The Librarian of Auschwitz - Antonio Iturbe
Translated from Spanish by Lilit Žekulun Thwaites.
This may be a Young Adult book, but it is very intense for anyone.
I guess I should have expected this, considering the title includes the word "Auschwitz", but there are some very 'heavy' passages within this book. Be warned.
Although the main story, of teenager Dita Kraus (the titular librarian) is gripping enough, author Antonio Iturbe fills the books with a number of subplots which all carry interest as well. Thus we get the story of two prisoners falling in love, of a guard becoming obsessed with another prisoner, of the secret life of Fredy Hirsch, and more. In each of these stories, the author flits from one perspective to another - often in a single scene - allowing us to understand each character even as the characters don't manage to do the same for one another. This really does help the reader get invested into the lives of each character in their own way - making it even more heart-breaking when so many inevitably do end up dying.
There are times when jumping around so much meant I lost track of certain characters - at a certain point I realised I had not taken in the age of another character, and this way probably because I hadn't remembered their previous appearances all that well - but over all the book is very well written, and effective in how it comes across.
I recommend this book as a once-off read, even though parts of it are uncomfortable.
Completed 8 February 2020.
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