This novel is very intense. It tells the story of France's (Paris) role during WWII and the Holocaust. It was extremely powerful for me because I had just spent two weeks in Europe, which included visiting Paris, so it was very weird to read the events and be able to picture it in my head. Books like these are never really easy to read, but they are worth it and people need to be aware and know the horrors of what took place. When I visited Germany, we went to a concentration camp. There we learned that every German student is required to visit a concentration camp before they graduate. I found this very interesting. But, it is so much a part of Germany's history that it makes sense. As I was visiting the concentration camp, I thought to myself, I feel so much for all the suffering and people that died here; but, could you imagine being a survivor.. and having to live everyday bearing on your heart, shoulders, and soul what you lived through? Nothing about anything that occurred during this part of our world's history is okay, and I don't think there is anyway that the world will be able to think about these events without becoming emotional.
This novel was not just a historical novel, but it also had a personal familial relationship tied into the plot that also opened up interesting controversial topics that, sadly, many couples face today. The ending was not amazing, but it satisfied me. I think it was appropriate because as I said before, there is no making it okay, there is no getting over it, there is no forgetting... so, there is no way you can really end this novel with a blunt period, more like an airy breeze that lasts for only a second but leaves you lingering with both the comfort and shivers of it all.
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