Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Displaced Persons by Ghita Schwarz

She looked at her father's wet face, skin hanging from his jawbones. He had stopped crying, he was still, but he did not bother to wipe his cheeks.

 Title: Displaced Persons
Author: Ghita Schwarz
ISBN: 978-0061881909
Publisher: William Morrow/2010
Pages: 340

Displaced Person is about survivors from the holocaust. It is all about overcoming sorrow with endurance and perseverance, and finally rebirth. Pavel, Fela, and Chaim Polish Jews, survivors and ending up in refugee camps and now known as displaced persons. Three people from three different social structures yet united by a common factor, that is surviving the concentration camps. They have nothing but their ingenuity. They escape to US but the past does not go away. They have new families yet the underlying tragedy does not leave them.
The displaced persons, even after finding new countries, new jobs, new families, can never find the inner peace. Their emotional turmoil is a part of them. 

No holocaust book is an easy read. Same here with Displaced Persons. A person escapes the concentration camps but he still does not feel liberated in the refugee camps. Maybe it is the guilt of surviving, maybe something else but the conflict is very much evident. Surviving is not just about staying alive. It is about emotional healing too, which does not happen.

The cover is stark. The novel is stark. And it hits hard. I strongly recommend this novel for everyone of us. Because we must not forget the Holocaust. EVER.
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17 comments:

  1. AnonymousJanuary 28, 2014 at 4:17 PM

    sounds sad :(
    beautiful cover though
    thanks for sharing

    http://tiensblurb.wordpress.com/2014/01/28/teaser-tuesdays-the-yearning/

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  2. Karen and GerardJanuary 28, 2014 at 4:44 PM

    Sounds sad, interesting title. Are you enjoying it? Here's ours: http://www.ourstack.blogspot.com/2014/01/tuesday-teasers-four-this-week.html

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  3. Beth FJanuary 28, 2014 at 5:43 PM

    Wow. Sounds like a powerful and emotional book.

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  4. collettakayJanuary 28, 2014 at 5:57 PM

    How sad!

    Here's my teaser:

    http://collettaskitchensink.blogspot.com/2014/01/teaser-tuesday-12814.html

    Colletta

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  5. Harvee44January 28, 2014 at 6:50 PM

    Good tie in to the book I just reviewed for a tour, a book about conditions BEFORE the war. Both books are very revealing...

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  6. BakeyJanuary 28, 2014 at 7:41 PM

    Sounds sad but a book I'd like to read

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  7. TrishJanuary 28, 2014 at 8:29 PM

    oh wow. sounds like a really powerful book.

    thanks for stopping by my tease

    trish - my teaser

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  8. Nise' January 28, 2014 at 9:58 PM

    I agree, we must never forget.

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  9. fredamansJanuary 28, 2014 at 10:16 PM

    Agreed. Everyone should keep the holocaust in their minds.

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  10. UnknownJanuary 28, 2014 at 11:35 PM

    That sounds really sad... Here is mine.

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  11. AnonymousJanuary 29, 2014 at 12:40 AM

    What a heart-breaking teaser but as you say a book about the Holocaust is always going to be... Is it interesting?

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  12. UnknownJanuary 29, 2014 at 1:58 AM

    yes, I can image that this will be an emotional read! You can already feel the rawness of it in those few words. Thanks for sharing and Happy reading.

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  13. Love Africa Book ClubJanuary 29, 2014 at 2:19 AM

    This is a moving teaser. Thanks for sharing.

    Kay xx

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  14. Ellie @ Ellie Reads All the BooksJanuary 29, 2014 at 2:34 AM

    Seems like a very emotional, heavy book. Thanks for stopping by.

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  15. UnknownJanuary 29, 2014 at 9:00 AM

    How sad! I hope you're enjoying this. Nice teaser!

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  16. T.F. WalshJanuary 29, 2014 at 3:26 PM

    I'm quite intrigued by that teaser... wonder what's going on. Nice selection.

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  17. AnonymousJanuary 31, 2014 at 5:31 AM

    This looks like an important read. Unfortunately, I can't handle stark right now!

    ReplyDelete