Publication Date: 13th December 2024
Since the devastating birth of their stillborn child, Hanz and Maria Wolff have been grief-stricken. Until, one morning, when their prayers were seemingly answered, they found a wicker basket in the barn; inside, nestled among blankets with an embroidered Star of David, were twin baby girls.
Hanz and Maria are happy to welcome the children into their home and love them as their own. The girls, Ava and Shalom, renamed Shaylee so as not to raise suspicions of her true heritage, grow up as pretty German girls. Besides Hanz and Maria, no one knows that the girls are not biologically their own. But the truth is, the children’s mother is very much alive.
When the girls’ mother, Abigail, turns up on their doorstep begging for help to hide from the Schutzstaffel (SS), Hanz can hardly turn her away. However, sheltering her in his home, Hanz unknowingly starts a chain of devastating, unforeseen events.
In their sensational novel, Ava and Shalom, Kate Birkin and Mark Bornz bring to life the experiences of those who found themselves in Auschwitz-Birkenau, giving voice to those lost to history.
This novel can easily be split into two parts – before and after. Before the Second World War broke out, and World War I was still referred to as ‘the war to end all wars’, life for Hanz’s family was relatively peaceful. As a farmer, he could provide for his family, without the major concerns that hyperinflation imposed on others. Raising Ava and Shaylee, alongside Luca, who also joined their family when a neighbour could no longer look after him himself, was a joy that positively impacted the lives of Hanz and Maria. Before the arrival of the twins, Maria was in despair at the loss of her baby, and the news that she would not be able to bear another. But Ava and Shaylee’s arrival was as though God had heard their prayers, and sent the twins to fill the missing piece of the family.
Ava, Shaylee, their adopted family, and their hopes and dreams are gently introduced in the novel’s first half. Their life aspirations differ greatly, yet Ava and Shaylee share the endearing quality of being instantly likeable. This effect is amplified by Hanz’s immense love for his beloved swans; his affection is evident and moves the reader. The authors have done an astounding job of making the reader care about the twins, as well as imposing a foreboding sense of dread within the pages. Going into this novel, the reader is instantly aware that Ava and Shalom will find themselves in Auschwitz-Birkenau, and watching these little girls grow up, knowing where life will lead them, is enough to break your heart before even reaching that point in the story.
Abigail’s desperate arrival at the farmhouse, seeking refuge, marks the true beginning of the novel’s second half. As secrets reveal themselves, and information falls into the hands of the wrong people, it does not take long for people to turn on those they previously loved. With such a large amount of propaganda being circulated, almost every German person was taught that the Aryan race was superior and that Jews were inferior and the enemy. Upon finding out Ava and Shaylee’s true heritage, people who would previously have done anything for them are quick to point fingers to turn them in, and the realities of their day-to-day lives rapidly change. Fear becomes a constant. Pain and suffering become a part of their daily routines. Although the novel directly confronts the daily atrocities against Jewish people, the girls’ background intensifies the impact of these events for the reader. Millions perished in the Holocaust, yet, this deeply personal novel powerfully depicts the lives of people before their horrific deportation to concentration camps. Their subsequent suffering resulted in a sombre and emotional read.
This novel, despite the topic, and the events that unfold, is interwoven with hope. Hope that things will get better, that an end to suffering is near, and that hope is the shining beacon that pushes all of the characters of this novel forward, keeping them putting one foot in front of the other, and waking up to face another day. Although there seemed to be little hope at times that anyone would make it to the end of the war alive, with family, and thoughts of loved ones, close by, Ava and Shaylee, as well as Hanz and Abigail, struggle on. They are determined to make it out alive, clinging onto that last shred of hope that said those they loved were still alive, and fighting to stay alive themselves, to make it home. There is an incredibly strong bond of family in this book, and it is not difficult to begin to care for the characters as though they were your own family members. The characters live and breathe within these pages, and the reader can’t help but join in with the hope that they will make it through the book alive.
The authors have achieved incredible success in maintaining the historical accuracy of the period. Readers journey through a past recreated in this book, feeling the wonder and dread as the Nazi party’s ascent transforms into an unmatched tyranny. The commitment to historical accuracy in portraying pre-war and wartime Germany is truly commendable.
An emotional and moving story of human resilience through the deadliest conflict in human history, Ava and Shalom, by Kate Birkin and Mark Bornz is a gripping novel of both devastation and hope. For fans of WWII fiction that brings to light the darker parts of history, this novel is a must-read.
I Highly Recommend
Yarde Reviews & Book Promotion
Congratulations, your book sounds amazing. I have added it to my to-read list.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations. If I may ask, what was the inspiration behind your novel?
ReplyDeleteCongratulations! I have read so many of the books recommended by Mary Anne and Ellie. I have added Ava and Shalom to my to-read list.
ReplyDelete