Emilia the central character in this book is a complex one.
She is a young woman who knows wrong from right, but takes a morally dubious
decision to help her family to survive. A woman that survives because of her
good looks is not a popular one with her fellow Jews. She finds out that camp
life, rather than shape a common bond against the enemy, is poisoned by
jealousy. Rather than facing sympathy, that her good looks are a curse as much
as a blessing, she encounters hostility from every corner.
I liked the fact
that this book was not just about the Holocaust, it was also about what
happened to Emilia after the war ended. It followed the story of Europe after
the horrendous events of World War II. Soviet occupation, the release of
prisoners of war and the big strive to rebuild cities and lives. It shows that
the writer has done her research and knows a great deal about Poland during and
after the war. The book is written in an engaging style and I read the book in
a few days, even though the subject matter was very painful at times. The
message that forgiveness is the first step to healing your wounds is a very
hopeful one. It is also a timely reminder that we should have tolerance and not
let racial hatred destroy us again.
