The discovery of a valise of old letters written to his Armenian grandfather from an Auschwitz survivor starts Avi Arutiyan on an odyssey to uncover the mystery surrounding his grandfather’s unsolved death. From the killing fields of Anatolia to the trial of Adolf Eichmann, Avi’s quest opens a door into intersecting paths and dark secrets of three families, stretching back to 1915.
Wow. Eleos is a powerful and heavy book. I read a lot of WW2 fiction but this book is one that will stick with me for a long time. From the Armenian Genocide to the Jewish Holocaust and on to the Eichmann trial, this story shines a light on a part of very dark atrocious history. It is a must read for all history buffs.
Let me just start this review off by confessing that there is no way it will do justice to the incredible book that is ELEOS by D.R. Bell. I will try to convey my feelings as best as possible and try not to overly-gush.
In no way was I prepared for how hard this book would hit me. I’ve read hundreds of WWII and Holocaust books and ELEOS is the one that truly opened my eyes to the horrors and the injustices that occurred during, and then continued after the camps were liberated and throughout the Nazi trials. I learned so much from this book. My husband sure got an earful too as I would read out loud multiple passages or facts from the book. I like to highlight in my eReader as I read – whether it be interesting facts or beautiful quotes, and I swear almost every page there is something highlighted or noted.
It’s strange to say that a book about such awful atrocities can be beautiful but it’s the writing the makes it so. Bell has an amazing talent for storytelling. When I read Historical Fiction I feel like we honor them by bearing witness to their story and their lives, and what happened to them, and ELEOS did that masterfully. I cannot imagine the amount of research that went into the writing of this book. Bell was able to convey all of that but without making it heavy-handed and presenting it in a fascinating way.
This is a book that once you read it you will never forget it. I could not love Bell’s writing more and look forward to more historicals from him. Highly, highly recommended.
A great story…very engaging
Written like investigative journalism rather than a novel – it was informative but not touching.
I learned more about the political underside of Hitler’s Germany than I ever did in any history class.
eye opening historical fiction
Very good read
Tells a story that should never be forgotten. I appreciate a book that challenges me to learn more about a subject. Ironically i was reading it on the date commemorating 75th anniversary of liberation of Auschwitz. A lot of characters and 3 (or 4?) time periods sometimes confused me.
Brought a lot of insight into an area of history that is mostly forgotten or misunderstood- A new angle on WWII holocaust and the effects on the survivors.
Excellent read. Never knew about the Armenian genocide
Sorry, I could not get into this book. Stopped reading
Revealing in its connecting the Armenian genocide with the Holocaust. I couldn’t put it down – kept turning the page. I suggest making a list to keep track of the characters. Your list will be helpful in connecting how each is related as the narrative concludes. If you like international intrigue related to historical events, you won’t be disappointed.
I want to read it again – just to pick up more of the factors that come into the story later in the book. Excellent read.
I really wanted to read this book. I am really interested in the subject of people who helped the jewish people during the holocaust. The story was a bit confusing in the beginning. I had a bit of trouble discerning who was who and what time frame was taking place. I wanted to read the book enough that I was trying to get everything straight in my head. Then came the sexual innuendos. What!?! There was no need for that to enhance the story – it had nothing to do with the story – in my opinion. It aggravated me so much that I didn’t finish the book and I deleted it from my nook!
Tentacles of secrets and death flow through modern Israel, Nazi trials, Auschwitz, Nazi occupations, WWII, the Armenian holocaust, WWI, and even farther past in this highly researched multigenerational quest. Not easy reading, with its multitude of characters, situations and settings, but important for putting forward in a cohesive fashion the roots and the effects of the Nazis and the Holocaust. The ostensible quest is for the identity of an SS officer who unaccountably saves a Jewish boy and disappears. The actual questions addressed are why individuals became mass murderers and how they justified their murders.
For me this book not only brings to live the Holocaust and the Armenian genocide, it also is a reminder to us readers that this has happened again since and will happen again. Governments, people in power and ordinary folks alike tend to give in to racism, hate and greed because they are eased into obeying orders, gaining money and status and are made afraid that if they don’t follow the orders these so called enemies will ruin our society.
The story is told by different persons, for me that added value, I had to know what would happen next.
I have waited a few weeks after reading this book to write this review. What I have learned from this book has made me more aware of how easily people (myself included) can be manipulated to believe that ‘different’ people are dangerous.
Interesting and original – but is a bit laborious to read
I never realized how closely the Armenian genocide and the Holocaust were so closely related. Great detective story. In the beginning a bit confusing – told from so many POVs but once you get the characters figured out it sucks you into the mystery and story.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Learned so much about Armenian genocide,the holocaust and the totally ineffectual prosecutions. Was appalled at how many perpetrators not only remained free but held high government positions in countries all over the world. The main characters though tragic were wonderfully portrayed. I highly recommend this book
Almost sorry I read it.i have read many books about the Nazi Death Camps ,this one really brought the hatred and sadness to my heart deeply.