Scan barcode
scarpuccia's review against another edition
5.0
At heart, this series of interconnected short stories/fables, is an act of alchemy. The author has as her base material the horrors perpetrated by the Nazis in a town called Wlodawa, on the Polish/Ukraine border. Her aim, brilliantly achieved, is to produce a heartwarming testament to the good and magical in human nature in the face of flooding black evil.
Structurally it’s very similar to Anthony Marra’s [b:The Tsar of Love and Techno|23995336|The Tsar of Love and Techno|Anthony Marra|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1428086934s/23995336.jpg|43596056]. Though the author doesn’t possess the artistry of Marra she is perhaps more successful at simple straightforward gripping storytelling. Add to that, it’s a book written with a huge amount of love and imaginative engagement – not surprising as she’s fictionalising her family history.
In fact, the author’s explanation at the end of the book as to why and how she wrote these stories was fascinating. She had always heard that a good Nazi saved her family. However, when she finally comes to google him, he doesn’t sound good at all. Thus she is faced with a mystery. Very cleverly she uses this mystery as the template for this series of stories, approaching the same events from different angles with characters from all sides of the political and social spectrum.
I’ve got nothing bad to say about this. It’s a fabulous feat of storytelling, uplifting, horrifying, moving, thought-provoking. And it’s Holocaust Memorial Day today so even had I deemed it a four star read, I would have given it five stars. Definitely recommended.
Structurally it’s very similar to Anthony Marra’s [b:The Tsar of Love and Techno|23995336|The Tsar of Love and Techno|Anthony Marra|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1428086934s/23995336.jpg|43596056]. Though the author doesn’t possess the artistry of Marra she is perhaps more successful at simple straightforward gripping storytelling. Add to that, it’s a book written with a huge amount of love and imaginative engagement – not surprising as she’s fictionalising her family history.
In fact, the author’s explanation at the end of the book as to why and how she wrote these stories was fascinating. She had always heard that a good Nazi saved her family. However, when she finally comes to google him, he doesn’t sound good at all. Thus she is faced with a mystery. Very cleverly she uses this mystery as the template for this series of stories, approaching the same events from different angles with characters from all sides of the political and social spectrum.
I’ve got nothing bad to say about this. It’s a fabulous feat of storytelling, uplifting, horrifying, moving, thought-provoking. And it’s Holocaust Memorial Day today so even had I deemed it a four star read, I would have given it five stars. Definitely recommended.
cararock's review against another edition
4.0
I don’t read short stories or ss collections often; I really like spending time with characters. However, what’s interesting about this collection is that all of the stories weave together, and it allows you to see different perspectives of the same events. There was a little bit of magical realism spread throughout, but I think I would have preferred more. The fact that it was so sparse made those elements pull me out of the story, unfortunately. I do love reading about WWII and really appreciate how Shankman gathered family stories and created a fictional book voicing those real experiences. As she says, “Art removes us to a safe distance from actual horrors, allowing us to see in a new way what we already know.”
aqua_lynn's review
5.0
A spellbinding collection of stories. At times I cried, at times I was angered and felt sick to my stomach. Yet, the stories had a hint of magic between the tragic reality. Hope and love somehow survived in the darkness. Hard to read but it was an important read. I will not forget. A thank you to the author for braving through the stories and sharing it.
mercourier's review
5.0
A series of interconnected stories about the Holocaust during WWII in Poland. These are pitch perfect. It's not your typical Holocaust book. It is so much more. The stories are tinged with magical realism which serves to elevate these to a folk lore type of story but yet they are still grounded in horror and sadness yet filled with hope. Reading this book was like a flying a kite. Exhausting and beautiful but you hardly realize it at the time.
thebooksatchel's review
4.0
The collection has interconnected stories set in Poland when the Germans were clearing out the towns of Jewish populations. If you pick the book I would urge you to keep reading because the stories come to a full circle towards the end.; all the loopholes are answered. This is one of the good magical realism short story collections. I am surprised it didn't gain as much publicity as it should.
I adored this short story collection. As I started reading I gave it a 3 star in my head. Towards the end it was at a 4.5 stars. I love six (almost seven) of the eight stories in the collection. Visit http://www.thebooksatchel.com/they-were-like-family-to-me-helen-maryles-shankman/ where I talk about the individual stories.
I would recommend the read if you enjoy stories with magical realism.
Disclaimer : Much thanks to Scribner for a copy of the book. All opinions are my own
I adored this short story collection. As I started reading I gave it a 3 star in my head. Towards the end it was at a 4.5 stars. I love six (almost seven) of the eight stories in the collection. Visit http://www.thebooksatchel.com/they-were-like-family-to-me-helen-maryles-shankman/ where I talk about the individual stories.
I would recommend the read if you enjoy stories with magical realism.
Disclaimer : Much thanks to Scribner for a copy of the book. All opinions are my own
More...