Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

The Postcard by Anne Berest

19 reviews

alexacath's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

An extremely powerful and moving novel. A novel I will come back to year after year. Amidst the rising antisemitism and Gaza crisis this
narrative provides a stark reminder of what (can) happen(s) when individuals sit idly by and allow fear to control their lives. The characters  crafted in this novel will leave an imprint on each reader and force individuals to confront feelings of love, loss, despair, hope, anger, and uncomfortability. A powerful exploration of history and familial healing. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Genocide, Sexual assault, Antisemitism, and Murder

Moderate: Addiction, Bullying, Child death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, Death of parent, Murder, and War

lexcellent's review against another edition

dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Hate crime, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Dementia, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, War, and Deportation

tracie_mcd's review against another edition

dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

While appreciating the story and the history and  certainly understanding the devastating heartbreak and loss, I did not entirely understand the hype for this book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Physical abuse, Racism, Torture, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Classism

kerri_m's review against another edition

5.0

I've read many books about the catastrophe, and this is one of the best.

It's a story about identity, survival, memory, responsibility, hope. It's about telling their story. It's about not looking away (even when the telling makes you shake and feel sick). 

While many of the details may have been imagined and the research process likely went in a slightly different order, it's miraculous that the Rabinoviches got as much information as they did. We will never hear countless stories of other lives that were stolen.

Reading it now, in 2024, feels like a call to action.

Indifference is universal. Who are you indifferent toward today, right now? Ask yourself that. Which victims living in tents, or under overpasses, or in camps way outside the cities are your ‘invisible ones’? The Vichy regime set out to remove the Jews from French society. And they succeeded.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Violence, Antisemitism, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Deportation

Moderate: Addiction, Body horror, Drug abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Suicide, Grief, and Abandonment

theresa_timber's review against another edition

dark emotional informative mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Antisemitism

Moderate: Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Dementia, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and War

deltadam's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional informative slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Drug use, Genocide, Racial slurs, Antisemitism, Death of parent, and War

bookworm_ohsea's review against another edition

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Genocide, Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, Antisemitism, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Deportation

kristinj1's review

challenging dark emotional informative reflective relaxing sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Wow this was a good book! It was interesting to read this with the real world backdrop of the war happening in Gaza and Israel. I have an even deeper understanding of what Jewish people have experienced, what it was like in places like Paris before deportation began, how they believed that if they followed the rules they'd be okay. I see now why, at the end of the book, she says why they don't obey orders. Oh, and the reintroduction of "returnees" to France! I hadn't read about any of that before. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Death, Drug use, Genocide, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual content, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Antisemitism, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Deportation

machenn's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Antisemitism

Moderate: Child death, Death, Drug use, Genocide, Torture, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, and War

jabakken's review against another edition

dark emotional informative sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Genocide, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Violence, Xenophobia, Antisemitism, Grief, and Death of parent