i recently finished a book that was both tragic & uplifting called The Seventh Well by Fred Wander. it has taken me days to really absorb it's impact. i am familiar with much literature based on the holocaust, fiction & non-fiction, alike. it has been quite some time since i have immersed myself in this genre. after reading Night by Elie Wiesel, i was quite affected & had to take a break from holocaust, if you will. my friend, jen, had saved this one up for me & handed it to me a few weeks ago. i had turned her on to Night & she was returning the favor with this one.
the individuals i met in this novel i shall not soon forget. even though they have long since deceased, Wander manages to make them come alive again & their spirits remain intact. this amazes me . . . the legacies that some people leave. here i am, far away from the forlorn places & times, yet i am still able to connect & cherish & remember these people. for their bravery, humanity, vulnerabilities, & characteristics. i believe that this is true success for a writer. to make these characters breath life into you & really make a poignant impact on readers.
the real power for me in the book was the emphasis on individual stories. that each person Wander meets in the those camps was stripped of everything . . . . . clothing, wealth, family, home, even the hair on their bodies. but they couldn't be stripped of their memories, thoughts, or feelings. they could break out of their prisons by expressing these & this undoubtedly helped some of the survivors carry on to see the liberation.
thank you, jen, for allowing me the chance to honor these wonderful souls.
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