Go Down to Silence (Paperback)

by G.K. Belliveau (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
In this refreshingly unpredictable Christian novel, Belliveau fictionalizes the boyhood experiences of an actual Belgian Holocaust survivor, and in doing so avoids compressing events into the tired formulas upon which Christian and historical fiction so often rely. As readers get to know Jacob Horowitz, now an elderly Cleveland businessman, through flashbacks to his harrowing wartime experiences in the Belgian underground, we never know what to expect. Each character, whether Jew, Nazi or Christian, is multidimensional, and each vignette from Jacob's young life vibrates with the strangeness of truth. For example, when Jacob is torn between the faith of his Christian protectors and the Jewish identity his mother insists he maintain, Belliveau renders each perspective sympathetically, helping readers understand why, in the face of this dilemma as well as wartime horrors, Jacob chooses, for most of his adult life, to close down spiritually and emotionally. Interestingly, this novel focuses as much on Jacob's late-in-life emotional catharsis as it does on his spiritual quest, suggesting that the two are inextricably bound. Belliveau's exploration of Jacob's emotional life departs radically from the norms of many Christian novels written by men; instead of trading on gender stereotypes that glorify male strength and stoicism, Belliveau shows how young Jacob's stoicism emerged when he found himself overwhelmed by pain and rage. Jacob's attempts to face difficult memories and relationships in the narrative present suggest redemption, but readers are left to imagine how that redemption will play out.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
When businessman Jacob Horowitz is diagnosed with terminal cancer, he decides to make peace with his estranged son, Isaac, and with his past. Jacob sees novelist Isaac's use of the pen name "Jack Oxford" as a denial of his Jewish heritage and of the suffering the Horowitz family endured during World War II. However, Isaac knows nothing of the family history, since his father never shared the horrors of the past nor the reasons for hiding his faith. As the two strong-willed men revisit Jacob's old friends and memories, Jacob's story unfolds in flashbacks. The crusty old man metamorphoses into a frightened little boy fleeing Nazis again in his mind. This powerful, poignant journey of discovery by Belliveau (Say to This Mountain) is suitable for all collections.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Multnomah Books (February 5, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1576737365
• ISBN-13: 978-1576737361
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,177,291 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I read this book in one night!, March 3, 2001

By	"partygirl906" (Cedarville, Ohio) - See all my reviews

Mr. Belliveau teaches at my college and in fact I was in his class last year. When his book came out I knew I had to read it. I picked the book up and didn't put it down again until 4 hours later when I had read it from cover to cover. It is a wonderful story and I found myself lost in it. I cried when it was over and while I was reading it. It is definitely touching and moving. A wonderful read no matter what the occasion.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A moving account., July 28, 2001

By	Affaire de Coeur (Oakland, CA USA) - See all my reviews

What does it mean to be a young Jewish boy in war-torn, occupied Belgium during WWII? It means that your life suddenly becomes a living hell where you're constantly afraid, always in hiding, and you watch the Nazis (whoever they are) take your father and uncle to the death camps, and you're not even sure what's going on or why you're being hunted. Those were the thoughts that kept going through seventy-one-year old Jacob Horowitz's mind as he waited at the airport for his son, Isaac. He was taking Isaac to Belgium to show him his roots This is a deeply personal, emotional first person story of a young Jewish boy's trials in trying to stay alive while understanding the horrors of World War II. Then, after surviving the war, he grows up into a somewhat bitter old man who realizes he needs to set his house in order before he dies. Very moving and easy to follow, even though the time line jumps back and forth from the past to the present. Well written.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I almost didn't read it, June 15, 2001

By A Customer

I just happened to snag this one off the "new books" shelf at the library (sorry Mr. Belliveau) and wasn't particularly excited about reading it since I've read so many books on the holocaust and figured this probably wouldn't provide a new perspective. I was wrong. It was gripping text from the beginning and brings up questions about where our sense of right and wrong comes from and how we make the choices that we make. Never once while reading this did it occur to me that this was a "Christian" book. . .I learned that the instant I finished the book and walked to the computer to beg my own redemption by writing a review. In fact, I kept looking at the author's name and wondering if he too was a Jewish man who was using a pseudonym like one of the characters in the story. This is a book about people, both Jewish and Christian, who suffered in WWII and this is the first time I have taken the time to let others know about a really, really good book.