agklocke's Full Review: Cynthia Polansky - Far Above Rubies
Few books leave me thinking of it days after finishing it. Even fewer can make me cry. Far Above Rubies touched me like so few others can. Author Cynthia Polansky, exercising "some literary license with the narrative," tells the tale of Holocaust survivor, Sofie "Soof" Rijnfeld. From page one, Polansky grabs us as the story begins after the story ends. It is here that Soof comes alive, even as she is lowered into her grave.
Far Above Rubies quickly introduces the reader to Sofie and her new life as the wife to father of six, Jan. Polansky gives just the right amount of background before throwing the reader into the middle of the Holocaust horrors. Each day, we see through the eyes of Sofie the pains that surround her as German soldiers commandeer their city. Friends disappear daily, being called up for deportation, and all the while, Sofie maintains as best she can a sunny disposition to help her new family deal with it all. Her six stepdaughters quickly grow fond of this new lady in their life, and Sofie's love for them is as if they were her own.
In fact, Sofie's love is so great for her new family that when the worst happens, when all six daughters are called for deportation, while she and Jan are not, she opts to go with the girls in order to keep an eye on them and hopefully keep them safe. This is the sort of sacrifice only a parent could make, and it could surely mean the death of her.
And so we travel with Sofie and her daughters on the trains to concentration camps, join in their pains as they are worked mercilessly without much food, and as each day they are given false hopes. The images Polansky offers are as if she herself was there, and each scene is brought to life with what comes across as little effort. She has certainly done her homework.
The book covers a large amount of time in its 166 pages, but Polansky handles time transition with ease, and her narrative is non-intrusive. Besides getting to know Sofie Rijnfeld and her struggles, we are treated to an underlying history lesson, especially helpful to anyone who wanted to know more about the Holocaust or anyone who may not know anything about it at all. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, as heart wrenching as it was.
Far Above Rubies is a gripping novel, not quite fast-paced, yet certainly not a slow ride. While one can read it quickly, to do so would almost be a shame, as this is a tale of courage and survival worth digesting one word at a time. Polansky has taken the life of a strong woman and put a spotlight on it, showing us just how so many others like Sofie persevered during such horrific times. This is a story of more than one woman - it is the story of terrible times, all those who were lost, and how life still went on.
Far Above Rubies is available through Booklocker at http://www.booklocker.com/books/416.html, and through Amazon.com at http://amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1931391823/
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.