Skeletons at the Feast

De: Chris Bohjalian

Narrado por: Mark Bramhall

In January 1945, in the waning months of World War II, a small group of people begin the longest journey of their lives: an attempt to cross the remnants of the Third Reich, from Warsaw to the Rhine if necessary, to reach the British and American lines.

Among the group is eighteen-year-old Anna Emmerich, the daughter of Prussian aristocrats. There is her lover, Callum Finella, a twenty-year-old Scottish prisoner of war who was brought from the stalag to her family’s farm as forced labor. And there is a twenty-six-year-old Wehrmacht corporal, who the pair know as Manfred—who is, in reality, Uri Singer, a Jew from Germany who managed to escape a train bound for Auschwitz.

As they work their way west, they encounter a countryside ravaged by war. Their flight will test both Anna’s and Callum’s love, as well as their friendship with Manfred–assuming any of them even survive.

Perhaps not since The English Patient has a novel so deftly captured both the power and poignancy of romance and the terror and tragedy of war. Skillfully portraying the flesh and blood of history, Chris Bohjalian has crafted a rich tapestry that puts a face on one of the twentieth century’s greatest tragedies–while creating, perhaps, a masterpiece that will haunt readers for generations.©2008 Chris Bohjalian; (P)2008 Random House, Inc.

Reseñas de la Crítica

“A tightly woven, moving story for anyone who thinks there's nothing left to learn, or feel, about the Second World War.”—The Los Angeles Times

“Harrowing.”—The Washington Post Book World

“Bohjalian has given us an important addition to the story of World War II, and, not at all incidentally, may expand the vision of those who may have avoided 'Holocaust literature' in the past.”—The Boston Globe

“The perfect novel for a book club . . . this book sucked me right in. It’s vivid and heart-wrenching.”—The Today Show

“Right and wrong shift depending on the situation. Ignorance is tolerated and murder is justified. ”—USA Today

“Rich in character and gorgeous writing.”—Jodi Picoult, Real Simple

“This story mixes the nail-biting brutality of The Kite Runner with the emotional intimacy of Anne Frank's diary.”—Austin American-Statesman

“Immensely readable . . . Bohjalian takes a fresh perspective and details the brutal realities of World War II in a novel that for once does not focus entirely on the Allies. Recommended for fiction collections.”—Library Journal

“Careful research and an unflinching eye . . . Bohjalian's well-chosen descriptions capture the anguish of a tragic era and the dehumanizing desolation wrought by war.”—Publishers Weekly

“Bohjalian is especially good at conveying the surreal 'beauty,' the misshapen lyricism, of the war-torn landscape: 'Even the stone church had collapsed upon itself . . . the once imposing pipes of the organ reshaped by heat and flame into giant copper-colored mushrooms.' From harrowing to inspiring.”—Kirkus Reviews

“A compelling read with its mix of history, romance and portrayals of strength in the midst of severe adversity: War really is hell, the book says, but the human spirit is ultimately salvageable.”—Bookpage

Another Hit

I love this author. His characters really come to life, and his subject matter is diverse. This one was a little harder to follow in the beginning, but well worth struggling to remember who is who. I will be reading all this author's novels!

a Haunting Tableau; a Loving Tribute.

This book offers a glimpse into the lives of 3 young adults whose lives converge during the latter part of WWII in Germany. Anna is a German girl raised by a powerful and wealthy man. She falls in love with Callum who is a Scottish POW. They all befriend Uri, a Jewish German who has escaped the camps by posing as German and Russian soldiers. Their lives intersect and they share their travels towards freedom. The topic matter has been explored often and remains rich and full of stories that provoke both thought and emotion. Mr Bohjalian writes the story with ease, allowing his reader to create the picture of place and the setting of mood. It is a good book. It is not anywhere near as good as The Winds of War and/or War and Remembrance by Herman Wouk, but it is good.

incredible

Loved this novel, despite the sorrow and awful topics it portrayed. The characters linger ... leaving you thinking about them as you would it they had been real acquaintances.

Hard but worth it.

Hard to accept dark truths at moments and all the time well spent. skilled writer. Well worth the time to hear.

A View of WWII from a Different Perspective

The first 15 minutes were a tough sell, but then, I became totally engaged by this story.

It is one in which the perspectives of Nazism and the war are told from the perception of German citizens who were both fighting the war and fleeing from it. The story told of Germans who supported the Reich, who questioned the Reich and who fought against the Reich.

It is told from the perspective of a prisoner of war from Scotland, an escaped Jew who survived by adopting the identity of fallen German and Russian soldiers, and from a Jewish woman held in the German work camps.

I found it required careful listening as the author changed voices with little notice and little or no segues.That is not to fault the book, it is just the author's MO.

This is a good story; an abundance of violence and death; a bit of romance; and in the end, a realistic story about the true nature of war -- any war.

An Amazing Story

The is a wonderful, heart wrenching story about the victims of Hitler’s war. Mark Bramhall provided exceptional narration for an extremely well crafted book.

Ron Licata

Halecaust

Eye opening, difficult, tragic, sad, loving, all of this needs to be part of the plot and must be read.

Excellence t and timely read

A well written and beautifully
read story. This book reminds us that there are no real winners in war.

No Winners in War

It’s hard to say I enjoyed this historical novel, because it is not “enjoyable”. It’s a hard read, but in these times, a necessary one. It’s addresses the rise and fall of authoritarianism in Germany, but mostly its fall- the last year if the war. It is tons through the eyes of several characters, including a well to due farming German family, a young Jewish man who survives by impersonating German soldiers, a French Jewish woman who survives a concentration camp only to be cone part of a match of death across Germany, and a Scottish paratrooper POW.

I have read quite a few books set in WWII and this one is almost unique in its ability to take on so many points of view in an humane, yet brutally honest way. The overall message is war is hell and the need to survive it brings forth the best and worst of people. Being smart and brave does not guarantee your survival. Luck may have much to do with it in fact.

While the book reminds us life goes on and there will be survivors to redeem the horrors of the past, the pain of what was lost should never be forgotten lest we make the same mistakes again.

Grabs your attention from the beginning

I was reluctant to read another book about World War Two but this one caught me up immediately. I still shake my head on the horrors that the Jews went through and how the country supported Hitler and all the atrocities he was responsible for. This book will touch your heart with the determination of a few who were willing to stand alone to fight and to protect.