It took me a while to digest Christoph Fischer's Ludwika - and to give an "impersonal" review. But isn't why we read certain books to feel, to identify, to learn? And if it's a difficult subject handled well, to remember.
For me, such is Ludwika, A Polish Woman's Struggle To Survive In Nazi Germany.
WWII and its Civilian Casualties
Christoph Fischer's LUDWIKA brings back the plight
of civilians swept up by WWII, centering on Ludwika's will and tenacity to
survive, no matter what she must sacrifice. This book becomes even more
personal for those who still remember – or at least, who recall survival
stories of their European parents. Those who have never faced an invading army
might not easily understand Ludwika’s “pliability,” her willingness to leave
her young daughter back in Poland while submitting to a German officer’s
romantic promises.
This is a heart-wrenching subject tackled by a
talented writer.
I highly recommend Fischer’s novel.
