When Aharon Appelfeld was seven years old the Nazis occupied Czernowitz; his hometown. They penned the Jews into a ghetto and eventually sent whoever had not been shot or starved to death on a forced march across the Ukraine to a labor camp. As men; women; and children fall away around them; Aharon and his father miraculously survive; and Aharon; even more miraculously; escapes from the camp shortly after he arrives there.The next few years of Aharon’s life are both harrowing and heartrending: he hides; alone; in the Ukrainian forests from peasants who are only too happy to turn Jewish children over to the Nazis; he has the presence of mind to pass himself off as an orphaned gentile when he emerges from the forest to seek work; and; at war’s end; he joins the stream of refugees as they cross Europe on their way to displaced persons’ camps that have been set up for the survivors. Aharon eventually makes his way to Palestine; once there; he attempts to build a new life while struggling to retain the barely remembered fragments of his old life; and he takes his first; tentative steps as a writer. As he begins to receive national attention; Aharon realizes his life’s calling: to bear witness to the unfathomable. In this unforgettable work of memory; Aharon Appelfeld offers personal glimpses into the experiences that resonate throughout his fiction.
#866733 in Books Henry Holt and Co. 2008-08-05 2008-08-05Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.50 x 1.00 x 6.38l; 1.28 #File Name: 0805086544336 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Great book about the settling of AmericaBy History FanI had recently read a history of the Jamestown settlement; and learned about this episode in that. While this book also covers some of the history of Jamestown; it is much more. Besides the story of the wreck itself; it goes into the political and religious reasons behind the settlement idea; looks at what is known of the backgrounds and personalities of many of the principals involved; and describes both a ship of that time period; and what an ocean voyage was like. It has a very readable style; so that I found myself often deciding to read "just one more page"; and finishing a chapter instead. Too many times I have walked away from a book with on otherwise interesting subject; simply because the writing style was too hard to follow or hold my attention. This book is anything but that. An excellent story; and very well written. As a fan of almost any American history; I thoroughly enjoyed this book and learned a new chapter of it.10 of 10 people found the following review helpful. Good story; Good research; So-so writing...By P. SenguptaI picked up this book before a trip to Bermuda hoping to find a fun history of the Sea Venture expedition. In the end; the story of the Sea Venture was every bit as exciting as advertised. The book followed the truly amazing and gripping story of the Virginia colony and the accidental colonization of Bermuda. In addition to being a great story the author also does a good job of drawing from an enormous amount of primary sources and gives large parts of the story in the words of the castaways or colonists themselves. My only criticism of the book (and the reason I only gave it 3 stars) was the writing itself. The writing was so repetitive I found myself skimming large portions of the book in an attempt to avoid déjà vu. For example; when describing the marketing campaign of the Virginia company; the book has to cite close to 25 different sources all saying the same thing (i.e. God wants England to colonize Virginia; we must colonize Virginia in the name of God and King; if you colonize Virginia you will go to Heaven). We get it ... the campaign was marketed using religious and patriotic rhetoric... And beyond sometimes providing too many examples; the language used by the author was also repetitive. Often entire sentences would be largely identical to sentences you'd already read. For example; the author describes the colonists as motivated by a combination of "ambition" and "desperation" at least 15 times. Using exactly the same phraseology. If; however; you can get over this repetition (or skim through the portions that you feel like you've already read) you can learn about a truly remarkable adventure!1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Stunning StoryBy LACARMost of us remember the story of Jamestown from high school history and maybe even from a visit to the Jamestown site. But I never knew more than that the English settlers had a hard winter! The authors have documented and put together a clearly written . . . and disturbing . . . story about how really difficult it was to gain a foothold in the New World. As usual those in charge were driven by greed and poor planning so that hundreds died unnecessarily. But then again; without the funds and big egos of the "leaders"; we might all now be citizens of Spain. Reading about the horrors the colonists endured; especially the cannibalism; caused me to have nightmares! But the saving of the souls on the Venture; which eventually saved the whole colony; was thrilling. This is stuff movies are made of. I'd give the book five stars except that there is some redundancy; especially the final chapter that seemed to just reminding me what they had already said. Don't read it if real life makes you nervous. Do read it if you want the whole story of our country's feeble beginning.
