This was one of those books that I'm desperate for my husband to read so I can discuss it with him. I finished it a few days ago and I'm still savouring what a fantastic book it was. This is, in every sense of the word, a big book! It's well over 500 pages and has significant themes, an intricate plot, meaty characters and big ideas. It travels from the US, Australia and Europe. A lot of other books I read seem meagre in comparison.
It follows several characters: an Australian historian, Adam Zignelik, who specialises in the American civil rights movement, a African American man, Lamont Williams, trying to turn his life around after spending years in prison, and the elderly Holocaust survivor, Henryk Mandelbrot, he befriends (or should that be, is befriended by) at the hospital where he works on probation.
Both Adam and Lamont are trying to rehabilitate their lives. Adam after being paralysed by writer's block, finds an inspiring research topic that leads him to unexpected places, personally and professionally. Lamont is facing the more daunting task of rebuilding his shattered life after his time in gaol, and wants to find his daughter. You really want the lives of both these characters to work out, even whilst they are making frustrating decisions.
The historical context of this book is massive with both the Holocaust and the American civil rights movement explored. It doesn't get any bigger than that. As you would expect, it is heavy going in places but I was reminded that even in the midst of horror, people are brave and are extraordinary.
It also explores father and son relationships, sons struggling to grow in the shadows of great men. Until writing this review I hadn't realised how male this book is. (Not that there aren't female characters, or that they aren't realistically well written.) That is something that would usually put me off, I know my reading is definitely heavily weighted towards women writers. It is a testimony to how fantastic this book that I just noticed this and it still doesn't bother me.
This book isn't perfect. I'm not sure that Adam's imaginary conversations with his ex-girlfriend worked for me or were necessary; they just seemed a little bit twee. Very self indulgent but that was keeping in with Adam's character.
This book reminded me of the best of reading! There is another reader on my bus, whom I've never spoken to, but I feel like introducing myself just so that I can tell her that she just has to read this.
Happy reading!
