It's 1943 Lithuania. Ezra grieves the loss of his daughter Chaya at the hands of the Nazis. He vows vengeance by bringing her back to life in the form of a golem. He uses profane magic to do this. Only what he unleashes brings much more than what he planned for.
What worked: Frankenstein meets Jewish urban legend set in WWII. What I loved about this novel was how the author peels back the so-called inhuman qualities of a Golem, a Jewish urban legend brought to life to seek vengeance, and reveals a being that struggles with very human qualities.
Vera knows that she's an abomination, but the feelings and memories of Chaya might be fleeting at first but come to a head when she meets Akiva, a boy from Chaya's past. The confusion she feels whenever he's near. Akiva shows revulsion at first, but he later knows that he can use her to defend the very Nazis that killed his family and others. The chemistry between these two is subtle and tragic. Vera knows nothing can become of them as she's more like Frankenstein. This adds a bittersweet element to this story.
The war parts don't hold back with the horror and violence that not only the Nazis but the Soviets afflicted on the Jewish people.
The idea of creating something to seek vengeance isn't so simple. It's much more complex. Though Vera is built to kill, she struggles with this. She's not sure if that's in fact the memories of Chaya. Later though, after all she witnesses around her, her views change. Who in fact are the real monsters? Her or the humans with their desire to destroy?
Haunting, poignant historical fantasy set in WWII where a man tries to recreate his dead daughter into something from Jewish urban legend with chilling consequences. Mostly though it's a story that questions what humanity really is.
Originally posted: https://www.yabookscentral.com/wrath-becomes-her/
What worked: Frankenstein meets Jewish urban legend set in WWII. What I loved about this novel was how the author peels back the so-called inhuman qualities of a Golem, a Jewish urban legend brought to life to seek vengeance, and reveals a being that struggles with very human qualities.
Vera knows that she's an abomination, but the feelings and memories of Chaya might be fleeting at first but come to a head when she meets Akiva, a boy from Chaya's past. The confusion she feels whenever he's near. Akiva shows revulsion at first, but he later knows that he can use her to defend the very Nazis that killed his family and others. The chemistry between these two is subtle and tragic. Vera knows nothing can become of them as she's more like Frankenstein. This adds a bittersweet element to this story.
The war parts don't hold back with the horror and violence that not only the Nazis but the Soviets afflicted on the Jewish people.
The idea of creating something to seek vengeance isn't so simple. It's much more complex. Though Vera is built to kill, she struggles with this. She's not sure if that's in fact the memories of Chaya. Later though, after all she witnesses around her, her views change. Who in fact are the real monsters? Her or the humans with their desire to destroy?
Haunting, poignant historical fantasy set in WWII where a man tries to recreate his dead daughter into something from Jewish urban legend with chilling consequences. Mostly though it's a story that questions what humanity really is.
Originally posted: https://www.yabookscentral.com/wrath-becomes-her/