He survived Auschwitz but now Simon Mendelevski has to find out who betrayed his familySeptember 1945. Auschwitz survivor Simon Mendelevski, penniless and unkempt, returns to Amsterdam in a desperate search for his family, friends and neighbours. Simon meets two Dutch women, both of whom have also suffered. One, known to him before the war, is anxious to make amends for what she perceives as a … amends for what she perceives as a failure by her fellow citizens to protect the Jewish population while easing the pain of her own loss. The other arrived in the city after the bombing of Rotterdam in May 1940 during which she lost a limb.
He searches for the address where he and his Jewish family were hidden prior to their arrest by the Nazis for anything tangible connected to his family, and for whoever betrayed them. Only after finding answers can he start to rebuild his life.
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Well worth a read
A good story with characters you come to care about. Very well told tale about times that should not be forgotten.
This book has everything. Its tender and soul touching, and yet at times hard to digest the cruelty in life, Both aspects well balanced so you do not get bogged down in sadness and grief. The love elements are not overly descriptive but tender and true. I am a better person because of reading this book.
I’ve read a lot of books about WWII but this was the first that dealt with a Jewish concentration camp survivor returning to his Netherlands homeland and the prejudice and injustice they still suffered through after the war. Very informative.
Sad story! Probably happened more often that we knew
I couldn’t put it down! It’s an enchanting book that shows that the resilience and strength of those that suffered so much during the holocaust and the beauty of human nature to help them in such a time of need.
What could have been a gripping post-Auschwitz story never gets traction as an entertaining novel and satisfying reading experience. This may sound weak, but here it is: everyone is too nice from beginning to end.
This is a great book about how the Dutch treated the surviving Jewish people when they return after the death camps. Things we should NEVER forget actually happened. This is the struggle of a young Jewish man who entered the camp as a teenager, survives and manages with the help of a few friends to put life back together. They had their families, possessions and years of their lives stolen from them. The Dutch thought they should pay rents and taxes for all the years they were in the camps. No insurance payouts or return of any property. Most of them struggled to reclaim their identity because their paperwork had been taken from them. The Dutch government acted like they were criminals and it was all their fault. Why else would they have attracted the attention of the Germans, been arrested and imprisoned for years. Did one person meet all of these road blocks, probably not but they existed and many survivors came across a lot of them.
Life post WWII – great history lesson in treatment of Jews during hiding and post war. Hard to imagine piecing a life back together after your family has been exterminated. Tragic.
The book was slow reading. I persisted because it had good characters and an interesting plot. I have to admit the central character irritated me a bit. Perhaps that’s why I persisted.
This book was very thought provoking and made you realize how awful the Holocost was for everyone. A story of rebirth and hope and people helping each other to rebuild their lives. I absolutely loved this!
i LOVED READING THIS BOOK …HELD MY INTEREST AND WAS NOT BORING!
I have read many books on this subject but learned so much about the events of World War 2. It was eye opening and insightful.
The author has written an incredible story of the ability to go on, when you feel like you have no reason to do so. Simon is 21 years old, has no family, knows no one and has no place to go, except back to where he was taken from. This highly detailed novel takes the reader along as he learns what it means to be an adult in a post-war world. With those willing to help him, he learns to care for himself and subsequently for those around him.
Someone had obviously betrayed his family. If he discover the answers to his questions, would it bring some peace to his tortured thoughts? This is a story that will long stay in your mind – one that everyone should read, lest these atrocities happen again. I greatly appreciate the opportunity to read this book!
how a person can survive a lot of hardship
I could not put this down. I like to read historical fiction. It took many turns that I did not expect.parts were very sad and others were very hopeful. It makes you wonder how humans can do such horrific things to one another and then there are some who are so willing to help others
Loved the story. Kept my interest.
It’s hard for me to explain this book. It was a good story line, the characters were ok, but it just never peaked and satisfied me. It was long and a lot of back and forth back and forth back and forth with the main character trying to figure everything out. It was long and drawn out but I loved the characters and they were heart warming and I couldn’t help but be in their corner!
This book have us a view of the Jewish plight during and after WW2 from a slightly different angle. It was sobering and entertaining all at the same time. It was a good read.
The book had me engaged pretty early on, which is always a good thing. I’ve read many books about Holocaust survivors and their experiences in concentration camps. This was the first I’ve read that depicted the ongoing trials that survivors faced after returning to their hometowns. The book moved at a fairly rapid pace and I hated it when I got to the end–not because of the ending, but because I always hate it when I finish a book that I enjoyed.