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The Song of the Stork by Stephan Collishaw

17/3/2017

4 Comments

 
When fifteen-year-old Yael takes refuge in the forest, it’s not because she’s a stroppy adolescent looking for adventure. This is Lithuania in the 1940s and, as a Jew, Yael’s very survival depends on her ability to stay out of sight. But when her companion dies, Yael seeks shelter on a nearby farm. Aleksei, the young owner and village outcast because of myths surrounding his disability, is initially reluctant to help her, conscious that it means putting his own life at risk. But, little by little, the pair grow closer, becoming lovers until the encroachment of a Nazi encampment forces Yael once more to flee.

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With a wealth of engaging novels about the Holocaust – for example, Mischling, which I recently reviewed – what makes this one stand out? What I loved was the slow development of the relationship between the young couple, emphasising that neither of them dared take the other’s goodwill for granted. As Aleksei is mute and Yael naturally quiet – such that it feels a dreadful intrusion when the more extrovert Eva joins them – the tension has to be conveyed by gestures and glances or, more often, the avoidance of each other’s gaze. Stephan Collishaw handles this with beautifully eloquent control, proving that you don’t need a lot of action to keep readers turning the page.

But for those who appreciate action and adventure, there’s plenty in the second half of the novel when Yael joins the partisans in the forest, learning to fire a rifle and scrounging snippets of news of her brother, Josef, the only other member of her family might still be alive. Here, much as she relishes the attentions of Maksim, the leader of their group, she misses Aleksei and wonders if they can make a life together if the atrocities ever come to an end. But Yael faces a more personal challenge in the final months of the war.

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The Song of the Stork
is an optimistic coming-of-age story of love and survival amid the horrors of the Second World War. Having met the author last year in the audience at a Nottingham book launch, I was delighted when Legend Press offered me the opportunity to read his most recent work.

Do check out the other posts on the blog tour. (Mine for
Underneath kicks off in two months’ time!)

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Thanks for reading. I'd love to know what you think. If you've enjoyed this post, you might like to sign up via the sidebar for regular email updates and/or my quarterly Newsletter.
4 Comments
Norah Colvin link
20/3/2017 11:10:48 am

It does sound an interesting read, Anne. I always enjoy reading books written by people I have met. :)

Reply
Annecdotist
20/3/2017 04:23:29 pm

Yes, but for me there is always a slight anxiety I might not like them (the book not the person) when I’ve committed to a review.

Reply
Charli Mills
21/3/2017 06:10:12 pm

I've not really thought of Holocaust stories being a genre, but I suppose there are a subcategory to historical fiction. This actually sounds like it might be a hopeful story, too. Some that I've read have not ended on notes of hope. I also like your observation: "...proving that you don’t need a lot of action to keep readers turning the page." Engagement is not always action. Fun to read a book by an author you've met (and you like the book)!

Reply
Annecdotist
22/3/2017 09:50:55 am

Thanks, Charli, I think it’s tricky to give a holocaust story hopeful ending and still be authentic, so I might prefer one that is more downbeat. But I did enjoy this novel answered yes, good line, “engagement is not always action”, although I think some in the industry would have us believe it is.

Reply



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