Inkflower

by Suzy Zail

A gritty YA novel about family secrets, hope and healing. Based on a true story.

Lisa’s father has six months to live. And a story to tell about a boy sent to Auschwitz. A boy who lost everything and started again. A story he has kept hidden – until now.

But Lisa doesn’t want to hear it, because she has secrets too. No one at school knows she is Jewish or that her dad is sick. Not even her boyfriend.

But that’s all about to change. And so is she.

Genres: Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Historical, Holocaust, War, Jewish, Family

388 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 5, 2023

About the author

A Family lawyer in her past life, Suzy is now the bestselling author of more than 14 books for adults, teens and children. Suzy is best-known for her young adult novels, Inkflower, The Wrong Boy, Alexander Altmann A10567 and I am Change, stories that shine a light on injustice. She is also the founder of Give A Girl a Book, shipping more than 10,000 books (donated by school libraries and students) to girls in Africa who couldn’t otherwise afford them. Suzy's novels have won Reader's choice for Book of the Year for older readers, in the Children's Book Council of Australia Book of the Year Awards, been shortlisted for the Young Australians Best Book Awards and the U.K. Coventry Inspiration Book Awards and have been named an Outstanding International book by the United States Board on Books for Young People. Her books have been published in Australia, New Zealand, Europe, the U.S., Canada and the U.K. and are taught in secondary school History and English. Suzy lives in Melbourne Australia.
Visit her online at suzyzail.com.au and @authorsuzyzail

Reviews

[Veronica ⭐️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

https://theburgeoningbookshelf.blogsp...
Fifteen year old Lisa's father has Motor Neurone Disease and only six months to live. He gathers the family together to tell them the story of his childhood. A story of a young boy who fought against all odds to survive.
Lisa battles with the idea of this new version of her father; a dying man with a devastating childhood. His stories bring to life the grandparents, aunts and uncles she never had the chance to meet.

Inkflower unfolds in a dual time-line narration. The now, set in the 1980's, is narrated by Lisa as she navigates school and friendships whilst coming to grips with her father's illness and also who she is. The then, is narrated by Lisa's father Emil as he tells his family the harrowing story of a young boy bullied at school for being Jewish, taken from his home in Czechoslovakia and the horrors of his years in Auschwitz.
The balance and parallels between Emil's years of fighting for survival in Auschwitz and his battle against the debilitating effects of MND were astutely portrayed.
Inkflower is a deeply moving story of survival inspired by the true events of the author and her family.
Suzy Zail has written an honest and candid story of love, courage, family and resilience.
There can never be too many stories detailing the horrors of Auschwitz and they need to be recorded now because soon there won't be any survivors left.
*I received my copy from the publisher

[Ash ꣑ৎ (quit) · Rating 2 out of 5]

.ೃ࿐⁀➷ 2 stars

🥱

* 。 • ˚ ˛ * 。° 。 • * 。 • ˚ ˛ * 。° 。 •

.ೃ࿐⁀➷ Preread

So, I might have left it way too late to reread this but oh well, even rereading 10 pages is better than nothing 🫣🫣

* 。 • ˚ ˛ * 。° 。 • * 。 • ˚ ˛ * 。° 。 •

.ೃ࿐⁀➷ 2.75 stars

Pretty decent for a school book, tho I still can't believe how graphic it was 🫢🫢 I still can't decide whether I liked the now or then timeline better 🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️

[Blue · Rating 5 out of 5]

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Thank you to the author and Walker Books Australia for this book in exchange for an honest review

Thank you, Suzy, for sharing your touching story.

Suzy Zail has yet again released a masterpiece that will emotionally cripple you.

Fifteen year old Lisa's father has Motor Neurone Disease and has been given only six months to live. Gathering his family together, he tells them about his childhood as he was taken from his home in Czechoslovakia and the horrors of his years in Auschwitz. Inkflower unfolds in two timelines, one being the years of Emil fighting for his survival in Auschwitz and the other being Lisa’s struggle watching her strong, caring, and wonderful father die before her while he unloads the horrors of his life. Having been through a similar situation, you can’t fathom how hard it is to watch someone you love disappear before your eyes, and the way this is written, does deliver the authors pain, from her own personal experience. It’s harrowing to read but I found it relatable and heartbreaking. If you are after a book that will touch your soul – then this is for you.

[K. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trigger warnings: terminal illness, death of a parent, death of a sibling, war, Holocaust, genocide, antisemitism, violence, grief

So I cried so hard in the last 50 pages of this book that I had to stop reading and walk away for 20 minutes before I could a) breathe through my nose again and b) see the words on the page. It was extremely hard hitting because not only is it a story of struggling through a father's terminal illness, but it's that father's story of surviving the Holocaust. Of not knowing that you're Jewish or what your father experienced, and feeling like the rug has been completely pulled out from under you.

Lisa is a complex and often messy character, and as a result she VERY much felt like an authentic teenager, although I'm not sure how much 2024 teenagers will relate to how well it describes life in 1982. I do kind of wish there had been SLIGHTLY more made of Mai's story and the cyclical nature of refugee experiences - different decade, similar story of fleeing horror and war - but I understand why there wasn't.

The book just about killed me. The author's note definitely killed me. This was brutal in the best possible way and I'm so glad I read it.

[Carolyn Scarcella · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book I’m reading today is called “Inkflower” written by Suzy Zail. She a masterful storyteller, she writes many books for adult, and teen adults. This time she writes with a heavy heart and this is the fascinating and inspirational story. If we don’t understand the truth of what happened, we can never the right ways to live. Zail states 'We have to talk about the things that scare us before we can change them'. She is then a family lawyer and now she writes books full time. She wrote her other book called “The Tattooed Flower” as an adult version. In this book she talks about her relationship with her father because he has MND disease. Her father had never told his kids about his past during the Holocaust. But telling his story and sharing his past with his kids is bringing them closer together. I believe it’s very important for the Holocaust survivors to tell their story, because to them it is the last generation that can hear it as a primary source.

[Ari (Head in a Book) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book, my review is honest and unbiased.

Suzy Zail weaved together a story of the past (of Lisa's father in the holocaust) and a story of the present, with secrets from the past being told as Lisa's father has little time left to live, being diagnosed with motor neuron disease.
Having read one of Zail's previous books, I am impressed with the way she tells these stories , and of how real her characters are, Lisa had her flaws certainly but that was what made the family real to me. Holocaust stories are so important and stories that should never be forgotten.

[Dylan · Rating 1 out of 5]

It’s just not my type of book. I don’t like war especially human ones. And also it was just sad and they tried to make it too ironically retro and ‘Aussie’ mate

[Neavh · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5, a good story but veryyy slow

[Saskia · Rating 5 out of 5]

FINALLY got round to finishing this when it came back on hold for me!

I have not cried in a Holocaust book for many years. I quietly worry that I have become immune to the horror ... this book has proven that I am definitely not. 😭

I love Suzy's books, but this one is the best. It wasn't until the end that I realised why; it's the fictionalised version of her Dad's real experiences. 😪 It felt authentic, and sad, and emotional, and real. Kudos, Suzy, and I'm so sorry for your loss.

CW: body horror, anti-semitism, death and murder, starvation, incarceration ...

Y10, Y11

[Trisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

update - reread for readers cup question writing.

This author writes well about this tremendously upsetting time period. The addition of the second storyline set in contemporary (well the '80s) times adds an extra authentic layer.

Should appeal to readers of historical fiction.

[Clover · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5

I didn't realize this was an adaption of the 2006 memoir of the author, The Tattooed Flower. I don't like the marketing ploy of rewriting/reworking a book to suit the YA audience. I like the idea of diving into your history with a different lens, but this just feels like a retelling framed as a story than memoir.

As my family was in the same boat as Zail's but traveled to Canada, I understand the importance and healing one can get from sharing a story. It's clearly an important topic for her, but I would have liked this more as a memoir by a teen than an adult rewriting her memoir to appeal to young and current readers.

One good thing about this book is showing the Australian history of this as so many are about moving to America. It alternates between "then" and "now", although "now" is October 1982 which wasn't clear until stated further into the book. Still, there's going to be that in the original book so I can't see how the adaption is bringing anything new other than this is now a story and not a memoir.

The sections in her father's POV are graphic—Zail doesn't sugar coat the vitriol, hate, and violence within these camps. We need not water down our pain, so this isn't the easiest book to read, but when was anything about genocide cozy?

I would be interested to compare the books side by side, but I don't think I'm the one to do that.

I'm glad my local library has this book and other books like it! There are many stories to tell about WWII and the Holocaust. Never forget.

[Chloe (Keefe + Jaren Vallentis's Version!) · Rating 5 out of 5]

⚠️ This review may not make much sense, I am writing it the morning after finishing it ⚠️

This was such an emotionally raw book.

We follow the story of Lisa, who finds out that her father has Motor Neurone Disease, which slowly breaks down your muscles. He has 6 months to live. Every Friday, Emil (Lisa's Dad) tells the story of what happened to him during the Holocaust. Lisa slowly cuts herself off from her boyfriend and best friend, and misses important events.

I stayed up reading the last 80 or so pages of this, and let me tell you, I was bawling my eyes out, and that is rare for me.

This was such a sad but necessary book to read. It is based on the author's real-life experiences (being Lisa), only she was not 17 in real life, and a few other details were changed too. This is definitely a must-read book, yes, it will make you cry, but it is so worth it. We need to remember what happened in the Holocaust, so that it is never repeated.

[daylight ! · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was really good— i'm no fan of contemporary but this was a really well interwoven piece between the holocaust and the present. i enjoyed this read!!!

[becks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was I sobbing at like 11:30 at night? Yes totally. Worth it? Yessssssss this book is really good and really well written please read

[Jayce Spencer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book made me sob. So well written and so hard to read at the same time. I lost my Memiere two years ago, and it’s still hard. This book reminded me of the short time we got to say goodbye and the time we had with her beforehand.

[Christina Spicer · Rating 5 out of 5]

no words but AMAZING

This book was stunning. So well written and not what I was expecting I loved it so much! It was heartbreaking and growth and so many other emotions. I enjoyed every minute and shed some tears too but in the end it left me smiling.

[Gaby Meares · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Australian Children’s Book Council for the opportunity to review this book.

“Remembering must feel like walking on broken glass.”

Lisa Keller’s life is about to change forever. She’s dealing with the usual concerns of a Year 10 high school student: hanging out with her friends, keeping a low profile and experiencing first love. Then her father is diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease and given six months to live. And before he dies, he wants to share his story with his family.

Lisa’s father, Emil, is a Holocaust survivor, something he has never spoken about since he left Europe for a new life in Australia. As his illness progresses, he gathers his family together each Friday night to reveal more of the horrors he endured as a young Jewish boy in war-torn Czechoslovakia.

Chapters alternate between ‘Now’ which tells Lisa’s story, and ‘Then’, telling Emil’s. Lisa’s family is close, and together with her two older brothers and her mother, they rally to surround her father with love and a safe cocoon to tell his life story. It is refreshing to read a YA book where the family is close and loving.

Lisa has never revealed to her friends that she is Jewish, and she finds it almost impossible to reveal this to them now, let alone draw attention to herself by revealing her father’s terminal illness. She doesn’t want ‘everyone seeing through my skin to my breaking heart’. She can listen to other people’s sad stories for hours; she’s ‘okay with uncomfortable as long as it’s someone else’s uncomfortable’, but she cannot bear the thought of revealing her troubles with her friends.

As Emil’s health deteriorates, and more of his harrowing story is revealed, Lisa learns that keeping secrets is destructive, and that accepting help is not a weakness.

Zail has skilfully used a contemporary narrative (it’s set in 1982) to explore the horrors of the Holocaust. She doesn’t shy away from the brutality that Lisa’s father saw and experienced first hand, but it is never gratuitous. As fewer and fewer Survivors are left, it is essential that their stories are never forgotten, in the hope that history will not repeat itself. Emil’s story is based on Zail’s own father’s experiences.

Lists of further reading about the Holocaust and Motor Neurone Disease are included. As Holocaust education is now compulsory in most Australian State Schools, Inkflower would make a perfect addition to reading lists.
Walker books provide many resources for teachers and librarians:

For a bit of fun, there is also a link to a Spotify playlist of Lisa’s favourite 1980s hits.

Inkflower is challenging, but also inspiring and ultimately, full of hope. I highly recommend it.

Recommended for ages 14+

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lisa is 15. Her father has been diagnosed with motor neurone disease. He’s decided he wants to tell his story - about how he was a small boy who was sent to Auschwitz.

Inkflower is a dual-timeline story.
We learn about Emil’s childhood, from being bullied for being a Jew to being forced from his home and into concentration camps.
The present day we have Lisa’s struggles with her Dads diagnosis, & learning all that he went through. She doesn’t tell her friends or her boyfriend. & pulls away from her support circle.

Inkflower is based on a true story.

[Anna Davidson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful story that highlights typical teenage angst in the ‘now’ segments where Lisa comes to terms with her father’s terminal diagnosis. Interwoven is the ‘then’ as her father recounts his Holocaust survival story. I cried and cried at the end of this story. A story of strength, resilience and gratitude.

[whatbooknext · Rating 5 out of 5]

1982, Melbourne Australia. Lisa is in Year 10 at Glenrock Secondary School and she’s been dating a nice looking guy called Adam Winter for the past two months. He’s kind and Lisa is excited about being his girlfriend. Lisa’s best friend Deb is never far away, and they’re really close, always laughing and having fun.

Lisa is going to need them both, because her dad – the mayor of their town, tells his family he only has 6 months to live.

She can’t believe it. She won’t believe it. Pushing the thought of her loud, strong, popular dad being sick aside, she wants everything to be the same as it was before he spoke those words. Dad doesn’t look sick, but he explains he has motor neurone disease and his muscles will slowly stop working. But that’s not all. He has more to tell them. Something he has kept from them their whole lives. They are Jewish, and he was sent with his family, neighbours and friends to the Auschwitz Concentration Camp when he was 13.

Every Friday, instead of staying at Debs like she always did, Lisa joins her two older brothers and Mum to listen to her Dad’s story of his childhood. At first she can’t take it in. She hides it from her friends and boyfriend – wanting something to stay how it was before her world began to fall apart. The more Dad tells them, the more she understands why he hid it. She is watching her father disappear before her eyes, as his own father did in the Camp. But the more her father fights the disease, without anger or remorse or negativity, the more she sees his strength, courage and love for his family.


Warning – Tissues required. When I received the ARC of this novel, I knew it would be something special. Many years ago I read another novel by this author called The Wrong Boy. I’ve never forgotten how it affected me. Inkflower is even more heart wrenching as it is based in truth.

When I read the Author’s Note and realised she had been through what Lisa had been through, I was undone. I have read dozens of stories about the Holocaust, and believe we need every single one. We must never forget. We must know what happened and remember what we have learned.

This is a story from before the war when a Jewish boy was constantly bullied at school, to a young Jewish man who ended up in Australia, keen to live, love, and be the best he could in spite of everything that had happened to him. His courage through the Holocaust and the illness that takes him from his own family is inspirational, as are the millions of other stories of Holocaust survivors.

Heart wrenching. Powerful. Beautifully written. Thank you Suzy Zail, for sharing YOUR story.


Author – Suzy Zail
Age – 14+

[Jennie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book has two settings and two voices, predominantly told by teenager Emily Keller in the year 1882. Intelligible and successful in a school where appearances matter in terms of friendship and acceptance her Jewish heritage has not been shared with her friends and boyfriend. When her father, Emil, is diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease with six months to live his previous reticence about his past - childhood and family - dissolves with her older brothers spending each Friday night at home so the family can listen as dad recounts his experiences as a Jew during the war in Europe and in concentration camps through to his arrival in Australia and falling in love with their mother. The tale takes six months in the telling as dad gets weaker and talking becomes harder, and is finally finished via a key board. During this time Lisa initially separated her home life from her schol and social life but becomes increasingly alienated from the world beyond her home.

I found the book to be a harrowing and quite exhausting read, though also full of family love, resilience, tenacity and survival. Definitely one for older readers it is certainly not an easy book to read dealing with past and current tragedies. The section after Emil's release from the concentration camp and the treatment of the non-Jewish people as they tried to resettle and rebuild their lives extremely interesting as with the challenges of settling in Australia - these are aspects of the aftermath of WW2 and the Holocaust that are rarely recounted in children's literature. Zail has provided a different approach in presenting a Holocaust survival story that is effective but unfortunately clouded by current events.

Shortlisted for the 2024 CBCA Older Readers category.

[Julie (Bookish.Intoxication) · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Letting others in, it's not dangerous - It's freeing" p230.

I'm always excited to read a new release from Suzy Zail, she truly has a way with words, making the reader feel as though they are living the stories within the pages. And Inkflower was no different.

From page one, I was drawn into the dual worlds we are presented with. One terrifying past and Lisa's heartwrenching present. Throughout the pages you can feel Lisa struggling to work out where she fits, how her world can keep turning after learning about her father's haunting past, and watching his steady decline into Motor Neurone Disease (MND).

Zail has written both the 'Then' and 'Now' chapters with such respect and grace. You can feel the snow on your feet along side Emil, and feel the pain and angst of being a teenager and having to watch a loved one fade away.

Emil's 'Then' chapters are haunting. During and after his forced internment. Some of it, very hard to read, to process, but it is so important that we do. The hard to read pages teach us what humans are capable of and how we can avoid repeating the horrors of the past.

Inkflower is haunting, important and uplifting. It takes the reader on two journeys, one that helps us to learn from the past and the other that shows us that there is a way through loss, how to use memories to take the next step into our futures.

Thankyou so much to Suzy Zail, for once again, sharing her family's story. Not only for the incredible importance of The Holocaust, but also for spreading more information about MND. It can't have been easy to write, and we, as readers are so very grateful.

[Caren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Suzy Zail’s tribute to her father, a Holocaust survivor who had kept his experience secret until his dying days, is a poignant, powerful tale. Her choice of a young adult audience presented its challenges, which she skilfully handled by reimagining herself as a teenager who was finally hearing her beloved father’s testimony at his bedside, weakened by Motor Neurone Disease. In truth, Zail was thirty-seven when she learned of her father’s horror and, as she acknowledged, “Everything in this book that happened to him as a child…mirror(s) events in his real life.”

The novel is structured as two linked narratives: NOW and THEN. The NOW explores the daughter’s reactions to her father’s demise and her dramatic response to his Holocaust experiences. The THEN conveys her father’s harrowing years during the Holocaust – the discrimination that victimised him in his youth in Czechoslovakia and the subsequent tortured years of his deportations, incarcerations, starvation and abuse, losses, and finally, of his resettlement in Australia. Her writing brilliantly conveys the horror of his experience as well as his resilience. At times, however, the teenaged daughter seemed to be a stereotyped portrait, but perhaps my own age blinded me from accepting her as authentic. The information we gain about Motor Neurone Disease, portrayed with sensitivity and detail, adds considerably to the poignancy of the novel.

This text joins Zail’s earlier novel, “Alexander Almann A10567”, as an important text for young adult readers whose knowledge of the Holocaust can “act as a warning so future generations don’t repeat the same mistakes.”

[Robyn Bavati · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fabulous novel that pulls at the heartstrings. When teenage Lisa learns that her father is dying, at first she keeps it a secret, just as her dad has kept his past a secret as a way of protecting both himself and his family. But now that he is dying he wants to talk, wants his family to know his story - the story of a boy whose entire family was taken from him during the Holocaust.

While Lisa is reluctant to hear about the unimaginable cruelty and deprivation her dad suffered at the hands of the Nazis, she knows she must. The more she hears, the more she realises that her dad's story is a part of her own, and one she must embrace and share. So too, she must learn to share the trauma of her father's last days as his disease edges him closer and closer to death.

The novel moves between past and present - her dad back in the past, relating his tale, and Lisa own's life in the present, as she navigates high school and the conflicting needs of her family and friends. Lisa has the sort of friends every teenager wants - her wonderful boyfriend Adam (but does he really know her?) and best friend Deb, queen of drama and fun.

Lisa is a thoroughly likeable and relatable protagonist who gradually comes to realise the importance of owning ones story, and sharing it. As readers go on the journey with her, they will not only learn a great deal about a particularly dark time in history; they will also learn that every moment of life is a moment to be savoured and embraced, and that sometimes we are at our strongest when exposing just how vulnerable we are.

I highly recommend this novel for readers aged 14+

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Special thanks to Goodreads Giveaways, Lerner Publishing, and author, Suzy Zail, for the copy of Inkflower. I was intrigued with it initially due to the historical fiction genre. Secondly, it was a YA novel about WWII, but not set during the war. Again, intrigued. Then, a look at the cover and the title led me to believe that this was going to be a great book. It was! The story is told from the point of view of a 16 year old girl, in HS, going through normal HS life events - parents to controlling, needing to make all A's, keeping the hunk of a boyfriend happy, hanging out with the girls, going out for sports, etc. All of that came to a screeching halt when her dad is diagnosed with ALS. Life changed dramatically in a short period of time. Then, add to that, the realization that her dad was a Holocaust survivor and had never shared his story with anyone, including his family. I love WWII historical fiction, and it is always sad and devastating to hear how mean and cruel people were and can be, but this story brought me to tears. Suzy Zail wrote with such passion and from personal experience. This is such a great way to share the realities of WWII with YA readers in a manner other than Anne Frank. What a powerful story! What a great reminder that we need to be open and transparent, particularly with those we love, and learn from the experiences of others! THANK YOU!

[Melissa Wray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Suzy and Walker Books for the opportunity to review this incredible story. It captured my attention from the author’s inspiration to the front cover to the blurb to the final sentence. I’m a huge fan of Suzy Zail who is such a talented author!

Lisa is just like any teenage girl. Hanging out with friends and her boyfriend and generally just trying to get through high school. That is until her dad is diagnosed with motor neurone disease and given six moths to live.

Told from alternating time slips of NOW and THEN two stories unfold. Both were so captivating it was difficult to know which one I wanted to read more. NOW is the current day and the struggle Lisa has watching her father deteriorate as well as trying to maintain some normality in her life. THEN is Lisa’s dad sharing a long guarded secret. His time as a Jewish prisoner in a concentration camp during the holocaust.

Zail’s careful crafting of the two storyline’s is brilliant. Her writing style is captivating, sensitive, heartfelt and raw. She has captured Lisa’s teenage angst. Her mum’s stoic strength as she becomes carer for her husband. And the unreserved strength of Dad whose will to live is utterly inspiring.

Highly recommend this book for any age group!

[Lousie S · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was rather bloody something, it would have been better if she was not copying the tattooed flower.
Plots holes & Factual inaccuracies (for real life):
• Emil just got MND, which has a life expectancy of 2-3 years, and he only got 6 months
• It was never mentioned which type of MND Emil got
• John Lennon died in 1980 – and Mr Curlew spoke about the Beatles coming. There would probably be a bit more excitement if Lennon decided to come back from the dead, re-form the Beatles and perform something
• Greg not being arrested when he was with Deb
• 16-year-olds were drinking alcohol at a school formal
• Purple was listed as just being Gypsies
• They went to Pompeii from Bagnoli after jumping the fence when it is a seven hour walk
• Willie was talking about Dr Mengele doing selection, but Dr Mengele in real life only ever watched selection
• No-one shot Emil when he was in the wrong spot
• Aaron didn't get shot when he walked out of line
• There were many instances of talking where people didn't get beaten up
And more
Overall, a bit dodgy but okay.
P.S. I was held hostage to read this.
Follow the white rabbit to Richmond.

[Suzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow this was an amazing read. Lisa is dealing with a lot as she finds out that her father has ALS and only has so long to live. She is just trying to be a normal teenager, but then feels she can't tell her friends what she is going through. Her father wants to tell his story about his time during the Holocaust and that is a whole other thing added to her plate. But as she sees her father's condition worsen and learns more of his story, she finds that she doesn't need to fit in a be normal, she just needs to be herself. She finds that the people around really do care as she opens up about what is happening.
This is a great look at ALS and the Holocaust. The Holocaust needs to be discussed and shown that people lived through it, so that something like that doesn't happen again.
This book gives a really in depth look at ALS and how quickly it can move. I liked that her father wasn't afraid to show emotion and take help, as he knew that he needed it as his condition worsened.

A beautiful story of family, friendship and finding yourself even in the midst of tragedy.

Thank you NetGalley and the Publisher for this ARC.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inkflower is a book made up of several storylines woven together to form an overall story that is heartbreaking, important, and in spite of everything: hopeful. One thread of the story follows a young boy during the holocaust and its aftermath, another follows him decades later when he is living in Australia, now a father and husband, and the other thread follows his daughter as she learns about her dad’s past and watches him slowly succumb to MND.

The way this book was written - from the alternating past and present perspectives, to the stories and words themselves - was incredibly effective. It was horrible and harrowing to read at points, but I think it’s so important to know and remember the horrific acts committed and experiences endured in case we forget how easily hatred can take hold if we don’t keep fighting to be better. The author raised questions that I thought about long after I finished the book. Despite the subject matter, Inkflower was also filled with beautiful, undeniable hope. ‘The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.’ John 1:5

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading Inkflower I discovered that the novel was basically a fictionalised biography of the author's father with dialogue added. At the age of thirteen, he was captured by the Nazis and sent to Auschwitz. Later in life he was diagnosed with motor neuron disease and given six months to live although he actually lived for five more years.

Inflower has two timelines - NOW and THEN. As the young protagonist, Lisa learns more about her father's past, she is also watching him fade away from his disease. This was a heartbreaking story and Suzy has cleverly written a novel set in 1982 to explore the horrors of the Holocaust. The story is sometimes brutal but also inspirational and is full of courage, love and hope.

As the author states at the end of this novel, soon there will not be any survivors left to say that the Holocaust was real. However, it is stories like this, inspired by true events that, hopefully, will warn future generations not to make the same mistakes.