Customer Reviews

Cherished Illusions

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The real subject of this fine first novel is forgiveness. When should we forgive, and whom should we forgive? The juxtaposition in this novel, set in late-20th century suburban America, of a daughter of Holocaust survivors and a daughter of a German physicist poses this question directly. Stern does an excellent job of building suspense and delivering an emotional denouement.

This book starts with a simple story from daily life and develops into a captivating a novel of suspense. Within 180 pages the author has squeezed two parallel human stories that educate the reader about the thoughts and feelings of two contrasting second generations: on the one hand the offspring of a Nazi officer and on the other hand the daughter of Jewish survivors from the Holocaust. The author skillfully builds a detective story from the crossing paths of these two parallel lives within the setting of educational institutions.

The book is easy to read and follow with prose that flows. I could not leave the book until I finished it!

The book is most recommended for classes teaching about the Holocaust. The human story is good for any age from teenagers to adults.