The Situation: It is 1938, and Rudolph Adler is incredibly distraught by what he sees happening in Vienna, and the rest of Austria. As Hitler continues to gain power and followers, Rudolph knows that things are only going to get worse before they get better, and he does not know what will become of the Jews in Austria. In 2019, Selena Durán works tirelessly for the children who have been separated from their parents at the U.S. border. Her latest case involves an eight year-old blind girl named Anita. While very bright, polite, and attentive, Anita's case will prove difficult unless they can find her mother, with whom everyone seems to have lost contact.
The Problem: Though it is far from the most desired solution, the decision is made to send five year-old Samuel Adler to a family in England, away from the threat of deportation to a concentration camp. Still clutching his violin, Samuel arrives safely in England, but will grow up with the pain and memories of what happened back home, even as he relocated to the U.S, marries, and has a family. For Anita, handling the stress of strange foster homes and bullying children, and what she knows of what happened in El Salvador, comes easier with her little doll close by, and the conversations she has with her little sister. Though their stories are different, both Samuel and Anita find their way to the U.S, on paths full of sacrifice and heartache.
Genre, Themes, History: This is a work of fiction that is most often categorized as historical fiction. Starting with the early life of Samuel and what was happening in late 1930s Vienna, the story spends just enough time in Austria's capital to give a sense of what it was like right before war fully broke out. While the reader will eventually get the full story on the next 80 years of Samuel's life, they will also get to Selena, and the little girl from El Salvador that she is determined to help. Both Anita and Samuel's stories are given in pieces, while other key characters are briefly explored, before it is revealed how they all fit into the larger picture. Allende researched the practice of separating children from their parents, one that has been employed throughout history in various ways. While some kids find a warm welcome by loving families, many do not, and the results can be devastating.
My Verdict: A book that deals with both the rise of Nazi sympathies in Austria and the separation of children from their parents at the U.S. border? Yeah...you have been warned. But while the topics are heavy, the narrative and storytelling is not. In fact, I would say this was a relatively easy read despite the subject matter. This could be because of the decision to tell two stories at once (as well as a couple others), or the wide array of characters there are available, and how so many of them are given full backgrounds and reasons for why they are who they are. As I mentioned, this is my first Allende book, but it will not be the last...The House of the Spirits is on my desk next to the other TBR books as I write this. Lovers of Allende will most likely adore this one too, and as far as an introductory book to the author's work, this one worked out well.
Favorite Moment: Anita may be visually impaired, but she is far from helpless. Despite being separated from her mother and never being completely sure of her environment, she manages to keep physical danger at bay while staying in a foster home, and gets herself out of a harmful situation.
Favorite Character: Leticia has her own story of how she came to live in the U.S, full of danger and sorrow, but she has managed to create for herself a life she enjoys, and becomes key to assisting young Anita.
Recommended Reading: I recommend the nonfiction memoir Solito by Javier Zamora.
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