Pearl and Stasha arrive at Auschwitz in 1944. As twins, they are entered into part of Mengele’s zoo for the infamous experimentations. They are classified as Mischling; a half breed. They have Aryan like qualities, however are of an inferior race.
They are subjected to torture and terror on a daily basis. Their identity stripped from them. They each take their own sort of comfort from each other. Until Pearl is taken and doesn’t come back. Her twin is devastated, but refuses to give up on her faith that Pearl is alive.
Now whilst I understand some of the mixed reviews about this book, especially in terms of the language used (I found it eloquent, but I can understand why some found it pretentious), this book is one of the most powerful books I’ve ever read.
There have been volumes of stories told about this period in time. I for one find it fascinating. This book has such an interesting twist in the sense that it doesn’t end at the liberation. We continue to find what horrors and cruelty the liberated prisoners suffer when they enter the war torn world around them.
This book isn’t overly graphic in terms of its depiction of the torture and depraved violence. However it is powerful enough for you to fully understand a fraction of what happened to these people. Whilst Stasha and Pearl are fictional, there are people in this story that aren’t. And the acts that they were subjected to are based on fact also.
The old saying is that ‘statistics don’t bleed’. You know that over 6 million Jews, Poles, Slaves and others died in the most awful ways in the Nazi regime. The number is almost too much to comprehend. You can’t picture an individual and think of their experience as a human being. But this personalises it. Not only do you get to hear about Pearl, Stasha and her family, you hear about Bruna, Miri, Peter & Feliks. You get a glimpse into their suffering, their tenacity, their bravery and humanity. When you then multiply that by the millions it then hits you...
We should never forget the lessons that have been so brutally taught to us. Nor the suffering and bravery of the persecuted. Yet in today’s political climate it seems that some of these lessons have been forgotten...
If there is one book you should read in 2017 it is Mischling.
They are subjected to torture and terror on a daily basis. Their identity stripped from them. They each take their own sort of comfort from each other. Until Pearl is taken and doesn’t come back. Her twin is devastated, but refuses to give up on her faith that Pearl is alive.
Now whilst I understand some of the mixed reviews about this book, especially in terms of the language used (I found it eloquent, but I can understand why some found it pretentious), this book is one of the most powerful books I’ve ever read.
There have been volumes of stories told about this period in time. I for one find it fascinating. This book has such an interesting twist in the sense that it doesn’t end at the liberation. We continue to find what horrors and cruelty the liberated prisoners suffer when they enter the war torn world around them.
This book isn’t overly graphic in terms of its depiction of the torture and depraved violence. However it is powerful enough for you to fully understand a fraction of what happened to these people. Whilst Stasha and Pearl are fictional, there are people in this story that aren’t. And the acts that they were subjected to are based on fact also.
The old saying is that ‘statistics don’t bleed’. You know that over 6 million Jews, Poles, Slaves and others died in the most awful ways in the Nazi regime. The number is almost too much to comprehend. You can’t picture an individual and think of their experience as a human being. But this personalises it. Not only do you get to hear about Pearl, Stasha and her family, you hear about Bruna, Miri, Peter & Feliks. You get a glimpse into their suffering, their tenacity, their bravery and humanity. When you then multiply that by the millions it then hits you...
We should never forget the lessons that have been so brutally taught to us. Nor the suffering and bravery of the persecuted. Yet in today’s political climate it seems that some of these lessons have been forgotten...
If there is one book you should read in 2017 it is Mischling.