Reviewed by Shira Yael Klein
(Rachack Review)
At its core, this book is a
fairly typical Holocaust memoir, yet it is undeniably a stellar five-star read,
as attested to by the multiple awards it earned. The book chronicles the life
of a young Hungarian Jewish man from his childhood as a coddled only child of
well-to-do parents, through the harrowing depths of the Hungarian forced labor
camps during the Holocaust, and eventually to adulthood in post-war Communist
Hungary. While the Holocaust narrative may be familiar to many readers, the
latter part of the book offers a unique perspective, delving into the
relatively-uncharted territory of post-war Communist Hungary. The
acknowledgements in the back of the book reveal that there were many rounds of
editing and proofreading, and a lot of people were involved in producing this wonderful
book. All those efforts shine through in this beautifully-written,
well-executed masterpiece.
What sets this book apart is its
distinctive narrative structure. Surprisingly, a significant chunk of the
narrative doesn't focus on the young protagonist, but instead pivots to his
father's story. The reader is transported back to his father’s boyhood and
follows his father’s journey through marriage and early adulthood. It is a
gripping account of a young man’s struggle to succeed in an anti-Semitic society,
highlighting the resilience and perseverance he displayed while pulling himself
up by the bootstraps to become a highly-successful Jewish doctor. This legacy
of success doesn't stop with the protagonist’s father, but — spoiler alert — it
extends to the protagonist himself and even to the author, who happens to be
the protagonist’s son. Remarkably, all three generations of men were Jewish doctors.
This familial echo adds a poignant layer to the narrative, underscoring the multi-generational
impact of the father's resilience and determination.
Another integral facet of the
protagonist's identity was his strong connection to Hungarian high culture—the
arts, opera, music, and theater. This cultural immersion was synonymous with a
certain higher standard of living. A poignant scene in the book paints this
picture vividly: during summer swims, while other swimmers on the riverbanks
settled for humbler lunches, his housekeeper would present him with a sumptuous
multi-course meal served on delicate chinaware. These refined sensibilities
continued to shape the protagonist's life, anchoring him to the world of
Hungarian high culture.
As an aside, my husband's family is
of Hungarian Jewish heritage, and all four of his grandparents hail from
Hungary (at least in the Jewish geographical sense). One of the characters in
this book was named Uncle Laci, and he is somewhat reminiscent of my husband’s
great-uncle Laci, who was affectionately known as Laci Basci (with basci
being the Hungarian term for "uncle"). My husband's great-uncle was a
true Hungarian gentleman, who cherished the theater and classical music.
Reading this book helped me better understand another facet of our Uncle Laci.
Yet, there were aspects of the
protagonist's choices and experiences that left me dismayed as an Orthodox
Jewish reader. The protagonist and his father very conspicuously identified as
Jews; they not only believed in God, but also in the efficacy of prayer. This
Jewish pride led the protagonist to hate having to feign being Christian during
the Holocaust (when he could not openly admit to being Jewish). But although they
were proud to be Jews, there was only a vestigial remnant of Jewish observance.
For example, the protagonist fasted on Yom Kipper and had a Jewish wedding (even
under communist rule, when this was forbidden).
One particular incident that
stood out was when the protagonist casually partook in a meal consisting of
potatoes and lard. This did not transpire under starvation conditions, wherein
one obviously eats whatever one gets in order to stay alive. The protagonist
seemed to disregard fundamental principles of Jewish dietary observance without
hesitation. It was rather disconcerting that somebody could be so proud of
being Jewish, yet stray so far from Judaism. Of course the protagonist (clearly
a good and moral person) cannot be blamed for these shortcomings, because he
was raised secular, but nonetheless I found it unsettling.
However, I was even more
disturbed by a different part of the story: During a financial depression, the
protagonist's parents relocated to an Orthodox neighborhood in an attempt to
save money. At that time, the protagonist was still a young child, so he
transferred to the local Orthodox school, but he was unable to make any
friends. This left him a very lonely little boy (especially considering he was
an only child, so he didn't have any siblings). Later in life, he realized that
the other, religious, Jewish families in the neighborhood forbade their
children from playing with him.
This dynamic comes up again, in
the work camps. There, the religious boys shunned the non-religious Jewish boys
(many of whom came from families that had converted to Christianity). They were
all stuck in the same work camp together because they were all Jews, yet the
religious boys still viewed the non-religious ones with animosity. I wanted to
go back in time and yell at them.
In the work camps, the conditions
were harsh, with grueling labor and meager rations that bordered on starvation.
However, the protagonist's work group seemed to fare better than most others
(perhaps because many of the boys had converted to Christianity). It's notable
that none of the boys in this particular work group succumbed to the relentless
labor or starvation.
Another heartening and
distinctive aspect of this Holocaust memoir was the presence of human decency
amid the darkness. The Jewish boys in the work camp would often sneak off at
night to beg or buy food from sympathetic peasants in the vicinity. In Hungary,
there were still some good people left, who recognized that Jews were people
too and that the persecution they endured was unjust. Some went to great
lengths to extend a helping hand, even at the risk of their own safety. This
contrasted with some other memoirs from Holocaust survivors in Poland and other
parts of Europe, where it seemed like the whole world had gone mad and
absolutely everyone was out to get you.
Despite the unsettling moments
and observations, this book remains a truly excellent five-star read, an
engrossing page-turner that provides unique insights into a complex and
challenging era.
