Far to Go by Alison Pick

It was friday afternoon, the end of a long week. Misha Bauer made one last telephone call; the operator told him there was a line through berlin.
"Our calls don't go through berlin," he said. She of all people should know that. But he did'nt want to be angry --- not at the start of the Sabbath. He was looking forward to getting home to his wife and little boy, Tomas.
"My mistake."
"Could you bok me line for monday?" he asked.
"Next monday?"
"Four o'clock." He paused. "No, four thirty."

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Of my father, I remember absolutely nothing.


~~~Page 56,Far to Go by Alison Pick

The Friday 56 is a fun meme to do hosted by Freda's Voice. If you'd like to join on the fun go to The Friday 56.
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MY REVIEW FOLLOWS:

Title: Far to Go
Author: Alison Pick
ISBN: 9780062034625
Publisher: Harper Perennial/2011
Pages: 310

The novel is set in Czechoslovakia in 1938. Sudetenland, Czechoslovakia  has been invaded by Germany. The Bauers, Pavel and Annabel think they are not going to be affected by the invasion. Because they are rich and are secular Jews who do not practice Judaism. They have a nanny, Marta for their five year old son, Pepik.

Marta loves her young charge. She has secret lover, Ernst, who is Pavel's best friend. She is aghast to know that he hates the Jews. He wants the Bauers money at any cost. He is the one who betrays the Bauers and Marta, in a moment of weakness, helps him. She is worried about her future and makes this bad decision to betray them. It is too late by the time she realizes her mistake. 

The Bauers, in desperation, decide to sent Pepik to England using Kindertransport.  He does not want to go, like any child of his age but they force. They have every plan of getting him back after the war finishes. 

Told by alternatively by an unknown narrative in the present times and Marta, the novel moves forward in a good pace. At no point, I wanted to stop reading. There is no melodrama or sentimentality. It is told in a very practical manner and that is what makes the story poignant.  The emotions are palpable and reach out to the reader. It might be a work of fiction but we know all of this and more happened. Jews were killed in various concentration camps. And they took to desperate measures to save their children. I did not know much about Kindertransport. this novel made me aware of that. 

This is not a book to trifle with and a serious read. All of us ought to read about the holocaust. I highly recommend it for every reader. Yes, each one of us. Because, we must not forget. THE HOLOCAUST.