There are few authors who can take us back to a woman’s place in history as well as Anita Diamant. Her best selling novel, The Red Tent, took us to the Old Testament; her latest novel, DAY AFTER NIGHT, takes us to 1945 to a British prison in what would become Israel, a camp for Jews who had escaped the Nazi in Europe, but did not have “legal” papers.
The novel is told primarily through the voices of four young women, Shayndel, Leonie, Tedi, and Zorah.
Shayndel was from Poland where she had fought along with other youth as part of the Zionist underground movement. She had watched as her friends were killed.
Beautiful Leonie was from Paris. By the time her story is revealed, we have gotten to know her which makes the events even more horrific.
Tedi was a tall, blond Dutch Jew. Her appearance probably would have helped to hide her. Her betrayal was also by someone that she trusted.
Zorah was a concentration camp survivor. The numbers on her arm made her shame more evident. The other women carried their shame inside.
Each woman had to handle the guilt of being alive when so many of their friends and family had been put to death, as well as living in a camp that was not too much better than what they had left back in Europe. Food was scarce, the fences were barb-wire, privacy was almost nonexistent, and the language barriers existed not only with the British, who were in charge, but among the prisoners as well.
This is a powerful story with unforgettable characters. A short review can not begin to capture the richness of these women and the people around them. Diamant develops characters that stay with you long after the book has been put back on the shelf. The circumstances of this story are certainly not ones that have been part of my life, but stories of great courage and the strength of the human spirit make us all feel better about being human.
DAY AFTER NIGHT is the perfect title for Anita Diamant’s newest book.
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