Those who follow my blog know that I don't typically read non-fiction. There are several reasons for this. The first is that I have limited time to read and what time I do have, I choose to spend in the imagination. I've always said that the world of the imagination is far more interesting to me than the world we live in. However, every now and then, I do pick up a book that is based on the real world. This was one of those occasions.
(Binnewa Publishing, 2017)
There has been so much written about the second World War that it's hard to imagine there are still segments of that period in history that have yet to be uncovered. But when you think about the scope of that event and its impact on our world, I suppose it's not all that surprising that there are still stones left to be turned over.
Bobbie is a young girl living in Germany when the war ramps up. Though she is an American, born in New York, she is living with her grandparents while her parents are establishing their lives in America. She was never meant to stay there, but once the war started, it became impossible to leave.
History has always been dictated by the victorious side in any conflict, and because of that, the experience of people in Germany is often overlooked in favor of stories of the victims who suffered at the hands of the Nazis. However, it is important to remember that there were millions of non-Nazis in Germany who were caught under the wave of a fascist government. Bobbie's family is one such family, a family that did what was necessary to survive, a family that was extremely lucky to make it through the war intact. Intact but not unscathed.
The real horror for Bobbie comes after the Allies reclaimed the disputed Alsace Lorraine region where her family had relocated during the war, believing it to be safer than the cities which were devastated during the war. Upon liberation, her entire family was imprisoned by the French. And despite being an American, Bobbie, as a ten year old girl, was imprisoned for months, forced to live in horrid conditions that nearly killed her.
The effect of this memoir is to force readers to think about how innocent people on both sides are punished for the acts of those in power. As we continue to demonize groups of people based on the beliefs of few, this story remains important and powerful. When we look at families on our own border forced into prisons, everyone should ask themselves, what crimes did these children commit? The crime of wanting a better life? The crime of wanting to escape peril? Their story is similar to Bobbie's and when we stop to actually think, we should all know better.
No comments:
Post a Comment