Using the Holocaust as a metaphor for relationship/ marital problems is just wrong. No excuses can be made for the blatant insensitivity and cruelty of the makers of Bawaal in using one of the most brutal, despicable, horrible genocides in modern history as a metaphor for relationship troubles. No. Nope. This is not how you incorporate any traumatic historical event into a "love story."
If you want to learn more about the Holocaust and read the heart wrenching accounts of those who survived it and also some sensitive works of fiction inspired by the real events that took place in the German concentration camps of Auschwitz, Treblinka etc., then these 10 books are an absolute must-read.
1. Maus by Art Spielgelman is an absolute must-read if you want to know a survivor's account of what it was really like in Auschwitz. Spoiler alert, it wasn't at all like matrimonial troubles. If there is only one book that you'd like to read out of all our 10 recommendations, then make it Maus. It is the first graphic novel to ever win the prestigious Pulitzer Prize.
Full review can be found here.
2. Night by Eli Wiesel is a memoir about the author's Holocaust experiences, along with his father, in the German concentration camps at Auschwitz and Buchenwald. This book is about the examination of a father-son relationship and what it means for a child to watch their father reduced to a state of utter helplessness. Also, if you can find Eli Wiesel's Oprah episode, where they both revisit Auschwitz, then do watch it. You will understand the rage of everyone (including us) on Twitter shaming Nitish Tiwari and his team who made Bawaal.
3. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is a moving story of what happened to Germans in Germany during the Second World War, especially those Germans, who tried to help and save their Jewish friends and neighbours. It is a searing look at Nazi Germany and the various different people impacted by the Reich.
4. Schindler's List by Thomas Keneally is a name you'd heard of because of the Oscar-winning movie based on this book. However, the book itself is worth reading. It tells the story of a member of the Nazi Party, who at tremendous personal risk, saved the lives of more than 1,200 Jews. You can even watch the movie.
5. Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer is a gut-wrenching story of the total annihilation of a little Jewish village in Ukraine by the Germans and the impact of that on the survivors. Inspired by true events from the author's grandfather's experiences in Poland during the Second World War, this book made me bawl my eyes out whilst reading it in public. Read it.
6. Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum tells the story of a single mother in Germany during the Second World War. It deals with the things women had to do to survive the brutal Nazi regime and the subsequent shame they felt and lived with.
7. The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris is inspired by the true love story of a Slovakian Jewish man, who was forced to tattoo (desecrating the body is against Judaism) incoming Jewish people into Auschwitz, and an young woman inmate he met whilst doing so.
8. Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys tells the story of a Lithuanian Jewish family, who were sent to work in a work camp in Siberia. Read this absolutely gut-wrenching book about work camps and concentration camps to understand what these people went through and why these camps should not be used as lame metaphors.
Full review can be found here.
9. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah is not based in a concentration camp but shares the stories of women (and men) who were part of the Resistance against the Germans. A moving and beautiful story inspired by true events in France.
Full review can be found here.
10. Lilac Girls by Martha Kelly Hall: A beautifully written, poignant yet inspiring book about the 'Rabbit Girls' (the young Jewish women, who were experimented on at the Ravensbruck Concentration Camp). The strong and brave characters of this book (it is a true story) will move you and inspire you. Highly, highly recommend.
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