Caught: Surviving the Turbulent River of Life

by Uta Christensen

In Caught: Surviving the Turbulent River of Life, Janos, a successful executive for a large German conglomerate, reveals the untold experiences of his youth to Sparrow, a young woman he seems attracted to. She is allowed to relive his epic journey and becomes drawn into an unnerving yet moving tapestry of extraordinary events that take place in prisoner of war camps deep within Russia.
Taken by force at age sixteen from the protective circle of his family in Germany, Janos is tossed into the cataclysmic, last-gasp efforts of World War II. His several years-long journey takes him to a place of darkness, where he lives through a near-death experience and must survive physical and emotional starvation, hard labor and ostracism; yet it also carries him into unlikely places and relationships where friendships, compassion, healing, mentoring and love can amazingly still flourish.
As the story unfolds, Janos' journey accelerates his passage from adolescence to manhood. Almost miraculously, he survives while vast numbers of his fellow prisoners of war perish.

305 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

I am an author, and my name is Uta Christensen. Though I was born in Germany, I spent most of my life in other countries—Ireland, New Zealand, Australia and the United States. I have been in love with the United States since my childhood. When I saw a documentary movie at an early age called Traumstrasse der Welt (Dream Highway of the World), depicting California’s Highway 101 from San Diego to Alaska with its nearby natural wonders, I was totally enthralled by that beautiful far-away country. And, miraculously, I ended up there. It was in California I earned my university degree in English and German literature. I have been fond of literature since my childhood, starting off with Russian novelists, and have been reading ever since. I was also fond of writing but didn’t start my writing career until the early 1990’s. My first book, my father’s memoir was published in Germany in 2005. The memoir was written in German for the benefit of my father who never learned to speak or read English. I am also the author of three novels published in the US: Bed of Roses, Bed of Thorns, Tough as Fine Silk, Escape from Beijing, and Caught: Surviving the Turbulent River of Life, published in December 2014.

All my novels are based on true stories. I think of the true story a novel is built on, however short, incomplete or fragmentary it might be, as the novel’s seed. It is when the imagination comes into play while writing that the seed begins to sprout, grows, matures into a tree, begins to bloom and eventually bears fruit. I always hope that it will bear fine fruit.

When I’m in the process of writing, I try to stay disciplined. Being a morning person, I write every morning for several hours, except Sundays. My whole being is dialed into this schedule. What I love to write most are family sagas/coming-of-age story with historical backgrounds, though I also write love stories with historical backgrounds and with some surprising and thrilling aspects. I find writing fiction very fulfilling and artistically challenging, but I hope it will not become an obsession of mine and prevent me from engaging in other experiences.

Reviews

[Uta Christensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

“There are many faces to the horrors of war-- decimation, mutilation, barbarity, and, of course, death itself. But one of the most savage and dehumanizing consequences of armed conflict is the prison system that springs up to house enemy combatants--and ordinary citizens too. These hellish camps encapsulate the lowest depths of human depravity; ruled by violence and degeneracy, political prisoners are forced to endure unthinkable conditions and unchecked cruelty--all without any chance of reprieve. Uta Christensen's latest novel, Caught: Surviving the Turbulent River of Life, chronicles this appalling consequence of war, weaving a narrative of atrocity that, despite its artful inventions and complex characters, is so starkly based on grim realities... that one cannot help but shudder.
Caught tells the story of Janos, a young German boy kidnapped by the Nazis during WWII--and forced into a Russian prison camp. There, Janos must survive against all odds, fighting off starvation and death at every turn as the years march on... and he becomes a man. It is, in fact, within the hardships of this very crucible, that Janos thrives, overcoming the frailties and ignobilities of existence to discover friendship, compassion, and love--making him into the apotheosis of an upstanding, self-reliant citizen: a true model to all his fellow countrymen.
Told in flashbacks, Caught: Surviving the Turbulent River of Life explores the intricate nature of suffering and memory, delving into the complexities of how the past--even the most vicious episodes--informs the present... and the very nature of the self. Uta Christensen, with striking prose and a poetic sensibility, brings the darker chapters of history to life in such a way that one is instantly captivated by a concurrent horror and pity, a sense of tragedy, but too a catharsis in overcoming, in human resilience and beauty itself. A truly breathtaking novel, Caught is a tour de force of literary perfection; poignant, unremitting, and painfully real, this book is essential reading for all those willing to face hard truths--and grow from them.”
― Phi Beta Kappa review, 5 Star Review by Charles Asher.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveawey.
This is not a book to be read with a light heart or expecting it to be a superficial read. This is the retrospective tale of a young German teenager torn from his family to fight at the tail end of WWII, his experiences as a prisoner of the Russians and his passage from childhood to adulthood during this period. It is filled with the horrors he suffers and his struggles for survival. Remarkably, he not only endures but grows into a man with a future.
As I said, this book will drag you down but it will also make you marvel at the human spirit.