Author: Mario Escobar
Publication Information: Thomas Nelson. 2018. 304 pages.
ISBN: 0785219951 / 978-0785219958
Book Source: I received this book through NetGalley free of cost in exchange for an honest review.
Opening Sentence: "I held my breath during the airplane's steep ascent."
Favorite Quote: "All human beings are irreplaceable, of infinite value, and nothing can substitute the life that is taken."
A story of love: Helene and Johann meet and fall he in love. She is a nurse; he is a violinist. She is of Aryan descent; he is of Romani Gypsy descent. Society and their families do not approve of their love. Nevertheless, they marry, have five children, and are happy in their lives.
A story of hate and evil: It is 1943 in Berlin, Germany. The SS arrive at the doorstep of the Hannemann's. All Gypsies are to be sent to camps. History tells us that over 20,000 ethnic gypsies perished at Auschwitz. "I had always wanted to believe that people would wake up and see what Hitler and his followers represented, but no one did. Everyone went right along with his fanatical insanity and turned the world into a starving warring hell."
An impossible choice: As an Aryan, Helene is exempt from the order. As Gypsy, her husband and children are not. As a wife and even more as a mother, Helene stays with her family. She is arrested and transported along with the children. "I'm a mother ... You all wage your wars for grand ideals, you defend your fanatical beliefs about liberty, country, and race, but mothers have only one homeland, one ideal, one race: our family."
A story of courage: The family is sent to Auschwitz along with thousands of other Gypsies. History tells us how that ends. This book tells the story of Helene Hannemann. It is the story of a school that was started as a propaganda exercise by the Nazis but that also, through Helene's courage, brought a moment of hope to the children of Auschwitz.
Helene Hannemann is a historical figure. Her story is real and another horrific vision of World War II history. Her courage is inspiring. That is the story the world needs to tell and remember.
Now on to this telling of the story. Some things that leave me thinking...
The lullaby of the title is referenced only twice in the book, and the violin on the cover is not central to the story at all. This does not impact the story, but I expected more given the prominence it's given.
The book begins and ends with a short first person narrative section from an unexpected character; it is also a retrospective on Helene and her impact. History or a literary technique? It is unclear. Either way, to me, it is unnecessary and not needed.
The narrative, with a mother at the heart of such horror, has an emotional distance. The narration tells the story but does not seem to bring it to life. I weep at the idea that the world allowed such atrocities to exist and occur. Yet, it is the history not the narrative that evokes the emotions.
The ending of this book is not entirely true to the history. The author specifies that as a deliberate choice. I think by diluting what actually happened, it does a disservice to this family's history and the history of all those who perished. This history needs to be remembered as it occurred.
A story of love: Helene and Johann meet and fall he in love. She is a nurse; he is a violinist. She is of Aryan descent; he is of Romani Gypsy descent. Society and their families do not approve of their love. Nevertheless, they marry, have five children, and are happy in their lives.
A story of hate and evil: It is 1943 in Berlin, Germany. The SS arrive at the doorstep of the Hannemann's. All Gypsies are to be sent to camps. History tells us that over 20,000 ethnic gypsies perished at Auschwitz. "I had always wanted to believe that people would wake up and see what Hitler and his followers represented, but no one did. Everyone went right along with his fanatical insanity and turned the world into a starving warring hell."
An impossible choice: As an Aryan, Helene is exempt from the order. As Gypsy, her husband and children are not. As a wife and even more as a mother, Helene stays with her family. She is arrested and transported along with the children. "I'm a mother ... You all wage your wars for grand ideals, you defend your fanatical beliefs about liberty, country, and race, but mothers have only one homeland, one ideal, one race: our family."
A story of courage: The family is sent to Auschwitz along with thousands of other Gypsies. History tells us how that ends. This book tells the story of Helene Hannemann. It is the story of a school that was started as a propaganda exercise by the Nazis but that also, through Helene's courage, brought a moment of hope to the children of Auschwitz.
Helene Hannemann is a historical figure. Her story is real and another horrific vision of World War II history. Her courage is inspiring. That is the story the world needs to tell and remember.
Now on to this telling of the story. Some things that leave me thinking...
The lullaby of the title is referenced only twice in the book, and the violin on the cover is not central to the story at all. This does not impact the story, but I expected more given the prominence it's given.
The book begins and ends with a short first person narrative section from an unexpected character; it is also a retrospective on Helene and her impact. History or a literary technique? It is unclear. Either way, to me, it is unnecessary and not needed.
The narrative, with a mother at the heart of such horror, has an emotional distance. The narration tells the story but does not seem to bring it to life. I weep at the idea that the world allowed such atrocities to exist and occur. Yet, it is the history not the narrative that evokes the emotions.
The ending of this book is not entirely true to the history. The author specifies that as a deliberate choice. I think by diluting what actually happened, it does a disservice to this family's history and the history of all those who perished. This history needs to be remembered as it occurred.
Please share your thoughts and leave a comment. I would love to "talk" to you.
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