Yesterday, I attended my first of what I hope will be many Long Island Reads events. Long Island Reads is an island-wide initiative that began in 2002 to bring readers together from both Nassau and Suffolk Counties. Each spring readers across both counties read the same book, participate in book discussions and enjoy events related to the book in the libraries. Now that in-person events are happening again, this year there was an author chat and book signing where the author was honored.
A book is considered for selection if the author is from, lives on or has a connection to Long Island or the book is set on Long Island. Past selections include:
2021 – The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
2020 – Light from Other Stars by Erika Swyler
2019 – The Female Persuasion by Meg Wolitzer
2018 – Spaceman by Mike Massimino
2017 – Dead Wake by Erik Larson
2016 – Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult
For more information about Long Island reads, click here.
The 2022 Long Island Reads selection
Title: The Living and the Lost
Author: Ellen Feldman
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin / Macmillan Audio
Published: September 7, 2021
Summary:
From the author of Paris Never Leaves You, a gripping story of a young German Jewish woman who returns to Allied Occupied Berlin from America to face the past and unexpected future
Millie Mosbach and her brother David escaped to the United States just before Kristallnacht, leaving their parents and little sister in Berlin. Now they are both back in their former hometown, haunted by ghosts and hoping against hope to find their family. Millie works in the office responsible for rooting out the most dedicated Nazis from publishing. Like most of their German-born American colleagues, the siblings suffer from rage at Germany and guilt at their own good fortune. Only Millie’s boss, Major Harry Sutton, seems strangely eager to be fair to the Germans.
Living and working in bombed-out Berlin, a latter day Wild West where the desperate prey on the unsuspecting; spies ply their trade; black markets thrive, and forbidden fraternization is rampant, Millie must come to terms with a past decision made in a moment of crisis, and with the enigmatic sometimes infuriating Major Sutton who is mysteriously understanding of her demons. Atmospheric and page-turning, The Living and the Lost is a story of survival, love, and forgiveness, of others and of self.
My thoughts:
This is the first book I’ve read by Ellen Feldman but not the only one I own. I have two of her others books sitting on my shelf and now after reading this one, I will be moving the other two up in my reading pile!
This book gives such a unique perspective of the war – that of post-war Germany. It’s a complex story that really hinges on the character’s stories – their survival and how we learn to move on from traumatic events. It moves back and forth from the present to the past and there are some really vivid scenes that stick with you throughout. There is the mystery of what happened to Millie and David’s parents and sister and then there is the question of what David is really doing when he is not at home. All these questions kept me going as I made my way through the book.
At times, this book is not easy to read and we see the characters constantly struggle to make choices that I could not even begin to fathom having to make myself. It is these internal struggles that make this book so strong. There is also a very strong sense of time and place, with the book being set in both Germany and the states, and it was eye-opening for sure. The scenes at both the ski lodge and even at the college are still so vividly imprinted in my mind.
This book was engaging and captivating. I loved the sibling bond between Millie and David as much as I loved learning everything that happened in Germany after the war. Again, this is why I love reading historical fiction – I always learn something new.
Audio thoughts:
This was narrated by Barrie Kreinik and she did such a fabulous job bringing this book to life. As tough as the subject was, Kreinik was able to infuse just the right amount of emotion and tension into her voice as needed. Her pacing was spot on and she gave each character their own unique voice and personality.
***Be sure to check out my Instagram page where I’m giving away 2 copies of this book…look for this post!
