If you're tired of Holocaust books, move on to the next review. Many of my friends are, and as soon as I mention a book such as this, they hold up their hands and say "stop".
The author in this novel has told a story inside of a story. The first story takes place in the present (or maybe the early 2000's) and is all about an elderly man named Ben who was originally from Poland. He believes that Elliott, a wealthy Chicago businessman, was once a Nazi who was raised by Ben's family before the war. Ben is out to prove to the world who Elliott really is and to recapture items that he feels were taken from his family. To do this, Ben is telling his story to Catherine, a smart attorney who has major self-esteem issues.
Ben's story is compelling. He talks about his family and all that they endured because of their faith. I wish that the entire book had just been Ben's story. The part of the novel that revolves around Catherine is not at all compelling and sometimes downright stupid. For example, as Catherine listens to Ben's story, she seems to be learning about the holocaust for the very first time and is shocked to hear about Jewish ghettos and death camps. And, of course, there has to be a predictable love interest for Catherine. Must everyone pair up to be a happy ending?
So do I recommend it? Maybe just read Ben's story and skip the story that frames it. This would involve a lot of page turning, but I'm sure you can manage.
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