They Went Left

For the historical fiction genre, World War II is something like the default topic writers tend to choose from. This is because it has an easy antagonist (The Nazis) and an easy protagonist (everyone who isn't a Nazi). That said, there are some books that try and shake up what could be an easy book to write. Soldier Boys by Dean Huges tells the story of not only a boy's attempt to join the paratroopers, but also a boy in Germany, who wants to join the Hitler Youth. Resistance by Jennifer A Nealison looks at the Polish resistance in the Jewish Ghettos. Then there are those that shake up history entirely with books like Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin, a novel exploring what if the Axis powers had won WWII. Thankfully, They Went Left operates in the shadow of WWII, while being wholly unique in its setting and storytelling.

We open at the end of WWII in Europe, with 18-year-old Zofia Lederman. Having survived the horrors of the Nazi concentration camps, she now struggles to put her life back together and emotionally move forward after she witnessed most of her family being sorted to the left (the death chambers), while she and her brother, Abek, were sorted to the right as workers. She now wishes to find him, claiming that he is still alive. Doing so, however, will be easier said than done. She does not know where he was sent to after they were separated, if he is in Germany itself, or even (though she does not want to admit it) if he is even still alive. Desperate, she manages to make her way to a refugee camp and discovers friends there for the first time in years, and she considers a new life for herself. But can she find her brother? And if she does not, can she move on without him?

One of this historical fiction novel's greatest strengths is how we see the aftermath of the Nazis ravaging Europe. For most historical fiction books, the text ends after they are free, as though everything will be magically fine as the Allies are the beacon of hope for many oppressed peoples. This text shows the darker reality. Thousands of Jewish people were left homeless, forced to wander into and out of lands that they were unfamiliar with, facing a population that did not care for Jews, at a time where most of Eastern Europe was going to come under Communist control, which was hardly better than the Natzis. This doesn't count how they must find if loved ones are still alive. Today, there could be central databases, that one can search through on a computer, but back then, no such luck. The name could be buried in a ledger for a camp, but that name could be misspelled, misread, or the train could have been diverted to another camp, or destroyed by Allied troops. The person themselves could have died in the camps after they were liberated, or even in the hospital while getting care. There are a number of organizations trying to help, but they do not have the same forms to fill out, nor do they talk to one another (literally and figuratively) in the same language.

It is a miracle that anyone found their families at all.

This instantly makes Zofia's task seem insurmountable, but also relatable, as we root for her to find her brother. It offers a closer look into what life was really like for those people who managed to survive the devastation. Indeed, it made me think about the Marshall Plan, an economic stimulus plan designed to industrialize what would become war-torn Western Europe. This text hits home for the reader just how necessary this plan was because the fear at this time was that if the US did not intervene, then Communist control would take over Western Europe. When one considers what Zofia had to go through, the fear seems justified, as if I were her, I would have been happy for any kind of relief, no matter who it came from.

I also enjoyed the romance in this book. I know, I'm shocked too. While at the camp, Zofia meets a man called Joseph. He and Zofia do not become fast friends, but Zofia finds him dashing and serves as a good counter for him. Joseph is quiet and does not speak of himself or his family much, but Zofia serves as a bit of a chatterbox, filling awkward silences as though she believes that this could be the last time she sees anyone ever again. For his part, Joseph is an excellent romantic partner, when he is working with Zofia and her mental illness and trauma. He does not push her to talk about things unless she wants to, and if she says she needs to be alone, he respects her space but lets her know that he is there for her if needed. Zofia also helps him to come to terms with what Joseph did, to a point and allows him to grow beyond taking care of horses and doing weekly deliveries for the camp. She helps him to realize that life can be worth living.

There are a few downsides to this book. One is the ending. In the end, it is found out the Joseph worked for the German army. He tries to explain to Zofia (and the reader) what happened, but we do not get much of an explanation. On the one hand, I can understand how Zofia has the reaction she does. She obviously does not like that he did not tell her this, and she hates him. They break up soon after this, which I can understand. On the other hand, I don't agree with it, since we discover a major secret about Zofia's brother, almost as bad as Joseph's secret, and Zofia seems to be okay with him. This made little sense to me, as I wondered how she could be okay with one secret and not the other. Maybe it was because I wanted Zofia and Joseph to be together, but I felt that the inconsistency was too unrealistic for my liking.

Overall, though, I would say that this has been a standout book for me, and this is destined to be the best book of the year. If you have not checked out this book then I encourage you to do so, as you will not regret it.