From beginning to end, and everything in between, "The Red Ribbon" is truly unforgettable. It’s nurtured with a sensitivity and thoughtfulness that encourages hope, even in the darkest of places. The contradiction of captives wearing their shapeless, faded uniforms while sewing exquisite clothes to adorn their captors provides an opportunity for both admirable and shameful attitudes to surface.
Chapter headings of specific hues emphasise the stark contrast to the otherwise colourless and heart-wrenchingly grim world of Birchwood – also known as Auschwitz. The headings themselves are tailored to draw inspiration from the vibrant fabrics being bought to life, the natural landscape, and prisoners’ distant memories, all of which are cruelly divided by barbed wire.
The implications for those in camp whose arduous work duty is considered a privilege are balanced with optimism as distinctive of one of young Ella’s designs, without ever losing touch with the reality that war has literally stamped upon them. These prisoners are acutely aware that their only reward is being allowed to exist for another day simply because they were ‘useful’, appreciating that any extra time could bring them one step closer to freedom.
I’m ashamed to admit that it took me a while to warm to Ella. She appears selfish, quickly identifying with her situation and manoeuvring accordingly to ensure SHE was one of the ‘useful’ ones and could hold on to her dreams and the future. As I read on I began to ask myself, “what was the alternative? Would others give way for her?” The roots of her self-preservation not only grow stronger but become an anchor for others and I realised it would be impossible to comprehend anything under those circumstances, except that first impressions can be deceptive.
I can’t leave without saying how this wonderfully expressive and moving read is presented as the most elegant hardcover I have ever seen. Its pages display traces of sewing embellishments like buttons and pins, and even the symbolic red ribbon itself leaves a visual impression as it swirls through the printed text.
Chapter headings of specific hues emphasise the stark contrast to the otherwise colourless and heart-wrenchingly grim world of Birchwood – also known as Auschwitz. The headings themselves are tailored to draw inspiration from the vibrant fabrics being bought to life, the natural landscape, and prisoners’ distant memories, all of which are cruelly divided by barbed wire.
The implications for those in camp whose arduous work duty is considered a privilege are balanced with optimism as distinctive of one of young Ella’s designs, without ever losing touch with the reality that war has literally stamped upon them. These prisoners are acutely aware that their only reward is being allowed to exist for another day simply because they were ‘useful’, appreciating that any extra time could bring them one step closer to freedom.
I’m ashamed to admit that it took me a while to warm to Ella. She appears selfish, quickly identifying with her situation and manoeuvring accordingly to ensure SHE was one of the ‘useful’ ones and could hold on to her dreams and the future. As I read on I began to ask myself, “what was the alternative? Would others give way for her?” The roots of her self-preservation not only grow stronger but become an anchor for others and I realised it would be impossible to comprehend anything under those circumstances, except that first impressions can be deceptive.
I can’t leave without saying how this wonderfully expressive and moving read is presented as the most elegant hardcover I have ever seen. Its pages display traces of sewing embellishments like buttons and pins, and even the symbolic red ribbon itself leaves a visual impression as it swirls through the printed text.