Summary: More character-focused than plot-driven, this book was fascinating, but not the best fit for me right now.
This is the story of a WWII heroineSummary: More character-focused than plot-driven, this book was fascinating, but not the best fit for me right now.
This is the story of a WWII heroine, Noor Inayat Khan. As a quiet children's author, given a luxurious childhood by followers of her father's spiritual teachings, Noor wasn't an obvious candidate for the French resistance. After an escape from France to Britain, she was persistent about being sent back and then staying to operate a radio as operatives were captured around her. This self-sacrifice was in keeping with the compassionate and applied teachings Noor absorbed from her father at an early age. I will share with you how her story ends, since that info is revealed in the publisher summary. I'll also make reference to the spoiler throughout the following review, so if you wish to know less than the blurb reveals, best to skip this review. Alright, on to the summary spoiler... After crucial months operating in France, Noor was captured and eventually killed at Dachau, months before the end of the war.
I thought the author did an incredible job showing who Noor was. We spend one chapter getting to know her father and his teachings. Then several subsequent chapters show how he influenced Noor. The author was also fair about showing Noor's flaws, including breaches of security protocols she committed while in France. Despite being an imperfect agent, Noor's bravery and skill with a radio meant she was invaluable to the war effort. It doesn't seem out of the question that D-Day would have gone differently without her. She was an almost unbelievably impresive person. I enjoyed getting to know her and was particularly moved by ongoing celebrations of her life today.
While not everyone might want to know how Noor's story ended in advance, I was glad that I did. It made it less shocking and depressing to have known what was coming. I think it also added a certain poignancy to the story. It may have taken away from some of the narrative tension the book would have had if I was unsure what would happen though. In fact, one problem I had with the book is that it didn't feel particularly fast paced to me. There were brief sections that felt like I was reading a tense spy story. The bulk of the book was more introspective and character driven. We spend a lot of time on Noor's childhood and on her imprisonment. I think I might have enjoyed this more at another time. Unfortunately, life in the time of Covid has to led to highs and lows in my reading life. Right now, I'm finding that I need a book to grip me a bit more than usual in order to really get into it. I suspect at another time this book would have gotten another star from me. I'd recommend checking out some goodreads reviews if you're interested in this one.This review was originally posted on Doing Dewey...more
Summary: I enjoyed the detailed writing in this book, but the author included a lot of filler to pad this out into a book length story.
"Between 1955 aSummary: I enjoyed the detailed writing in this book, but the author included a lot of filler to pad this out into a book length story.
"Between 1955 and 1961, seventeen condemned soldiers--eight white, nine black--lived together on death row at Fort Leavenworth military prison. All eight of the white soldiers were eventually paroled and returned to their families... During the same six-year period, almost every black soldier was hung, lacking the benefits of political connections, expert lawyers, and public support of their white counterparts. By 1960, only the youngest black inmate, John Bennett remained on death row. His battle for clemency was fought over the backdrop of a strengthening civil rights movement, and between two vastly different presidential administrations." (source)
I thought the way this book was written was its greatest strength. Detailed depictions of each scene, including little observations on weather or people's outfits, made it easy to visualize this story unfolding. Unfortunately, I didn't think the topic was quite strong enough to make a book out of. I expected to spend a lot of time on John Bennett's story. Instead, we hear the full stories of every other person on death row with him. We learn about the history of the prison. We get the back stories of his lawyers. I tend to enjoy detailed background information, but in this case, I don't think it was paired with enough time spent on the primary narrative. We don't get detailed descriptions of court appearances related to Bennett's case, for example, just summaries of the results.
The author's choice to give the complete stories of every man on death row made some sense. Without that information, it would have been easier for someone who didn't believe racism was happening to claim that there may have been differences between the cases of the white soldiers who were spared and the black soldiers who were not. With the full details of each case, it was clear that there may actually have been more extenuating circumstances for the black soldiers. Almost every man on death row at this time seemed to have mental health issues, which made the choice of the death penalty feel particularly egregious. However, while I appreciate the author highlighting this historical injustice, reading about all of these cases was grim and repetitive. Again, paired with a stronger main narrative, I think this could still have worked for me. As is, I wonder if the author could either have learned more about Bennett to include or told this story in a shorter format.This review was originally posted on Doing Dewey...more
This was an incredible story and pretty good narrative nonfiction. I must admit that I'm still in a bit of a reading slump though, so take my lack of This was an incredible story and pretty good narrative nonfiction. I must admit that I'm still in a bit of a reading slump though, so take my lack of extreme enthusiasm with a grain of salt! My main take away from this story was that many Americans knew the life-or-death danger facing Jews in Germany pre-WWII. Most Americans still opposed letting Jewish immigrants enter the country. Many Jewish Americans feared that pushing too hard in favor of immigration would turn other Americans against them. Against this backdrop, it's even more incredible that a normal, relatively well-off Jewish American couple risked their own lives to rescue Jewish children from Nazi Germany. They had so much to lose.
The author of this story did a great job letting events speak for themselves. The risks Gil and Eleanor Kraus took and their stubborn insistence on doing the right thing were awe-inspiring. The number of German Jews who helped get others out of Germany only to later lose their own lives was heartbreaking. The story managed to hit these big emotional moments without the writing become melodramatic. The story was told very simply, which made it all the more moving.
I was also impressed by how well the author described the many children the Kraus's rescued. Not all 50 children were introduced, but many were. At first, I thought this was sure to be confusing. Actually, the author struck a great balance. We learned enough about many of the children that I remembered them throughout the book. A few other children were described only as part of brief, moving set pieces which highlighted the stakes of this rescue.
Despite these strengths, this didn't strike me as a truly special read. I enjoyed it, but I didn't love it. Again, this might be because I'm in a bit of a slump. I did like it and I'd recommend if it sounds at appealing, but it's probably not a book I'll revisit.This review was originally posted on Doing Dewey...more
Summary:Too disjointed and the writing wasn't engaging enough for me to get into the many story-lines.
Ostensibly, this is a book about the 1932 WinterSummary:Too disjointed and the writing wasn't engaging enough for me to get into the many story-lines.
Ostensibly, this is a book about the 1932 Winter Olympics and the rivalry between two American bobsledding teams. That's true for a few chapters. Before that, we have a bunch of biographical information for different members of the team, interwoven with the history of bobsledding as a sport. We also get some history of the town where the 1932 Olympics were held. Afterwards, the story follows one of the members of the bobsledding team through his participation in WWII. I agree with other reviewers that the parts actually about bobsledding were the best and I would have liked more of them.
I think focusing in on any one part of the story would have improved it, even if that wasn't the bobsledding. I also think some authors could have gotten me to follow them through the many story-lines and digressions. This author did a lot of the right things. He consulted weather reports from the days he talked about. He used team members' diaries as a source. Unfortunately, he still didn't manage to conjure up a vivid picture of the times or people. I didn't feel like I really got to know the team members or their inner lives. Aside from the bobsledding sections, the story just wasn't very gripping. I learned a lot about the history of bobsledding. There were some fun anecdotes. It wasn't a bad book either; it was just far from the best narrative nonfiction I've read in its ability to tell a compelling true story.This review was originally posted on Doing Dewey...more
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