The Cure

by Sonia Levitin

A sixteen-year-old boy living in 2407 collides with the past when he finds himself in Strasbourg in 1348 confronting the anti-Semitism that sweeps through Europe during the Black Plague.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Science Fiction, Young Adult, Fiction, Dystopia, Time Travel, Historical

260 pages, Library Binding

First published April 1, 1999

About the author

Sonia Levitin is a German-American novelist, artist, producer, Holocaust Survivor, and author of over forty novels and picture books for young adults and children, as well as several theatrical plays and published essays on various topics for adults. Her book Incident at Loring Groves won an Edgar Allan Poe Award.

Reviews

[Arminzerella · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gemm 16884 is about to turn sixteen – the year where he and his twin, Gemma, make the Great Choice – when he starts having strange dreams, thoughts, and feelings. His behavior is determined to be deviant and he is taken away to be Cured or recycled (killed). The cure offered him is unique – he is to experience the memories of a person from history, which will be downloaded directly into his brain. Gemm accepts the conditions and becomes Johannes, a young Jewish man, whose people are being persecuted in the midst of the Black Death (plague). Johannes loves music as Gemm does, but the horror of his life (and its eventual ending) is enough to make Gemm renounce music forever. Johannes’ life becomes smaller and smaller as he and his people are terrorized by the Christian communities that surround them. He is finally put to death with his family and the rest of the Jewish community of Strasbourg, when the suspicious townspeople rise up and overthrow their local government and the most hot-headed individuals take control.

Gemm’s story is just a way to encapsulate the real story – the persecution of Johannes and the other Jews. They were trapped. Most literally had nowhere safe to go – their enemies were everywhere, and the plague was everywhere else. Knowing that they had to do something to stay alive, and yet being unable to do anything to survive crushed their spirits as surely as did their tormentors. They were caught and tortured, forced to confess to crimes they had never committed. Christians who were sympathetic to their Jewish neighbors were similarly persecuted/run out of town. When Gemm is pronounced cured, he can’t forget Johannes’ memories. He realizes that diversity and passion can be dangerous – thanks to the cure – but he also knows that without these differences and pain people can’t learn what love really is. He begins to teach his twin what it means to be truly human, and it is his hope that this can be passed along to others, that they might all know love.

Johannes’ story is quite powerful. It felt a bit manipulative in that the Jewish people could do no wrong (I’m sure that there were disreputable Jews, just as there were disreputable Christians). Knowing that they were doomed was the hardest part of reading this. One wonders, as with the Jewish Holocaust in WWII, why they did not fight back. Was it better to go into death without further violence? Although the science fiction framing of this story was interesting, the two tales were not equal – Johannes’ could have stood alone. And, while it’s clear that Gemm and his people could stand to learn many things from the history that’s been hidden from them, we don’t spend enough time with them (their society isn’t sufficiently detailed) to really care about these future humans. Still, as a piece of historical fiction, this worked very well. The science fiction enthusiast in me wants to know more about Gemm’s world than Levitin provides here.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book to break your heart. Based on true events it centers around a character in a rigid society where no one stands apart or is allowed to exhibit any emotion, physical, or unique traits of any kind. All wear masks and are identified by a number (very reminiscent of the concentration camps...and fitting in nicely with the anti-semitic themes of the book); and due to his musical ability Gemm is ruled a deviant who is either to be forcibly recycled or "cured." He chooses to be cured where he is taken to Strasbourg Germany in 1349 to live the life of a Jewish moneylender at the height of the black plague where Jews are blamed for the horrors of the plague. The historical parts of this book are very intriguing and well-written; and there is a part of me that thinks that the futuristic parts of the book are almost unnecessary; though I was struck by the fact that as I was reading this book I could not help thinking that that black-plague torn Europe still seems much preferable to the dismal future portrayed in this book. Perhaps that is evidence enough that the futuristic portion of the book is indeed necessary. This was a fantastic book with many lessons to teach about the powers of love, the devastating power of hate, and that the uniqueness of humanity can and should be celebrated without the world being plunged into chaos.

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yikes! Don't finish this book just before bed! The ending is pretty upsetting. I couldn't sleep all night.

I really enjoyed this little book, which has been on my To-Read List since 2011. I couldn't find it in the library or on Overdrive, so I bought a copy for $3. I'm glad I persisted, it was a good recommendation, and precisely my kind of book.

Historical fiction with a dash of science fiction. The main story is set in 1348 in Austria, where the black plague is beginning to destroy the continent. The main character is Jewish, and, as you can imagine, things do not go well for them.

I had no idea of this historical atrocity until I read this book. Scared people = danger.

[Amy Bailey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very interesting read. It is based on true events that many people may be unaware took place. There are two elements - a futuristic society in which people are forced into conformity. Those who are shown to be deviant are recycled, a less horrifying way of saying "put to death." When Gemm is classified as deviant, he is able to make the choice to endure a tortuous process to "cure" him of his affliction. He is put through an alternate reality (in this case an actual historical reality) in which he is a Jew living in Strasbourg during the pestilence of 1349. Throughout Europe, the Jews were blamed for the existence of the plague and sent to slaughter. This is a heartbreaking book. I feel that maybe it would have been better written for adults. I felt like it moved so quickly, and not enough effort was really put into the telling of the story. The characters were good, but I don't feel like enough care was given to adequately develop each one. The story is profound, however, and very disturbing.

[CJ Raich · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven’t really read a book like this before. It is basically two different stories in one - and the way they are linked really is unique and thought-provoking. It highlights the inherent imperfections in a utopian society while also recalling just how awful human beings can be to those from different cultural backgrounds to their own. As someone who gets drawn in to both sci-fi and historical fiction, I really got a lot from this book. I was particularly intrigued by the past era in this story. While I know that antisemitism has run rampant in all eras since Christianity became popular, it is more common to find stories about such experiences from the 20th century Holocaust than the 1300s.

It’s not a very long book, but the impact from reading it will stay with me for a long time.

[Aaliyah Alvarez · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Cure


The book The Cure is an amazing interesting and mysterious book by Sonia Levitin,The main character in the story is well they didn’t really say his name in the story but it is a boy.But he always has the same dream over and over,but if you like scary or like jump scares then I suggest this book for you.

[Aiyana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm torn on how to rate this book, because it's really two books in one. The outer story, the one that frames the book, is a future dystopia, and honestly, not a particularly novel one. Differences have been outlawed so that everyone gets along, one person is born who can't fit in, yadda yadda nothing new here.

But once we get away from this character's storyline the book changes dramatically. Sentenced to experience a life from history so that he can understand why humans gave up difference in favor of harmony, Gem becomes Daniel, a Jewish boy living in small-town Europe in the middle ages. Daniel's story is amazing, and all the more so for being based on true events. His world is described in exquisite detail, with nuance and vibrancy. It is impossible not to be drawn into his story and ultimately to experience with him the pains-- and the pleasures-- that make being human a worthwhile experience.

[Kent R. · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the year 2407, societal tranquillity is maintained by ample servings of serotonin drinks to the genetically engineered population and by careful monitoring to suppress all expressions of individuality or creativity. When the boy Gemm 16884 somehow feels moved to make music, an extinguished art, he is given a choice between being ""recycled"" (killed) or sent into virtual reality to experience the bad old days as a cure for his deviant desires. Opting for the latter, he finds himself living as Johannes, the 16-year-old son of a Jewish moneylender in 1348 StrasbourgAs the bubonic plague spreads from the ports of Sicily across Europe, the Jews are accused of poisoning the water supply; whole communities of Jews are massacred. Now Gem 16884 doesn't know if he still want to be living in his life. This book is kinda like The Giver with all of the organized futuristic things and is really cool.

[Yasmin Ruiz-Patterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been looking for this d**n book for literal years. I work at one of the largest library systems in the country. Couldn't find it. I tried ILL. Couldn't get it. I was convinced this was some 90's childhood fever dream until FINALLY I found used copy on Amazon; it was a used library copy from somewhere in North Carolina but I digress.

This book is spectacular. It traumatized me when I was nine and it is still devastatingly sad. As others have mentioned before I wish this was not a YA book but an adult one so it could be longer and go into more detail. It's pretty brutal for a children's book but then again I feel like most 90's books were! If you somehow managed to find a copy of this book just read it if only to learn about one of those tragic moments in history that were conveniently left out of school.

[Rachel Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of best books I have ever read. A thought provoking, soul searching novel about diversity, creativity, tolerance, and love.

[mad mags · Rating 4 out of 5]

Living While Jewish in the Middle Ages

* Caution: Minor spoilers ahead! *

It is The Year of Tranquility 2047, and humanity has eradicated violence, poverty, and bigotry – at the expense of diversity and emotion. If “diversity begets hostility” and “passion begets evil,” as the United Social Alliance Elders believe, then the only path to utopia is conformity: “Conformity begets Harmony begets Tranquility begets Peace begets Universal Good. (Shout Praises!)” The result is a rather sterile society devoid of family, love, intimacy, history, and art, a community in which all members think as one (and indeed, don’t seem to think about much at all).

To achieve this “Universal Good,” years of genetic engineering and selective breeding have made the human brain compliant; standardized, even. Babies are created in batches, each male paired with a female twin with whom he becomes mated for life. Though the siblings live, work, and parent together (if they so choose), sex is prohibited, a relic of the past. Instead, when females turn 16, their eggs are harvested (a mandate euphemistically referred to as “the process”), so that the next generation can be made in a lab. Touching is taboo, and to further emphasize the sense of oneness, citizens wear smooth, featureless masks at all times. Not even twins are allowed to gaze upon one another’s faces.

Disease and sickness have mostly been eradicated, but in lieu of immortality, citizens can choose to be “recycled” (i.e., euthanized) at any time. The maximum allowed lifespan is 120 years, after which time recycling is mandatory. If one is found to be “deviant” – a nonconforming thinker – most likely he or she will be recycled. A select few are offered the option of “The Cure.”

Gemm 16884, with his love of music, vividly imaginative dreams, and a gait out of step with his peers, is one of the few people unlucky enough to exhibit random variations in his genetic makeup. Because his cerebellum is abnormally developed – by United Social Alliance standards, that is – Gemm is “receptive to rhythm and tone.” A difference that’s deemed both deviant and dangerous – and punishable by death.

Gemm’s offered the possibility of “The Cure,” which he readily accepts, if only to spare his twin Gemma 16884 from being recycled as well. (An alternative preferable to being left alone, twins often choose to be recycled along with their siblings.) With a simple download to his brain, Gemm is transported to Strasbourg, Germany, circa 1348 AD. Here he becomes Johannes, a 16-year-old Jewish boy, son of Menachem the moneylender, and an aspiring musician. In a high-tech version of negative reinforcement, the Elders hope to “correct” Gemm’s behavior by paring music with pain – using a real-life example pulled from the pages of history.

As the Black Death tears its way through Europe, the Jews are quickly scapegoated. Rumors spread that the Jews – all Jews – have conspired to poison wells throughout Europe, thus spreading the pestilence. Spurious allegations are quickly confirmed by confessions obtained from suspected Jews under torture. Across the continent, Jews are expelled from town; rounded up and tortured; and, eventually, massacred: burned at the stake like witches.

Fear is only part of it; greed, too, propels gentiles to turn against their Jewish neighbors: “The townspeople – nobles and tradesmen and peasants alike – divide up the spoils: The gentry claim the houses, and the others take what is left […] Everyone is satisfied, the debtors most of all, for when the lender is gone, all debts are canceled.” (page 222) Of course, Christians are prohibited by their religion from lending money, and all the moneylenders in Strasbourg are Jewish. Commerce in Strasbourg is “well regulated”; save for lending, only one practicing Jew per profession is allowed. That means one Jewish doctor, one Jewish butcher, and Jewish leather maker, and so on. With few avenues of employment open to them, many turn to moneylending. Though Johannes’s family is far from rich, they are better off than many. All Jews in Strasbourg are required to pay extra taxes, including a bribery for protection to the Bishop. Yet the bribes pale in comparison to the riches that can be seized from an accused Jew – providing powerful motive for this legalized mob theft.

The story takes Gemm – and the readers – through one year in the life of Johannes. We rejoice with him when he finds love with neighbor Margarite; mourn the passing of his family members; and fear for his safety as the pestilence creeps ever closer to Strasbourg. While his flute is a great source of comfort and joy, it also provides the soundtrack for unimaginable suffering and pain. When his uncle is murdered in a riot at the trade fair, Johannes blames himself – rather than the flagellants rampaging through town, inflaming the masses – for playing his flute on the Sabbath. And when the gentiles of Strasbourg finally turn against their Jewish neighbors, the rabbi’s final request is granted, and the death march to the cemetery scaffolding is attended by musicians.

In The Cure, author Sonia Levitin has created a unique blend of science and historical fiction that’s truly heartbreaking. While many books have concentrated on the oppression of Jews in the 1930s and 40s, The Cure goes back even further, harnessing the fear of the plague and exposing the raw anti-Semitism of the day. Time and again, gentiles ask Jews (with a straight face) where they hide their tails and horns. Jewish citizens are forced to wear special hats to identify themselves – at a time when simply existing as a Jew was a near-criminal offense, punishable by beating or death. While Johannes and his family briefly consider fleeing as the town’s sentiments turn against them, they’ve nowhere to go: their people aren’t welcome anywhere in Europe. Even their few gentile friends offer little help, lest they be tarred and branded as “Jew lovers.”

Even more powerful is the epilogue, which reveals that the events in The Cure are very much rooted in history. On February 14, 1349, the Jews of Strasbourg were rounded up, herded into the cemetery, and burned alive as the town’s musicians “played dancing tunes so that they could enter the presence of God with singing.” The pestilence reached Strasbourg two weeks later, proving the town’s “sacrifice” in vain. Even so, “few expressed remorse or altered their thinking.” Strasbourg was just one of approximately 300 Jewish communities destroyed during this time. Thousand of Jews – including children like Johannes and Rochele, Magarite and Rosa – were murdered by raging mobs.

The only part of the story that leaves something to be desired is the ending, which wraps up rather abruptly and tidily. Two days later, and I still can’t figure out whether I’d call it “satisfying” – which most likely means no.

4.5 stars, rounded up to 5 on Amazon.

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[Renee Rochel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I’m at a 4.5 for this book. This one will definitely stick with me.

In the year 2407, Gemm is part of a society that is all about conformity, harmony, and tranquility. Everyone is the same, wearing masks and never doing anything to disturb the peace of one another. However, Gemm realizes he’s different. His difference leads him to a decision: be recycled (die) or go through “the cure” in which he will be “sent back” in time to an experience that will remind him why difference is bad. He chooses the latter and becomes a sixteen year old Jewish boy living during the time of the Black Death.

I absolutely loved the dystopian science fiction chapters of this. It reminded me of some of my favorite Ray Bradbury stories and I was totally invested. The 1348 timeline was not entirely engaging for me for some of it, BUT I was still curious how it would all come together. The ending is definitely a heartbreaking page turner and really gets you thinking about our past and our future.

I appreciated learning about this part of history from this perspective. We focus so much on the Jewish history in WWII, but Anti-Semitism existed way before that and this book does a great job exposing that truth with accurate historical elements throughout. The epilogue was excellent and necessary.

[Cathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

A strange but slightly interesting way to combine historical fiction and science fiction. Gemm lives in social tranquility with everyone else in the year 2407 where the population is genetically engineered. Serotonin drinks are an important part of their diet and there is a suppression of individuality and creativity. Gemm wants to make music, which is not allowed so he is given two choices: be recycled (killed) or take "The Cure". Gemm chooses "The Cure".

The Cure uses virtual reality to send his deviant self back to 1348 Strassburg, Germany. He is a 16 year old Jewish musician. Son of a moneylender. Things progressively get worse as Johannes (Gemm) lives this life where anti-semitism is growing as the Bubonic Plague spreads toward Strassburg. The Jews are blamed for the pestilence and are being killed for it. At about the time Johannes and his family are about to be burned he wakes up bak in 2407.

Is he cured as they believe he is????

Jacob is my favorite character in the book. He is a friend of Johannes and has returned to Strassburg after studying in Paris to be a doctor. He maintains a calm attitude through all that the Jewish folks are dealing with in Strassburg. He is also very kind to the gentiles and took care of all in need.

[Shannon O'Flynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! It was an interesting mix of dystopia, sci-fi, and historical fiction. I've never seen a sci-fi, historical fiction mixed book before!

The dystopia part of the book slightly reminded me of the giver, as everything was equal. Everyone in the dystopia had a twin and they were forced to choose a job when they come of age. Music and love are forbidden in this dystopia which is what gets Gemm in trouble. When given the option of a being recycled or going through a painful cure, Gemm chooses the cure, unwilling to get rid of his life.

He is transposed into the life of Johannes, a Jew in Germany in the year of 1348. Pestilence (the Black Death) is being spread and the Jews are being blamed unfairly. Tensions are rising, but Johannes has the gift of music through playing his flute.

This book was. great. I learned a lot about the Black Death. I never knew that the Jews were blamed for spreading the disease. When I thought of unfair Jewish treatment, I used to think only of the Holocaust, but now I am aware that the treatment goes back so much farther.

I would recommend this to anyone who likes The Giver, sci-fi, dystopias, or historical fiction! It is a great quick read!

[Amy Ariel · Rating 3 out of 5]

The issue for me is a me issue.
I’m reading books to review them for MIDDLE GRADE and young YA book clubs.

I think the history in this book and the issues raised might be better suited for older teens. And I say that while reading the Entertainer and the Dybbuk with 5,6, 7th graders.

The sibling coupled committed relationships in the dystopian/utopian future, the sheer terror and horror of the 14th century, the abject antisemitism, the plague, and then the ending of the book all seem to me to ask for a reader mature enough to consider and discuss these issues from multiple perspectives.

For Jewish kids in particular, like my book club kids, I think reading this book too young could be really damaging.

I would love to hear from other Jewish readers in particular about what you think in this regard.

[Shelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this while teaching Robert Sharenow's Berlin Boxing Club to my group of 10th graders. I didn't use this book in class, but I was definitely making connections while I was reading. I picked this book up because I thought it would be mostly a futuristic sci-fi novel with a bit of history thrown in, but the majority of the book takes place in the past. I wish there had been a little bit more about Gemm's time in the future in both the beginning and the end of the book, but the middle where he was in the past was amazing! I was on edge for almost the entire novel, just waiting to find out how this "cure" would actually affect him. A great read!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was essentially 2 books in one. Obviously, the inner story was explored much more deeply (and I preferred it because of its depth and character development), but the outer story was necessary to support the main point.

I find it topical and still relevant - applicable to more groups than just the one discussed in the story. I think everyone could read this and walk away a better, more well-rounded person.

This is a reread from a 6th grade English class. It didn’t read as 6th grade literature, and I’m so grateful my teacher was thoughtful enough to go through this story with us - although I wish I had been mature enough to understand and remember it.

Thank you Mrs. P!

[Evelyn Ramos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall I believe that this is a very interesting book. Something I really enjoyed about it is the fact that it was basically two stories in one. The story is about a young boy, Gemm, who is considered deviant and has to under go a painful process to cure him or be put to sleep (put to death). This is when the story truly begins. You get to see world through the eyes of a young Jewish boy, Johannes, in harsh times when the pestilence was spreading. I would really recommend this book if you liked the boy in the striped pajamas.

[Zac · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book for my English class in grade eight, and I have to give credit to my teacher for making absolutely excellent choices of books for us to read. The Cure encompasses the genres of both science fiction, which I was very fond of in junior high and high school, and historical fiction, which has been a favourite of mine for years. Besides being an engaging read, I appreciate that it helped me to visualize the life and oppression of Jews in Medieval Europe, especially since I have not found much in the way of historical fiction in that context.

[Tiffany · Rating 2 out of 5]

I would call it 1.5 and round up. Honestly, I wanted to like it but the writing style is so hard. The first 50 pages were ok, but it went downhill fast. The transition in styles at act 2 was jarring and I found myself skimming and getting distracted. It was all tell, no show. Majority of the work was written in dialogue only. With brief descriptions of what the scene was like.

I felt like the author was bashing me over the head with her point. The utopia that is actually a dystopia was not even needed really for the story she wanted to tell. It was not enjoyable to read.

[Jae Alberi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I want to give it four stars. I loved the writing, connected with the characters, and it was just a really interesting concept, albeit super disturbing in factual historical past as well as in dystopian orwellian future. But - I think the author tried to tie up the ending too quickly and it didn't make sense. Neither did the entire "point" to be honest.

[Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Still thinking about this book years and years later.

[Joseph Mfungwe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exceptional

[Colin Altevogt · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was okay. The historical fiction part was interesting, the ending was totally depressing. This is more like 3.5 stars for me.

[ChrisEliteyt6]

good book

[Prim Adora · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book in high school and I remember it having a very profound effect on me. I’ll have to reread it soon!

[Hope Traynor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book in high school. It changed the way I looked at the world and is still one of my all time favorite books.

[Maddie Voogt · Rating 3 out of 5]

i like this book, its really sad

[Nikki Stevens · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s been 16 years since I’ve read this book, and I will randomly think about it every couple months. Very short read but a good story.

[Josephine (Jo) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, this was an unusual mixture of dystopian and historical but I would actually forget about the dystopian part and just say that it is a historical novel and if you are interested in the history of the Jews in Germany in 1348 then you will enjoy it. Johannes, a 16-year-old Jewish musician in Strasbourg, faces the plague and then the awful persecution of the Jews who are unjustly blamed for bringing the disease to the country. Johannes struggles to carry on with life in what becomes a Jewish ghetto when they are prevented from mixing with the community, he sees friends and family taken for questioning and being accused of poisoning the wells with the plague. I did learn a lot about this period of history in Germany, however, I felt that the author was using the dystopian theme to draw the reader in before writing a purely historical book. A bit like a parent hiding the vegetables in a casserole. The dystopian part of the story was completely unnecessary and only consisted of four small chapters at the start and a few pages at the end so a bit of a cheat.