Skeletons at the Feast

by Chris Bohjalian

I am not sure I can write a review that will do this book justice. It is not a typical World War II novel. The book is written from the perspective of a young German girl fleeing her home in what used to be Poland and trying to out run the advancing Soviet Army. She is accompanied by part of her family and a Scottish POW. They are joined along the way by a German soldier, who just might not be all he says he is. It is an unlikely group, but a group of survivors none the less. One of the underlying themes of the book is just how much the average German citizen knew about what was happening to the Jews of Europe. Bohjalian does an excellent job of showing both sides of the argument. He allows the secluded, rural citizen the benefit of the doubt, while showing little mercy on those living in the cities and in the areas surrounding the camps. While, not answering the age old question of how German citizens could have allowed the Holocaust to happen, it is a unique literary perspective.

I could not put this book down. It drew me in and kept me enthralled until the very last lines. There are several subplots that are woven together so well that when they come together at the end you expect it, but the events that unfold are like nothing you would have suspected. It is beautifully written and hauntingly plausible. This is by far the best book I have reading 2009 and will be my most recommended book for a long time.

Rating - A+