A review by kaulyjo
Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum
4.0
In all of the literature that I've read surrounding World War II and the Holocaust, it's all been with the focal point of the Jewish story. Blum's novel, instead, focuses on an ordinary German girl swept up in the course of history due to her location near Buchenwald. It took me a little while to get into it - and the lack of proper punctuation around dialogue annoyed me - but when I did, the book became a near couldn't put down.
The ending is messy. There's explanation if no real resolution. Then again, life is usually like that, too. I wanted Anna and Trudy to come to some kind of better place in their relationship, but maternal/child relationships are often messy as well.
It's really only my wishing for more - an epilogue would have been wonderful - that keeps me from giving it five stars. It really is quite good.
The ending is messy. There's explanation if no real resolution. Then again, life is usually like that, too. I wanted Anna and Trudy to come to some kind of better place in their relationship, but maternal/child relationships are often messy as well.
It's really only my wishing for more - an epilogue would have been wonderful - that keeps me from giving it five stars. It really is quite good.