This book is not bad, I want to make that clear. The writing skill is there and it is an interesting story. It's just not remarkable, and in a world where there are hundreds, probably thousands of historical fictions based on the Holocaust, your book needs to be remarkable.
Let me start by just clearing the elephant in the review; I am still upset about the fact that Heather Morris' previous effort was revealed to be inaccurate despite the fact that she claims it (like this one) was based on a true story. When the Auschwitz Memorial is calling you out for not telling the full story, that's a problem. I am more upset by the fact that Morris' response didn't actually address or take accountability for this issue. So yes, i went into this preview wary because I cannot be sure how much of it is true and how much is being embellished for drama, which puts a damper on my reading experience.
From a technical standpoint, I'm really just left feeling kind of blah. There are moments when the writing is lyrical and affecting, but they are followed up with passages that feel very minimalist and basic. At times it feels like the author was just trying to get a certain passage out of the way so she could move on, so she wrote the bare minimum to get it out. It isn't a bad bare minimum, but it is out of place in what is supposed to be a touching historical story of resilience. It would be better suited to a potboiler rom-com. And this may just be my own inexperience, but much of the dialogue feels a little too modern and a little too American, which is jarring coming from Soviet soldiers and Concentration camp survivors. It does a disservice to what would be a very interesting story to tell. I want to know about Cilka and her experience, genuinely, but these aspects make it hard to truly get into her journey.
Overall this beginning snippet just feels rushed. It feels like we are going through her liberation and subsequent imprisonment on fast-forward. I almost got whiplash with how quickly she is found by the Soviets, time passes, she is sentenced to hard labor, and she is on another cattle car going to a gulag. I want to see more of her internal journey. How does she feel to see her camp liberated, only to be kept there longer? Why exactly does she cut her hair and what is that process like for her emotionally? There is so much opportunity here that is just not being utilized.
Essentially, my main problem with this novel is that it is lacking in emotion and heart. The story is a good one, but it needs a soul.
Let me start by just clearing the elephant in the review; I am still upset about the fact that Heather Morris' previous effort was revealed to be inaccurate despite the fact that she claims it (like this one) was based on a true story. When the Auschwitz Memorial is calling you out for not telling the full story, that's a problem. I am more upset by the fact that Morris' response didn't actually address or take accountability for this issue. So yes, i went into this preview wary because I cannot be sure how much of it is true and how much is being embellished for drama, which puts a damper on my reading experience.
From a technical standpoint, I'm really just left feeling kind of blah. There are moments when the writing is lyrical and affecting, but they are followed up with passages that feel very minimalist and basic. At times it feels like the author was just trying to get a certain passage out of the way so she could move on, so she wrote the bare minimum to get it out. It isn't a bad bare minimum, but it is out of place in what is supposed to be a touching historical story of resilience. It would be better suited to a potboiler rom-com. And this may just be my own inexperience, but much of the dialogue feels a little too modern and a little too American, which is jarring coming from Soviet soldiers and Concentration camp survivors. It does a disservice to what would be a very interesting story to tell. I want to know about Cilka and her experience, genuinely, but these aspects make it hard to truly get into her journey.
Overall this beginning snippet just feels rushed. It feels like we are going through her liberation and subsequent imprisonment on fast-forward. I almost got whiplash with how quickly she is found by the Soviets, time passes, she is sentenced to hard labor, and she is on another cattle car going to a gulag. I want to see more of her internal journey. How does she feel to see her camp liberated, only to be kept there longer? Why exactly does she cut her hair and what is that process like for her emotionally? There is so much opportunity here that is just not being utilized.
Essentially, my main problem with this novel is that it is lacking in emotion and heart. The story is a good one, but it needs a soul.