Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Crown (2008), Edition: 1, 372 pages
Description
Fiction. Literature. Romance. Historical Fiction. HTML:In January 1945, in the waning months of World War II, a small group of people begin the longest journey of their lives: an attempt to cross the remnants of the Third Reich, from Warsaw to the Rhine if necessary, to reach the British and American lines. Among the group is eighteen-year-old Anna Emmerich, the daughter of Prussian aristocrats. There is her lover, Callum Finella, a twenty-year-old Scottish prisoner of war who was brought from the stalag to her family�??s farm as forced labor. And there is a twenty-six-year-old Wehrmacht corporal, who the pair know as Manfred�??who is, in reality, Uri Singer, a Jew from Germany who managed to escape a train bound for Auschwitz. As they work their way west, they encounter a countryside ravaged by war. Their flight will test both Anna�??s and Callum�??s love, as well as their friendship with Manfred�??assuming any of them even survive. Perhaps not since The English Patient has a novel so deftly captured both the power and poignancy of romance and the terror and tragedy of war. Skillfully portraying the flesh and blood of history, Chris Bohjalian has crafted a rich tapestry that puts a face on one of the twentieth century�??s greatest tragedies�??while creating, perhaps, a masterpiece that will haunt rea… (more)
Subjects
Awards
Historical Novel Society Editors' Choice (Literary)
Language
User reviews
LibraryThing member mrstreme
Many books have explored the exodus of Europeans and Jews who fled the approaching German army during World War II. In Skeletons at the Feast, Chris Bohjalian examined another type of evacuation – this time of a Prussian family trying to stay steps ahead of the vengeful Soviet army.
Loosely based
In the depiction of Cecile and her fellow female prisoners, Bohjalian spared no details. It was downright graphic. So too were the scenes that depicted the bitterness of the Soviet army as they invaded Germany. These scenes were hard to read and not for the faint of heart. I often wonder how these things happened within recent history, and then I remember that genocide still goes on – just in a different place to different people. And that’s why I think it’s important to read books such as Skeletons at the Feast, even though it can be hard to do so.
Skeletons at the Feast had a pedestrian approach to a hard subject matter. There was no deep symbolism or foreshadowing in this book – just words and lines strung together to tell a story. However, I often found that Bohjalian employed the “tell, not show” type of narrative, and the different character viewpoints were, at first, unparalleled and hard to follow. Nonetheless, the book was a page turner – one I would recommended to readers who enjoy books set during World War II or the Holocaust.
Loosely based
Show More
on a diary of young Prussian girl, the story followed Anna, her mother (Mutti), her young brother, Theo, and Callum, a Scottish POW who was assigned to Anna’s estate in Prussia. Together, they migrated on foot during the harsh winter to the safety of western Germany. Intermingled with Anna’s story were also the narratives of Uri, a young Jewish man who disguised himself as a German soldier to escape concentration camps, and Cecile, a French Jewish woman who was imprisoned at a German “work camp.” All of these stories showed the atrocities of war on civilians and how they endured the hardships of fatigue, hunger, severe weather and artillery fire.In the depiction of Cecile and her fellow female prisoners, Bohjalian spared no details. It was downright graphic. So too were the scenes that depicted the bitterness of the Soviet army as they invaded Germany. These scenes were hard to read and not for the faint of heart. I often wonder how these things happened within recent history, and then I remember that genocide still goes on – just in a different place to different people. And that’s why I think it’s important to read books such as Skeletons at the Feast, even though it can be hard to do so.
Skeletons at the Feast had a pedestrian approach to a hard subject matter. There was no deep symbolism or foreshadowing in this book – just words and lines strung together to tell a story. However, I often found that Bohjalian employed the “tell, not show” type of narrative, and the different character viewpoints were, at first, unparalleled and hard to follow. Nonetheless, the book was a page turner – one I would recommended to readers who enjoy books set during World War II or the Holocaust.
Show Less
LibraryThing member TomWaitsTables
It's not often I say this, but for once, LibraryThing's "Will you like it?" appraiser was right: I did not like this book.
I never though I would say this, but I wish Bohjalian was a horribly inept storyteller. I wish his characters were flat and unbelievable and were as developed as a James Bond
I never though I would say this, but I wish Bohjalian was a horribly inept storyteller. I wish his characters were flat and unbelievable and were as developed as a James Bond
Show More
villain. I wish the book was as shallow as a FOX television show. I wish this story was as boring as watching cars rust. Because if all of those things were true, then nothing would've happened in Skeletons at the Feast and no one would have gotten hurt. I wouldn't have met Theo, Anna, Mutti, Uri, Rebekah, Cecile, Jeanne and I wouldn't have gotten hurt. I hate you, Bohjalian. For that, I'm only giving you 4 Stars instead of the 5 Stars you probably deserve. Show Less
LibraryThing member mzonderm
This book is something of a departure for Bohjalian, since it doesn't take place in the northeast United States of today. Instead, it takes place during the end of WWII in Europe. As in his other books, though, Bohjalian is not afraid to ask difficult questions in subtle but inescapable
Through the eyes of the daughter of a Prussian aristocratic family fleeing the Russian advance, a Scottish POW, and a German Jew who is masquerading as a German soldier, Bohjalian explores the nature of revenge and collective guilt. Interspersed with the story of their trek west through Germany, is the story of a group of women being marched in the same direction from a Nazi labor camp, through which Bohjalian explores hope and survival.
This book is not a romance, no matter what the publisher may claim. But it is a compelling and well-told story about the relationships that can develop between people who initially think they're on opposite sides of a war.
Show More
manner.Through the eyes of the daughter of a Prussian aristocratic family fleeing the Russian advance, a Scottish POW, and a German Jew who is masquerading as a German soldier, Bohjalian explores the nature of revenge and collective guilt. Interspersed with the story of their trek west through Germany, is the story of a group of women being marched in the same direction from a Nazi labor camp, through which Bohjalian explores hope and survival.
This book is not a romance, no matter what the publisher may claim. But it is a compelling and well-told story about the relationships that can develop between people who initially think they're on opposite sides of a war.
Show Less
LibraryThing member mckait
This is a poignant and extraordinary story of a family in the midst of WWII.
Beginning in the autumn of 1944 at their farm home, Kaminheim, the Emmerich family brought in their harvest with the help of some prisoners of war that were made available to them for the task.The prisoners were German,
At this point things had not changed too much for the Emmerich family. One son Werner had gone to be a soldier and another was about to leave. Helmut who was twin to the daughter of the family, Anna. Their father had served before and was preparing to enter this war as well. The fact of war, and the horrors of what was happening around them had not really come home to Anna, Mutti or Theo the youngest brother.
This was about to change. By the approaching winter They, along with the one remaining prisoner of war that had been able to remain with the family were about to flee their home. The stories of the death camps, the reality of what was really happening to other Jews had intruded finally into their near idyllic existence on their farm. Their days of comfort were over for what soon looked to be forever.
While attempting to find safety and their way to a new life, they met up with many others making the same journey, all of whom affected their lives. Some of them passed through quicky, others lingered and changed them forever.
The characters captivate, the story enthralls, and be warned, this is a story that will stay with you for a very long time. It will touch your heart and mind in ways you never dreamed a book could.
This is a keeper, a gift book and a reread.
Beginning in the autumn of 1944 at their farm home, Kaminheim, the Emmerich family brought in their harvest with the help of some prisoners of war that were made available to them for the task.The prisoners were German,
Show More
British and there was one young man from Scotland, Callum Finella. At this point things had not changed too much for the Emmerich family. One son Werner had gone to be a soldier and another was about to leave. Helmut who was twin to the daughter of the family, Anna. Their father had served before and was preparing to enter this war as well. The fact of war, and the horrors of what was happening around them had not really come home to Anna, Mutti or Theo the youngest brother.
This was about to change. By the approaching winter They, along with the one remaining prisoner of war that had been able to remain with the family were about to flee their home. The stories of the death camps, the reality of what was really happening to other Jews had intruded finally into their near idyllic existence on their farm. Their days of comfort were over for what soon looked to be forever.
While attempting to find safety and their way to a new life, they met up with many others making the same journey, all of whom affected their lives. Some of them passed through quicky, others lingered and changed them forever.
The characters captivate, the story enthralls, and be warned, this is a story that will stay with you for a very long time. It will touch your heart and mind in ways you never dreamed a book could.
This is a keeper, a gift book and a reread.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Othemts
The William & Mary Alumni Boston Chapter selected this novel set in German-occupied Poland at the end of the Second World War. It tells the story of three different journeys that intertwine and complement one another. First there is the Emmerich family, prosperous German farmers in East Prussia
Bohjalian does not shrink from the details of all that was horrible about the war and the Holocaust. Yet, in the end this is a book about hope. After tearing us down, Bohjalian builds us back up with the romance of 18-year old Anna Emmerich and the Scottish airman Callum, the persistence of Cecille, the bravery of Uri and many small, kind acts. The one thing I wish the author had not done was to distance the Emmerich's so much from Nazism. It seems a cop-out that many authors/filmmakers fall on is the "good German" instead of trying to find humanity or promise of redemption in those who adhered to this evil ideology.
All in all a gripping and well-written novel.
Show More
with the elderly father and eldest sons off fighting, the women and children flee west to safety from the Russian army taking with them a Scottish POW. Then there is Uri, a Jew who escaped from the prison trains and has spent two years taking on the uniforms and identities of various German officers both for survival and sabotage. Finally there is Cecille, a French Jewish woman forced with her fellow prisoners on a death march (although this is the least well-realized of the three storylines).Bohjalian does not shrink from the details of all that was horrible about the war and the Holocaust. Yet, in the end this is a book about hope. After tearing us down, Bohjalian builds us back up with the romance of 18-year old Anna Emmerich and the Scottish airman Callum, the persistence of Cecille, the bravery of Uri and many small, kind acts. The one thing I wish the author had not done was to distance the Emmerich's so much from Nazism. It seems a cop-out that many authors/filmmakers fall on is the "good German" instead of trying to find humanity or promise of redemption in those who adhered to this evil ideology.
All in all a gripping and well-written novel.
Show Less
LibraryThing member oldblack
This book seems to me to be a cross between a romance and a "Boy's Own Adventure", with a lot of graphic violence thrown in. I am not really a big reader of either romances or war novels, and I shut my eyes in the movies when the violent bits come on. Therefore, this book won't be on my
Nonetheless, it did offer some interesting insights, reflecting on the futility and stupidity of nationalism and war, and the transcendence of individual human relationships.
Also, seeing WWII from a German or Polish perspective is relatively rare in popular American literature.
This is my first Bohjalian book, and I think I need to read more of his work, in different genres, before I make a judgment about whether I'll regularly visit the "B" section in my local library. This one was easy to keep "reading" - I had uploaded it from the 10 library CDs onto my iPod and I listened while I had my daily exercise.
Show More
"favourites" list. Nonetheless, it did offer some interesting insights, reflecting on the futility and stupidity of nationalism and war, and the transcendence of individual human relationships.
Also, seeing WWII from a German or Polish perspective is relatively rare in popular American literature.
This is my first Bohjalian book, and I think I need to read more of his work, in different genres, before I make a judgment about whether I'll regularly visit the "B" section in my local library. This one was easy to keep "reading" - I had uploaded it from the 10 library CDs onto my iPod and I listened while I had my daily exercise.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Bellettres
Perhaps the best WWII novel I've read. Not only is the story told from the perspective of both Germans and Jews, but it also deals with the closing months of the war, which is not generally the focus in this sort of book. Courage and heroism are evinced by many of the characters: the German mother
Show More
protecting her children, the German boy trying to live up to the standard of his father and older brothers, the young Jewish man who escaped from a train heading to Auschwitz, the Scots POW who is taken along on the trek west to provide proof of good will to the Allies. Rarely does one see kindness side by side with unspeakable atrocities the way one does in this novel. The horrors of war are brought home, and we understand that everyone, regardless of nationality or political ideology, suffers. Three-dimensional characters and fine writing added to my pleasure in reading this book. Some episodes were tough to get through, but seemed quite likely realistic portrayals of what might have happened on a journey of this sort. I've read other novels by Bohjalian that I liked, but this is by far the best! Show Less
LibraryThing member neddludd
This is a compelling novel, but one that stays on the surface. It's characters are event-driven, rather than having their actions grow out of their characters, as in the best novels. A bit predictable, yet also an education in the barbarism of slave labor under the Nazis. The joker in the deck is
Show More
that all action takes place in the last four months of the war--when one would expect diminishing atrocities. But the author's point is that during this time, Russian revenge, and German anti-Semitism created a new low for human behavior. Show Less
LibraryThing member JGoto
Well written and compelling, Skeletons at the Feast is a story about the final days of World War Two in Europe. The cast of characters include the Emmerich Family, rich German gentry from an estate in Poland, and Callum, the Scottish prisoner of war whom they are hiding as they trek westward in a
Show More
frantic attempt to escape the approaching Russian army. They are soon joined by Uri Singer, a Jew masquerading as a German officer after jumping from an Auschwitz bound train. On a parallel path are a group of Jewish concentration camp women, being marched toward Germany in the attempt to erase the Nazi atrocities from the view of the liberating armies and the rest of the world. This book was based on a WWII diary read by the author and it captures the horrors, uncertainties, and humanity of the times. Show Less
LibraryThing member ddirmeyer
I eagerly anticipate new works by Chris Bohjalian. The subject of this novel, WWII, was a departure from his prior works. It was fabulous. Written with amazing insight into the perspective of Jews, Russians, and Germans, it was an emotionally draining book to read. Skeletons is one of those novels
Show More
I continue to think about weeks after finishing it, which is another indication to me of its greatness. Novels about war should not be light reading and this one isn't. But you will be greatly rewarded if you pick up this book. Show Less
LibraryThing member OneMorePage
In a departure from his normal modern-day New England-based novels, Bohhalian gives us a novel that examines the lives of several people in Nazi Germany as the Third Reich falls apart. Anna, her well-to-do German family, and her lover (a Scottish prisoner of war) flee their farm to escape the
Somewhat reminescent of Irène Némirovsky's "SUITE FRANÇAISE" as it examines the confusion and terror of the victims of war as they evacuate their beloved homes and the bewilderment of individuals who did not cause the war as they come to realize that they are hated for that which is beyond their control, and that an entire class of people should not be judged on the actions of the few. Bohjalian gets this point across without at all minimizing the tragedy of the Holocaust.
Show More
threat of the Russion Army. A group of Jewish women are marched away from their camp to, first, work in a factory and then to just march. A Jewish man, mascarading as a German solidier, helps his people by killing German soldiers as the opportunity arises. Each of these characters cannot understand how they came to be where they are or why they are so hated.Somewhat reminescent of Irène Némirovsky's "SUITE FRANÇAISE" as it examines the confusion and terror of the victims of war as they evacuate their beloved homes and the bewilderment of individuals who did not cause the war as they come to realize that they are hated for that which is beyond their control, and that an entire class of people should not be judged on the actions of the few. Bohjalian gets this point across without at all minimizing the tragedy of the Holocaust.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Trinity
This was a good WWII novel, well developed characters that pull you in and great setting descriptions. I was disappointed in the abrupt ending, it felt like the author was suddently tired of the book. The epilogue seemed to only be a quick after thought.
LibraryThing member ladytaluka
I really enjoyed this book. There was a lot of graphic description about WWII, but the characters came alive for me and I really cared about them.
I listened to the audio book so it took me longer to read than if I'd had a hard copy to pick up each night. The reader was great and I loved his
I listened to the audio book so it took me longer to read than if I'd had a hard copy to pick up each night. The reader was great and I loved his
Show More
Scottish accent for Callum. Very sexy. :) Show Less
LibraryThing member klarsenmd
War is typically always full of atrosities, and arguably none more so than World War II. In this breathtakingly poignant historical fiction novel, the reader experiences the end of the war through the eyes of a German family displaced by the encroaching Russian army. Among the refugees are a
This is a beautifully written and compelling view of life at the end of the war as seen through several different perspectives. Despite the fact this that this is not typically my favorite genre', I was immediately drawn in and felt each horrible blow as if I were part of the story. I plan to read more of Mr. Bohjalian's work in the hopes it is all this good.
Show More
mother, her eighteen year old daughter, Anna, her ten year old son Theo, and Anna's lover who also happens to be a Scottish POW. Along the way they befirend a German soldier who is actually a runaway Jew in hiding.This is a beautifully written and compelling view of life at the end of the war as seen through several different perspectives. Despite the fact this that this is not typically my favorite genre', I was immediately drawn in and felt each horrible blow as if I were part of the story. I plan to read more of Mr. Bohjalian's work in the hopes it is all this good.
Show Less
LibraryThing member wadezoe
The trek forced on this Prussian family at the end of World War II provides a vivid look at Germany in 1945 as the public (and some soldiers) flees the Russians. The book is well researched historically and still manages to weave a love story into the misery of the end of the Reich. The plot moves
The horrible crimes done by the Nazis are woven into the story in an unlikely and realistic way. Those who like life stories in World War II historical fiction will enjoy this novel
Show More
rapidly and doesn't bog down despite in depth looks into the character's personalities.The horrible crimes done by the Nazis are woven into the story in an unlikely and realistic way. Those who like life stories in World War II historical fiction will enjoy this novel
Show Less
LibraryThing member readingrat
This gripping WWII novel starts off with a bang and keeps the action going strong almost all the way to the end.
LibraryThing member mojomomma
I thought this was really an excellent book, every bit as good as Midwives and The Double Bind by the same author. The story takes place on the eastern European front in the first few months of 1945, as Germany is being slowly defeated by the invading Russians and the British and American allies
Show More
coming in from the west. Every able-bodied man is being drafted to help repel the Russians and their families are fleeing to the east to await their fate...but they aren't sure if the victors will be the Nazis or the Americans, but they know they must flee the barbaric Russians. I really enjoyed this because it focuses on a part of the war that I didn't know that much about. And I also enjoyed the plot development as the Germans realize that their Reich is drawing to a close and they are faced with an uncertain future. Show Less
LibraryThing member sharlene_w
This book was inspired in part by an actual diary a friend asked Bohjalian to read in 1998; it had been kept by his friend’s East Prussian grandmother from 1920 to 1945. Bohjalian artfully fleshed out a story describing the relentless horror and barbarism of WWII and a family torn apart by war.
Show More
In an interview he indicated these were his favorite characters that he has ever spent time with and that is reflected in the quality of the writing and in how compelling the story is. He also indicated it is is favorite of the twelve books he as written and he feels he has finally done the characters justice. I agree. This is my favorite of his books that I have read. Well done. Show Less
LibraryThing member jamaicanmecrazy
WWII story which demonstrates that lines often become blurred in wartime. For instance, there is the "chameleon" Uri, a Jew who poses as a Nazi officer as he helps a German family running from the invading Soviets. Remember the subject matter---not for the faint of heart. Bohjalian did his homework
Show More
before he wrote this very sad yet hopeful read. Show Less
LibraryThing member thewanderingjew
It is 1945, Poland is being overrun by the Russians; Germany is losing the war. This story begins as a mass exodus of German refugees, from the countryside, is in progress. They are attempting to escape the army of “Ivan”, the Russian soldiers, as they advance, having defeated them. It is
We learn about Uri Singer, a 26 year old, German Jew, who has unbelievably escaped fairly unharmed, from a cattle car, by throwing himself out with the waste bucket. He is searching for his sister, Rebecca, but he has pretty much given up hope for her and his parents who had weakened already, before being “relocated”. He goes through many personas, often taking on the character and name of a soldier he has killed or a soldier who has brutalized Jews or attacked him or one he finds brutalizing others. Morphing in this way, from person to person, he has so far survived this war by being either a German or a Russian soldier, but certainly, not a Jew.
Then there is the 20 year old, red-headed Scottish Soldier who parachuted into a swamp and barely rescued himself before he was captured and became a German POW. In that capacity he was sent, with others, to work on a farm estate, in order to help the family with their sugar beet crop since their older sons were fighting in the war effort. When it came time to send the prisoners back, the respected owner of the estate, Rolf Emmerich, persuaded the German government to allow them to keep one, Callum, to continue to help them.
Anna Emmerich lives on the estate her family has owned for generations. Her mother is Prussian. She is enamored with Hitler and quite happy because when he invaded Poland, her farm, which was located on land that was given to Poland after WWI, was restored to its rightful place in Germany, once again. Her father, older brother and twin brother, are all engaged in Germany’s war. Anna is naïve and really doesn’t understand the reasons for, or the consequences of, this war. She is blind to the hardship, and living in the countryside, she is largely unaware of the atrocities being committed elsewhere, although there are rumors she has heard but does not believe. Theo, the youngest, at the age of ten, often has the clearest assumptions about the war, and in his simple innocence and understanding, draws conclusions some adults fail to see.
Cecile is part of a group of female Jewish prisoners who are transported like cattle from place to place or marched from factory to factory. The cruelty they witness and endure is unspeakable. She hopes to survive, but often, she despairs and life seems too hard to contemplate for herself and those around her. She, like other Jewish victims of the war, hopes to survive to bear witness against those who committed the atrocities, so that the world will know.
The story is carried forward by the way in which the lives of these characters intersect. The author has deftly woven the Aryan point of view with that of the Allies, the Jewish prisoners in the work camps and the POWs. Even the resistance movement is touched upon. Each experiences the brutality of this war in a different way, and how they interact with each other truly exposes the stupidity and futility of war.
I really thought that this book got under the skin of the Holocaust to expose its very core and to enlighten the world to the workings of the minds of madmen, and others, who are often simply ordinary men who are driven mad by circumstances, in order to survive another day. What are we humans capable of in different situations of real or perceived danger? How do we humans survive inhuman and brutal behavior in spite of its horror, so that we can continue to have a normal life afterwards. In the end, it offers hope. There are survivors in the least expected places. Is there guilt, shame? Is there forgiveness? Was it really possible that some people had no idea that anything so cruel was taking place, that they didn’t wonder where all the Jews and others had gone? Were they complicit or simply afraid to speak out? Inspired by a diary from World War II, this book will help to answer these questions.
Show More
unlike most Holocaust novels since the theme concentrates on how the war affected four different kinds of characters from different backgrounds, each of whom experienced the effects of the war in their individual way, each fight for survival was unique.. We learn about Uri Singer, a 26 year old, German Jew, who has unbelievably escaped fairly unharmed, from a cattle car, by throwing himself out with the waste bucket. He is searching for his sister, Rebecca, but he has pretty much given up hope for her and his parents who had weakened already, before being “relocated”. He goes through many personas, often taking on the character and name of a soldier he has killed or a soldier who has brutalized Jews or attacked him or one he finds brutalizing others. Morphing in this way, from person to person, he has so far survived this war by being either a German or a Russian soldier, but certainly, not a Jew.
Then there is the 20 year old, red-headed Scottish Soldier who parachuted into a swamp and barely rescued himself before he was captured and became a German POW. In that capacity he was sent, with others, to work on a farm estate, in order to help the family with their sugar beet crop since their older sons were fighting in the war effort. When it came time to send the prisoners back, the respected owner of the estate, Rolf Emmerich, persuaded the German government to allow them to keep one, Callum, to continue to help them.
Anna Emmerich lives on the estate her family has owned for generations. Her mother is Prussian. She is enamored with Hitler and quite happy because when he invaded Poland, her farm, which was located on land that was given to Poland after WWI, was restored to its rightful place in Germany, once again. Her father, older brother and twin brother, are all engaged in Germany’s war. Anna is naïve and really doesn’t understand the reasons for, or the consequences of, this war. She is blind to the hardship, and living in the countryside, she is largely unaware of the atrocities being committed elsewhere, although there are rumors she has heard but does not believe. Theo, the youngest, at the age of ten, often has the clearest assumptions about the war, and in his simple innocence and understanding, draws conclusions some adults fail to see.
Cecile is part of a group of female Jewish prisoners who are transported like cattle from place to place or marched from factory to factory. The cruelty they witness and endure is unspeakable. She hopes to survive, but often, she despairs and life seems too hard to contemplate for herself and those around her. She, like other Jewish victims of the war, hopes to survive to bear witness against those who committed the atrocities, so that the world will know.
The story is carried forward by the way in which the lives of these characters intersect. The author has deftly woven the Aryan point of view with that of the Allies, the Jewish prisoners in the work camps and the POWs. Even the resistance movement is touched upon. Each experiences the brutality of this war in a different way, and how they interact with each other truly exposes the stupidity and futility of war.
I really thought that this book got under the skin of the Holocaust to expose its very core and to enlighten the world to the workings of the minds of madmen, and others, who are often simply ordinary men who are driven mad by circumstances, in order to survive another day. What are we humans capable of in different situations of real or perceived danger? How do we humans survive inhuman and brutal behavior in spite of its horror, so that we can continue to have a normal life afterwards. In the end, it offers hope. There are survivors in the least expected places. Is there guilt, shame? Is there forgiveness? Was it really possible that some people had no idea that anything so cruel was taking place, that they didn’t wonder where all the Jews and others had gone? Were they complicit or simply afraid to speak out? Inspired by a diary from World War II, this book will help to answer these questions.
Show Less
LibraryThing member dpappas
This is one of those books that follows such a horrific topic that it really isn't a book to be enjoyed but one to be moved by. Usually when I read WWII historical fiction it is from an American or Jewish perspective so this was a bit different for me as most of the time it is told from a German
Show More
perspective. The characters in this book are so easy to connect with and it almost feels as though they are your family. It was heartbreaking what ends up happening to some of the characters in this book (it is also heartbreaking that events like these took place in real life). I was touched by this book and its ending and would definitely recommend this book to WWII historical fiction fans. Show Less
LibraryThing member Laurenbdavis
This fine novel, set in 1945 Germany, at the end of WWII, was inspired by a journal kept by a family friend of Bohjalian'. The plot follows a group of survivors attempting to cross the ravaged remains of the Third Reich from Warsaw to the Rhine and the relative safety of the British and American
The main characters: The Emmerich family, aristocratic Prussians. Anna Emmerich, 18 years old and in love with Callum Finella, a 20 year old Scottish prisoner of war, brought from the POW camp to her family farm as forced labor. 26 year old Uri Singer, a German Jew who escaped from an Auschwitz bound train and has been posing as a German soldier since. Uri searches for Rachel, his sister, who he fears died in the camps. He is a stealth fighter, killing as many Nazis along the way as he can. Cecelia, a Jewish woman trying to survive a forced march from one of the stalags.
All the components are here -- interesting, sympathetic and active characters, enormous conflict, even forbidden love. At times heart-breaking, at times inspiring, a gripping read from beginning to end.
I would have given it five stars but for some problems with the actual writing. Now, I read the book on my Kindle, and perhaps that version is not as well-edited as the print version. Is that possible? I don't know. But the book was, in my opinion, poorly edited. Bohjalian has a fixation, it seems, with the word 'that' as well as unnecessary linking words. Example:
"...he could smell the fires that were igniting in the woods." Why not simply, "he smelled the fires igniting in the woods.
That sort of phrasing, once, is one thing, but unfortunately it's on almost every page. It's jarring, and snaps me out of what is, otherwise, a wonderful story.
Show More
lines. The main characters: The Emmerich family, aristocratic Prussians. Anna Emmerich, 18 years old and in love with Callum Finella, a 20 year old Scottish prisoner of war, brought from the POW camp to her family farm as forced labor. 26 year old Uri Singer, a German Jew who escaped from an Auschwitz bound train and has been posing as a German soldier since. Uri searches for Rachel, his sister, who he fears died in the camps. He is a stealth fighter, killing as many Nazis along the way as he can. Cecelia, a Jewish woman trying to survive a forced march from one of the stalags.
All the components are here -- interesting, sympathetic and active characters, enormous conflict, even forbidden love. At times heart-breaking, at times inspiring, a gripping read from beginning to end.
I would have given it five stars but for some problems with the actual writing. Now, I read the book on my Kindle, and perhaps that version is not as well-edited as the print version. Is that possible? I don't know. But the book was, in my opinion, poorly edited. Bohjalian has a fixation, it seems, with the word 'that' as well as unnecessary linking words. Example:
"...he could smell the fires that were igniting in the woods." Why not simply, "he smelled the fires igniting in the woods.
That sort of phrasing, once, is one thing, but unfortunately it's on almost every page. It's jarring, and snaps me out of what is, otherwise, a wonderful story.
Show Less
LibraryThing member yogiclarebear
A holocaust/WWII story seen from different points of view that end up coming together. Dragged a little at times but well organized. Learned a lot, I like that.
LibraryThing member burnit99
A story set in Germany in the closing days of World War II, as a German family attempts to flee east away from the advancing Russians, whose treatment the German people have reason to fear after the deprivations visited upon the Russians by Hitler's invading armies. The family is joined by a
Show More
disguised Jew who has escaped from the prisoner trains and is seeking his sister, and Callum, a young Scottish soldier/prisoner who has been furloughed to the family for farm labor, and is now being hidden by them as they flee, hoping he will be their safe passage when they reach the Allied troops in the west. This is a mature, finely-written novel that I like more than any other Bohjalian book I have read, laced with love and fear and courage and cowardice in the shadow of the darkest drama of the 20th century. The ending is perfect: tragic, hopeful and wrenching, it speaks for the capacity of mankind to find love and happiness after the darkest brutalities that humanity can inflict upon its own kind. Show Less
LibraryThing member SimoneA
Skeletons at the Feast is a well-written story about people with different backgrounds in the final months of WWII. It shows, in a very elegant way, the different sides in this war, and how almost everyone suffered from it. However, the book never gripped me as I hoped it would, probably beacuse
Show More
the characters are a bit flat. All in all, I would recommend this book, but it will not blow your mind away. Show Less
ISBN
9780307394958