ala and Max to join their cause eventually leading to the bloodbath of the 1944 Warsaw Uprising.
There are notable sexual situations and thoughts embedded in this novel. But, why not? The sexual instances were outwardly used to reveal that not only were these characters very much human with human feelings, but that principles and integrity were still accounted for even when the world around them was crumbling. It lent credibility to the circumstances; teenagers were probably still thinking about it, and people were still having it. Examples of these scenes: “Firstly, he couldn’t believe the size of the man’s organ…Secondly, he had never heard of a woman putting a penis in her mouth.” “Ala pictures herself dancing naked for him.” “Most of Ala’s secrets are related to sex.”
Many thanks to Cheyne Walk, Glenn Haybittle, and NetGalley for allowing me to read this advanced copy in exchange for my review.
The emotional depth involved that the author captured is astounding. I’ll be looking for more from this author. 4.5 stars