Those who save us book columbus metropolitan library. Publishers weekly apr 5, 2004 blum, who worked for steven spielbergs shoah foundation, takes a direct, unsentimental look at the holocaust in her first novel. The book alternates between annas experience as a young adult in weimar, germany. Those who save us, written by jenna blum, is an historical fiction novel set in germany during world war ii.
Trudie knows nothing about her father but believes he was a nazi officer, from a photo hidden in annas drawer. Those who save us by jenna blum for fifty years, anna schlemmer has refused to talk about her life in germany during world war ii. An absorbing tale of two womens struggles with the burdens and responsibilities of remembrance. Blum, who is halfjewish and of german descent, worked for steven spielbergs shoah foundation. Pdf those who save us book by jenna blum free download. Goodreads members who liked those who save us also liked. In that context, its a penetrating novel which touches the heart and questions the conscience. In the beginning of the novel, what is annas attitude towards the jewish people of weimar. How does blum play with the concept of being saved, being safe, being a savior. It is also a book about heroism, not the kind we are normally subject to, but the kind of heroes that do not realise, at the time, that this is how they appear to those they help. In what ways do the characters save each other in the novel, and who saves whom. I caught myself asking whether anna was her own kind of prisoner, and trudy too, by association and upbringing. A book on tape that will keep you awake in the car where does those who save us rank among all the audiobooks youve listened to so far.
The opening chapter of those who save us ends with a woman shunned by her nice minnesota neighbors following the funeral of her husband, jack. In the end, this historically specific novel tells a universal story of guilt, forgiveness and love. For fifty years, anna schlemmer has refused to talk about her life in germany during world war ii. Anna is an eighteen year old girl who falls in love with a jewish doctor and finds the courage to finally stand up to her domineering father, a nazi sympathizer and altogether unkind man, and hide her lover in her own home. It is the authors debut novel and concerns the ways in which germans who were not jewish handled the holocaust. Synopsis for fifty years, anna schlemmer has refused to talk about her life in germany during world war ii. Her mother, anna, refuses to talk to her, but annas story is revealed in flashback. In striving to enrich the lives of all readers, teachingbooks supports the first amendment and celebrates the right to read. Those who save us bursts with provocative questions about the ambiguous possibilities of culpability.
Digital rights management drm the publisher has supplied this book in encrypted form, which means that you need to install free software in order to unlock and read it. Those who save us for fifty years, anna schlemmer has refused to talk about her life in germany during world war ii. Dealing as it does with illfated romance, nazi cruelty and motherdaughter guilt, those who save us could have been a terribly melodramatic book. She worked for steven spielbergs shoah foundation for four years, interviewing holocaust survivors. Those who save us book central rappahannock regional.
Praise for those who save us jenna blums accomplished first novel, those who save us, is both vast and intimate in its reach. Publishers weekly said of the book, blums spare imagery is. Heartbreaking, and graphic, this book will transform your thinking. The story combines wisdom and depth with good storytelling. As a young woman, she conceived the child of max, a jewish doctor she had hidden in her home in an effort to protect him from the nazis.
Secrets abound in the pages of this book, some of which we only discover the true nature of by reading, as the person holding the secret will take it with them to. April 1, 2004 an emotionally estranged mother and daughter are reconciled when the daughter learns the truth about her german mothers actions in wwii. Trudy, a college history professor, is collecting oral histories from world war ii survivors both german and jewish. In her compelling first novel, jenna blum forces a moral reevaluation on her characters and on the reader. This study guide consists of approximately 62 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of those who save us. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of those who save us by jenna blum. The first edition of the novel was published in april 5th 2004, and was written by jenna blum. Buy a cheap copy of those who save us book by jenna blum. Those who save us, by jenna blum the independent i felt a little bad putting this book down halfway through it is, after all, a book about the holocaust.
Those who save us by jenna blum booksamillion online book. She conducted an affair with a jewish baker who was summarily killed. Her daughter, trudy, was only three when she and her mother were liberated by an american soldier and went to live with him in minnesota. This is one of the few books whose narrator has kept me awake while driving hours and hours late at night. Those who save us those who save us audiobook, by jenna blum. Sep 04, 2017 combining a passionate, doomed love story, a vivid evocation of life during the war, and a poignant motherdaughter drama, those who save us is a profound exploration of what we endure to survive and the legacy of shame. Pdf those who save us book by jenna blum free download 479.
Those who save us book johnson county library bibliocommons. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. Alison leslie gold, a u t h o r o f f i e t s vase and annefrank remembered w i t h m i e p g i e s. Those who save us jenna blum, 2004 houghton mifflin harcourt 496 pp. Free download or read online those who save us pdf epub book. Those who save us ties together the life experiences of anna and her daughter trudy. Jenna blums eloquent first novel those who save us, speaks with restraint and conviction about understanding ones past and moving ahead with life.
Usually i start dozing and switch to music, but i couldnt stop listening to this book, and was sad. Those who save us is a 2004 novel by american author jenna blum. Those who save us helps us better understand both the victims and their victimizers. Find books like those who save us from the worlds largest community of readers. This book really makes you think about what you would do in a similar situation. In addition, blum leads novelists as part of the grub street writing center, a bostonbased workshop for writers. Those who save us by jenna blum book cover, description, publication history. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 479 pages and is available in paperback format. Tenyearold sarah is brutally arrested with her family in the vel dhiv roundup, the most notorious act of french collaboration with the nazis. May 02, 2005 combining a passionate, doomed love story, a vivid evocation of life during the war, and a poignant motherdaughter drama, those who save us is a profound exploration of what we endure to survive and the legacy of shame.
Haunted by an old family photo of her mother and a highranking nazi officer, historian trudy swenson begins to dig deep into the past to uncover the wartime experiences her mother refuses to talk about. Trudys sole evidence of the past is an old photograph. Cagily plotted between past and present, guilt and innocence, those who save us is a moving, unsentimental page turner. As a young woman, anna lived in weimar, germany during world war ii. Her daughter, trudy, was only three when she and her mother were liberated by an american soldier. Those who save us draws together the life experiences of anna and her daughter trudy. Jenna blum portrays characters that are absorbing, gripping, and interesting.
Combining a passionate, doomed love story, a vivid evocation of life during the war, and a poignant motherdaughter drama, those who save us is a profound exploration of what we endure to survive and the legacy of shame. I felt a little bad putting this book down halfway through it is, after all, a book about the holocaust. Those who save us by jenna blum by curlygeek04, may 1, 2011. Those who save us an excellent, gripping, thought provocking story book. The main characters of this historical, historical fiction story are anna schlemmer. Those who save us is from the point of view of a german mother during the holocaust and the lengths she goes to protect her daughter. Those who save us by jenna blum, book cover jenna blums debut novel those who save us is the intimate story, almost as personal in tone as a memoir. Those who save us by jenna blum is a historical fiction book based on a terrible and devasting time. Those who save us made me think about the very personal side of ww2, and very deftly roped me deeply into the atrocities of the camps and all of the injustices by making it uniquely personal. Those who save us is a profound exploration of what we endure to survive and the legacy of shame. Milwaukee journal sentinel the themes of love, sacrifice and family secrets are at the core of blums powerful first novel. Anna is now in a nursing home and still silent about her history. Reviewed by susan gillmor those who save us by jenna blum, book cover jenna blums debut novel those who save us is the.
352 1294 1302 839 1441 1131 1510 942 1334 1065 393 1057 551 1086 1212 1209 386 893 39 1156 995 1548 1299 813 386 850 313 840 52 946 743 927 975 414