Competent story of a friendship divided by WWII but lacking in emotional resonance.
Ashes pays tribute to a friendship irrevocably altered by the horror of World War Two and the courage of two young women, one a gentile and the other a Jew, whose bond endured. The story is inspired by the experiences of the author’s family in Belgium and is narrated in the first person by eighteen-year-old Simone Lyon, daughter of a renowned WWI Belgian national hero. When the story opens in July 1939 Simone and her father, General Joseph Lyon, are living peacefully in Brussels, a country known for its neutrality. When she meets playful Jewish teenager, Hava Daniels, and strikes up an instant rapport she is embraced by Hava’s generous family and never stops to consider their differences or the Jewish faith of the devout clan. Simone is wrapped up in thoughts of books and Hollywood despite her father urging her take more interest in the wider world with her only knowledge of war informed by reading Gone with the Wind. So when things change rapidly in the spring of 1940 both young women and their country are frighteningly unprepared..
As German troops advance on the city of Brussels Simone and Hava are separated from their respective families and forced to flee their country together in hope of a passage to safety. When Hava’s religion sees the firm friends cruelly torn apart in Dunkirk Simone vows never to forget her and determines they will be reunited. Once troops descend into Brussels the pace of the story accelerates and covers a lengthy period, ultimately going on to follow Simone and her eventual return to a free Belgium following four years under Nazi rule. The book covers the entirety of WWII and by focusing on the girls friendship it skims the surface of the enormity of the devastating changes going on in the world and fails to make apparent the monumental horror of day-to-day life. Big events such as the Battle of Dunkirk and the years which Belgium spent under Nazi rule deserve greater recognition than a bit part in a story and I found much of their journey a little too superficial. The book primarily concentrates on Belgium’s involvement in the war and knowing little about the country’s involvement I enjoyed this focus and learned a great deal.
The writing is straightforward and pretty sterile and for me it was lacking in emotional resonance. I never felt actively involved in the story and failed to warm to, or invest in, either Simone or Hava. Both girls felt extremely immature and I found it hard to believe that given Simone’s fathers military career and Hava’s faith that they would never have considered the possibility of a war and been so unprepared for it. I struggled to envisage either of them doing anything but panicking and given they were both a little dimensionless I never had the belief required for what should have be a far more heart-wrenching story. I also had an issue with Simone using the clout of her father’s Croix de Guerre to ease her journey to and ensure her safety when so many ordinary citizens were struggling without this privilege.
Whilst I found Ashes a competent story of friendship, courage and resilience in treacherous times I felt distanced from the horrors on the page largely due to the clinical writing. I had mixed feelings about the epigraphs at the start of each chapter and whilst some brought home the horror of an ongoing war and sent a shiver down my spine (quotes from politicians etc) many didn’t seem particularly relevant to the events that followed or hit home. The abrupt ending also left me with reservations and I doubt that Simone and Hava’s story will stick in my mind over and above so many more powerful novels highlighting the plight of the Jews in World War Two.
As German troops advance on the city of Brussels Simone and Hava are separated from their respective families and forced to flee their country together in hope of a passage to safety. When Hava’s religion sees the firm friends cruelly torn apart in Dunkirk Simone vows never to forget her and determines they will be reunited. Once troops descend into Brussels the pace of the story accelerates and covers a lengthy period, ultimately going on to follow Simone and her eventual return to a free Belgium following four years under Nazi rule. The book covers the entirety of WWII and by focusing on the girls friendship it skims the surface of the enormity of the devastating changes going on in the world and fails to make apparent the monumental horror of day-to-day life. Big events such as the Battle of Dunkirk and the years which Belgium spent under Nazi rule deserve greater recognition than a bit part in a story and I found much of their journey a little too superficial. The book primarily concentrates on Belgium’s involvement in the war and knowing little about the country’s involvement I enjoyed this focus and learned a great deal.
The writing is straightforward and pretty sterile and for me it was lacking in emotional resonance. I never felt actively involved in the story and failed to warm to, or invest in, either Simone or Hava. Both girls felt extremely immature and I found it hard to believe that given Simone’s fathers military career and Hava’s faith that they would never have considered the possibility of a war and been so unprepared for it. I struggled to envisage either of them doing anything but panicking and given they were both a little dimensionless I never had the belief required for what should have be a far more heart-wrenching story. I also had an issue with Simone using the clout of her father’s Croix de Guerre to ease her journey to and ensure her safety when so many ordinary citizens were struggling without this privilege.
Whilst I found Ashes a competent story of friendship, courage and resilience in treacherous times I felt distanced from the horrors on the page largely due to the clinical writing. I had mixed feelings about the epigraphs at the start of each chapter and whilst some brought home the horror of an ongoing war and sent a shiver down my spine (quotes from politicians etc) many didn’t seem particularly relevant to the events that followed or hit home. The abrupt ending also left me with reservations and I doubt that Simone and Hava’s story will stick in my mind over and above so many more powerful novels highlighting the plight of the Jews in World War Two.