“Ike” Goldah seems to be finding his way to adjusting to life after the concentration camps of World War II. He has come straight from the DP camp to live with his cousins in Savannah, Georgia. His cousin has set him up with a room in their house, a job in his shoe store, and he is even looking into doing some writing on the side, which was his previous career before the war. That is, until he has a surprise visitor who is like a ghost from his past – and seems to turn his world upside down.
I really like this book for its many plot threads and themes. You can look at the Jewish Holocaust themes, but there are also comparisons between the Jew/non-Jew and Black/White race relations that are laid out so starkly here. In addition, Goldah’s cousin is involved in illegal dealings with his shoe business that are a bit murky but that give the story another dimension. Goldah’s love interests also create another side story, giving his “visitor” addition a real shock value.
I actually think the book could have been expanded upon. It felt like it ended much too soon. The characters were great and there was so much happening in it that it could have been broadened further. I was left wanting much more.
I think this book was a good read, but probably edited down a bit too much.
kindread spirits 