Skeletons At The Feast

[Carci]

by Chris Bohjalian. If you like novels about WWII as I do, this one ranks up there with the best.  The last page was one of those OMG moments in books.  It actually brought tears to my eyes.  This book may well be my favorite book of 2014. I will be looking for a better one all year.

If you loved Sarah's Key and Those Who Save Us, you will like this one as well.

"Harrowing. . .ingenious. . .compelling. . .Judging who's right or wrong is difficult in Skeletons at the Feast, and one senses that's just the way Bohjalian wants it. . .A tightly woven, moving story for anyone who thinks there's nothing left to learn, or feel, about the Second World War. That Bohjalian can extract greater truths about faith, hope and compassion from something as mundane as a diary is testament not only to his skill as a writer but also to the enduring ability of well-written war fiction to stir our deepest emotions."
—Paula L. Woods, The Los Angeles Times

Have any of you read it?

[tnbopeep]

On my list for sure. Thanks Carci!

[Mandy Muffin]

I have read both "Sarah's Key" and "Those Who Save Us" recently. Both were well written and told of the plight of Jews in the Nazi regime in a unique view.  I will check this title also. 

[Ioruach]

Carci, as you know from my post to you regarding the David Downing novels, I also enjoy reading books based on the WWll period.  So I put Skeletons at the Feast on hold at my library. I also checked out the Goodreads site, one of my favorite places on the internet to learn about books. It received generally excellent reviews; Here are a couple examples at opposite poles:

“This was a fantastic book - another look at World War II and the Holocaust.”

“GHASTLY. Made me so angry that I got out of my warm bed, got dressed, and drove to the next town to heave this drivel-fest into the local cathedral's charity bin,...”

Oh well. I'll go with your opinion and the first of the two above.

[Carci]

Well, it is definitely not for the faint of heart...  since it is based on one woman's diary and many survivor accounts, I wouldn't describe it as drivel, that's for sure... but it is very hard to read in many parts and the word GHASTLY would surely fit the Holocaust.

[Ioruach]

Carci, I just finished it today, and I agree with you completely. The brutality and horrors of war as seen through the eyes of civilians and noncombatants who are just trying to survive and very often not being able to do so.  It doesn't hurt to be reminded now and then of just how terrible the suffering can be and the depths to which some humans (if that's what they really are) can descend. But also the kindness and goodness that others attain. But to realize that even today many women and children in Syria are experiencing a much similar situation makes you ask, what have we learned? Thank you for recommending the book.