G1162 Book Review of HADAMAR the house of shudders by Jason K Foster
Author: Jason K. Foster
ISBN: 978-1-925675-86-3
Publisher: Big sky publishing
Type of book: 1938-1945, WW2, mischlinge, mental institution, half African-French and German, food, survival, doctors, treatment, murders, HADAMAR, Germany
Year it was published: 2019
Summary:
Nazi Germany is ruled by Hitler’s barbaric policies of racial cleansing. Ingrid Marchand’s only sin was to be born black.
Horrifying institutions like Hadamar are where the undesirables – including the mentally and physically disabled and children – are systematically tortured, gassed and executed. It is where Ingrid is humiliated and brutalised and will encounter a depth of hatred the world has never seen before.
On the brink of starvation, can Ingrid survive the horrors of her incarceration and help bring her tormentors to justice?
Hadamar is a gripping tale of survival in a world of hatred, horror and insanity.
Characters:
Main characters include Ingrid Marchand, a teenage daughter of a white mother and an African-French father. Throughout the book, for obvious reasons, Ingrid tends to suffer from low self esteem, but despite that, she doesnt give up easily and will seek justice wherever she can. Ingrid is also best described as painfully human and is forced to face tasks and life that many of us wouldn't wish on our worst enemies. There are other characters such as doctors and nurses as well as a few friends that Ingrid made and lost, but most of the story is of survival.
Theme:
Time exposes evils
Plot:
The story is written in first person and despite the size, it's been a quick read for me. It's emotional, tearful and perhaps one of the saddest stories that I read this year. The story takes place chronologically with a teenage Ingrid being forced to endure sterilization in late 1930s to the end of ww2 in 1945. It also reads as a young adult novel with a lot of emotional punches and it's a world that cannot be unseen easily.
(From France Book Tours)
Jason K. Foster
is an author, poet, freelance journalist and high school teacher.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts (Communications)
and Graduate Diploma in Teaching from WSU
as well as a Master of Arts (History) from Macquarie University
and a Diploma in Spanish from Macquarie University.
Jason is widely travelled having spent time in five continents and over fifty countries.
He has taught in Australia, the United Kingdom, Spain and Argentina;
experiences that bring a distinct range and unique world view to his writing.
He has published ten books in the true crime and historical narratives genres.
He has also been published the world over
with his work appearing in a range of mediums
from History magazines in the United States to Australian travel magazines
to Poetry Anthologies in the United Kingdom.
Follow the author on Facebook
Visit his website
Buy the book: paperback and ebook available from the publisher, on Amazon, Google Play, or the App Store
Opinion:
Simply speaking, this book packs a lot of punches to the heart. I am not a stranger to WW2 literature, and the experiences that Ingrid went through, I have a little awareness. ( I have heard of sterilization during that time for mixed individuals.) I also am a mother to a mixed son, and even though he is half Chinese, I can't help but think that he would suffer Ingrids fate, or due to my own heritage, an even worse situation. Prior to reading the book, I hadn't heard of HADAMAR, nor of the life people are forced to endure inside. I am glad that the author brought this atrocity to light, showing that time cannot hide evil.
This is for France book tours
VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR SCHEDULE
Monday, December 2
Review, Interview, and Giveaway at Locks, Hooks and Books
Thursday, December 5
Review at Svetlana’s Reads and Views
Friday, December 13
Review, Excerpt, and Giveaway
at Musings of a Writer & Unabashed Francophile
Monday, December 16
Review and Giveaway at Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers
Monday, December 23
Spotlight, Excerpt, and Giveaway at Hall Ways Blog
Friday, December 27
Spotlight and Giveaway at Words And Peace
4 out of 5
(0: Stay away unless a masochist 1: Good for insomnia 2: Horrible but readable; 3: Readable and quickly forgettable, 4: Good, enjoyable 5: Buy it, keep it and never let it go.)
Thanks for your wonderful review. So glad you enjoyed it and that it expanded your horizon.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I also like the changes to your blog, very nice!