SKELETONS AT THE FEAST by Chris Bohjalian

Here’s yet another WWII novel, but this one is set near the end of the war.  Germans are fleeing the eastern part of the country in order to escape the Russian army, who are known to torture and murder civilians.  German families have a much better chance of staying alive by moving westward into the hands of the Americans and Brits.  The family whose story dominates this novel consists mainly of a mother, who adored Hitler, and her two children—18-year-old Anna and 10-year-old Theo.  They are also harboring Callum, a Scottish paratrooper and POW who has been working on the family’s farm, in the hopes that he will vouch for him when they reach the troops in the west.  More importantly, he is Anna’s secret lover.  This novel also follows the death march of Cecile, a young Frenchwoman, and the journey of Uri, a young Jewish man who jumps from a cattle car full of Jews bound for Auschwitz.  Uri is definitely the most colorful character, as he joins the family’s trek but conceals his true identity.  He has become a chameleon, confiscating whatever corpse’s uniform will afford him the best opportunity to survive.  This novel moves at a much brisker pace than the journey of its characters, and that’s a big plus, as the storyline never lingers too long over tragedies.  The author emphasizes that the German people were in denial not only about what was happening to the Jews but also about the danger posed by the Russians’ relentless and merciless advancement.  The parallel between their failure to recognize their own peril and Jews who pointlessly packed luggage before boarding a train to a concentration camp is striking.