Monday's Pick!

Skeletons at the Feast by Chris Bohjalian

This compelling story is set in German occupied Poland during the last year of WWII. It is the parallel stories of 18 year old Anna Emerich who is from an aristocratic Prussian farming family fleeing with her mother and younger brother from the invasion of the Russians. With them is Callum Finella, a 20 year old Scottish POW. It is clear the Third Reich is falling and there are many refugees heading west. It is also the story of Uri Singer a young Jewish man who escaped from a train bound for a death camp. When he meets Callum, Anna and her family he is disguised as a German Wehrmacht corporal. He is desperately trying to locate his sister. Another story emerges with Cecile, a French Jewish woman who is imprisoned in a concentration camp. She too becomes a refugee of sorts as the camp she is in forces the prisoners to evacuate and begin to head west. Hers is the story of not only extreme bravery but of a need to survive against all odds. Historically correct, this novel describes the brutality and harshness of this tragic era, yet allows the reader to maintain a hopefulness for humanity and compassion for the characters. For readers who liked Suite Francaise.

Also available in Large Print and as a Book on CD!