The Light after the War: A Novel Book Review

Sometimes, surviving The Holocaust required a split-second decision in which one did not know the outcome of that decision.

The Light after the War: A Novel, was published last month. Best friends Vera and Edith survived by jumping from a cattle car headed toward Auschwitz. They spent the rest of the war hiding in a farm. Once peace is declared, both Vera and Edith know that their futures are not in Eastern Europe. They start their new lives in Naples, where Vera gets a job working for an American army officer.

Life becomes complicated when Vera falls for her employer and he for her. They are set to begin a new life as husband and wife, but then the officer disappears. So begins the multiple twists and turns that will take these women across the globe several times and expand their worlds in ways that neither had previously considered.

At the core of this book is a friendship that remains strong under circumstances that would break most friendships. As Vera and Ellen fall in love, go into the work world and expand their horizons, they continue to rely on each other. That is what makes this book great and kept me hanging on to the last page.

I absolutely recommend it.

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Ordinary Love Movie Review

Breast cancer, like all cancers (and all diseases) knows no boundaries.

In the new movie, Ordinary Love, Joan (Lesley Manville) and Tom (Liam Neeson) are well, an ordinary couple. When Joan is diagnosed with breast cancer, they must find a way to soldier on, in spite of the challenges that the disease puts in their path.

Some of the best love stories are not set in faraway fairytale-like setting or in romantic novels. The best love stories are simplest, a couple who sticks together against all odds. I appreciated that this movie is short on the drama and long on the narrative. I also appreciated the perfect chemistry between the lead actors. However, the film does not hit home as much as I would have liked it to be. There were points in the film when I was almost bored, ready to move on with the story.

Do I recommend it? Maybe.