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We Are Only Ghosts
New York City, 1968: The customers at Café Marie don’t come just for the excellent coffee and pastries. They come for the sophisticated ambiance, and the illusion of being somewhere other than a bustling, exhausting city. Headwaiter Charles Ward helps create that illusion through impeccable service—unobtrusive, nearly invisible, yet always watchful.
It’s a skill Charles honed as a young Jewish boy in war-torn Europe, when avoiding attention might mean the difference between life and death. But even then, one man saw him all too clearly—a Nazi officer who was both his savior and tormentor.
At seventeen, Charles was deported to Auschwitz with his family. There he was singled out by Obersturmführer Berthold Werden, who hid him in his home. Their entanglement produced a tortured affection mixed with hatred that flares to life again, decades later, when Berthold walks into Café Marie.
Drawn back into Berthold’s orbit, Charles is forced to revisit the pain and the brief, undeniable pleasures of the life he once knew. And if he acts on his growing hunger for revenge, will he lose his only tether to the past—the only other witness to who he was and everything he endured—or find peace at last?
It’s a skill Charles honed as a young Jewish boy in war-torn Europe, when avoiding attention might mean the difference between life and death. But even then, one man saw him all too clearly—a Nazi officer who was both his savior and tormentor.
At seventeen, Charles was deported to Auschwitz with his family. There he was singled out by Obersturmführer Berthold Werden, who hid him in his home. Their entanglement produced a tortured affection mixed with hatred that flares to life again, decades later, when Berthold walks into Café Marie.
Drawn back into Berthold’s orbit, Charles is forced to revisit the pain and the brief, undeniable pleasures of the life he once knew. And if he acts on his growing hunger for revenge, will he lose his only tether to the past—the only other witness to who he was and everything he endured—or find peace at last?
304 pages, Hardcover
First published February 20, 2024
150 people are currently reading
19101 people want to read
About the author
Jeffrey L. Richards
3 books120 followersBorn and raised in Oklahoma, Jeffrey has lived New Jersey since 2000, pursuing a career in writing.
He self-published his first novel, The Summer of Jenny Wade, in 2015.
His theatrical play, Stillwater, premiered in 2016 in New York at the Venus/Adonis Theater Festival.
His second novel, We Are Only Ghosts, is due out from Kensington Publishing in February 2024.
Jeffrey is active on social media and enjoys interacting with his audience:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/jefflrich
https://www.instagram.com/jeffreywrit...
He self-published his first novel, The Summer of Jenny Wade, in 2015.
His theatrical play, Stillwater, premiered in 2016 in New York at the Venus/Adonis Theater Festival.
His second novel, We Are Only Ghosts, is due out from Kensington Publishing in February 2024.
Jeffrey is active on social media and enjoys interacting with his audience:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/jefflrich
https://www.instagram.com/jeffreywrit...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 173 reviews
October 11, 2023
no fucking way, dude. the author said he wrote this because he has a "fascination with the Holocaust" and you can absolutely tell, because it's written like the worst textbook you'll ever read. the author also starts off the q&a in the back with saying he wondered if he even should have written this book, as someone who's not Jewish, and the answer is fucking no. obviously fucking not. AND the author calls the AIDS crisis a holocaust, in case you thought the queer parts of this were handled well. don't read this book, is what i'm saying.
thanks to edelweiss for the review copy, except i don't think anyone should ever read this and it should probably be removed from edelweiss and also, the shelves when it's pubbed in 2024. fucking hell.
thanks to edelweiss for the review copy, except i don't think anyone should ever read this and it should probably be removed from edelweiss and also, the shelves when it's pubbed in 2024. fucking hell.
November 16, 2023
As a gay jew, this book is just disgusting. It should never have been given such a platform. I think next time we should uplift actual gay Jewish voices instead of someone with a holocaust fetish
January 5, 2024
Publication date: 2-20-2024
Disturbing and emotional story of one man's journey to regain his identity in a life interrupted by the Holocaust and by sexual abuse. Difficult and sad to read at times, it does remind me that life oftentimes evens things out. Riveting. Well written.
My thanks to the author, Jeffrey L. Richards, and the publisher, Penguin Random House, for my ARC of this book. #Goodreads Giveaway
Disturbing and emotional story of one man's journey to regain his identity in a life interrupted by the Holocaust and by sexual abuse. Difficult and sad to read at times, it does remind me that life oftentimes evens things out. Riveting. Well written.
My thanks to the author, Jeffrey L. Richards, and the publisher, Penguin Random House, for my ARC of this book. #Goodreads Giveaway
July 2, 2023
5/5- highly recommend, holy grail books
I immensely enjoyed the journey of Karel from 1968 New York, to 1941 Czechoslovakia and back again. This novel is reminiscent of John Boyne- The Boy in the Striped Pajamas and The Hearts Invisible Furies- in the portrait of a young queer man grappling with the trauma of his past. I enjoyed the exploration of identity, and reclaiming what has been stolen from you. On a lighter note, I appreciate when the title of a book is intentional and referenced within, rather than a marketing afterthought. The concept of victims being ghosts of their former selves, and invisible to their abusers is stunning and thought provoking.
-Thank you to the author, Jeffery L Richards, Kensington Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ARC.
I immensely enjoyed the journey of Karel from 1968 New York, to 1941 Czechoslovakia and back again. This novel is reminiscent of John Boyne- The Boy in the Striped Pajamas and The Hearts Invisible Furies- in the portrait of a young queer man grappling with the trauma of his past. I enjoyed the exploration of identity, and reclaiming what has been stolen from you. On a lighter note, I appreciate when the title of a book is intentional and referenced within, rather than a marketing afterthought. The concept of victims being ghosts of their former selves, and invisible to their abusers is stunning and thought provoking.
-Thank you to the author, Jeffery L Richards, Kensington Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ARC.
July 27, 2025
3.5 rounded to a 4
The stories, even fiction, regarding WW2 are heartbreaking. This book is no different. It stretches between deportations, concentration camps and war criminals. The non linear timeliness can be distracting at time however. Bit overall, a good read.
Thank you to Goodreads and Kensington Publishing for giving me this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
The stories, even fiction, regarding WW2 are heartbreaking. This book is no different. It stretches between deportations, concentration camps and war criminals. The non linear timeliness can be distracting at time however. Bit overall, a good read.
Thank you to Goodreads and Kensington Publishing for giving me this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Want to read
June 1, 2023divisive and controversial queer book of the year award nominee!
August 3, 2023
Told in two timelines, the (linear) present and the (nonlinear) past, this book follows a nam of many names, whom we know of as Charles at first. He was 17 when he was taken to Auschwitz, with his parents and sisters.
Quickly, he, alone is taken in by a German Nazi, Berthold, outwardly as a slave, but secretly, in his basement at night, a lover. Now, 27 years later, Charles is going about his days as a free man in America when Berthold begins to frequent the cafe in which Charles works.
What proceeds is the story of Charles in all its glory and wretchedness. He can’t seem to decipher his feelings about Berthold. On one hand, he knows this man was evil to him, to Jewish people, but he was also kind and loving to him.
I was leery about reading this at first, not wanting to read a book where a German Nazi was potentially romanticized and made out to be heroic in any way, but I am so SO glad I did because this wasn’t so much the case.
Instead, this is a story of Charles and everything he endured. My heart bled for this man, his journey, and his pain. I was sobbing openly through the depictions of his terrible treatment, the treatment of his family, the conditions in the camp, as well as during the moments of his triumph.
This was a beautiful and incredibly painful story where this man faces his demons and decides whether to seek retribution or not.
A wholly unexpected five stars.
Quickly, he, alone is taken in by a German Nazi, Berthold, outwardly as a slave, but secretly, in his basement at night, a lover. Now, 27 years later, Charles is going about his days as a free man in America when Berthold begins to frequent the cafe in which Charles works.
What proceeds is the story of Charles in all its glory and wretchedness. He can’t seem to decipher his feelings about Berthold. On one hand, he knows this man was evil to him, to Jewish people, but he was also kind and loving to him.
I was leery about reading this at first, not wanting to read a book where a German Nazi was potentially romanticized and made out to be heroic in any way, but I am so SO glad I did because this wasn’t so much the case.
Instead, this is a story of Charles and everything he endured. My heart bled for this man, his journey, and his pain. I was sobbing openly through the depictions of his terrible treatment, the treatment of his family, the conditions in the camp, as well as during the moments of his triumph.
This was a beautiful and incredibly painful story where this man faces his demons and decides whether to seek retribution or not.
A wholly unexpected five stars.
March 21, 2024
For those of us who are interested in another ‘Holocaust’ story, don’t miss author, Jeffrey L. Richard’s We Are Only Ghosts. This historical fiction is filled with a plethora of discussion issues including identity, a Jewish male teenager, sexuality, war & beyond .. an unforgettable courageous family saga!
November 22, 2023
This exceptionally profound novel was a haunting portrayal of a victim and his complex relationship with his tormentor. When Charles was sent to Auschwitz, Berthold, a commander of the camp singled him out to be a servant in his home. But their relationship evolved into something more sinister and sexual, and Charles and Berthold formed an unlikely bond during the war. That is, until the Allies advanced on Poland and Berthold must decide Charles’ fate.
Charles was lucky to have survived and the future finds him in New York City more than two decades later. And who should patronize the café where Charles waits tables? But Charles is no longer the timid teenage prisoner he was nearly twenty-five years ago. What follows is an intriguing battle of wills.
This book was reminiscent of A Little Life, where much like that book’s protagonist, Charles will do anything to survive. The chapters alternating between past and present were done well, as was the character development. It was a book of emotional turmoil, but I think it could have gone deeper considering everything that Charles experienced. Otherwise, it was an intriguing portrayal of dominance and endurance.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.
Charles was lucky to have survived and the future finds him in New York City more than two decades later. And who should patronize the café where Charles waits tables? But Charles is no longer the timid teenage prisoner he was nearly twenty-five years ago. What follows is an intriguing battle of wills.
This book was reminiscent of A Little Life, where much like that book’s protagonist, Charles will do anything to survive. The chapters alternating between past and present were done well, as was the character development. It was a book of emotional turmoil, but I think it could have gone deeper considering everything that Charles experienced. Otherwise, it was an intriguing portrayal of dominance and endurance.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.
February 2, 2024
Author Jeffrey L. Richards references Maria McCann's As Meat Loves Salt in his Q&A. We Are Only Ghosts , though set in a different time and place, has a similar brutality to it, where even the sentences feel like punches.
We Are Only Ghosts is the story of Charles, born Karel, a headwaiter at an expat café in late 1960’s New York. He finds himself serving coffees and pastries to an older gentleman who strikes him as familiar. Charles eventually recognizes the man as Berthold, a Nazi officer who both tormented and abused him and whom he views as having saved his life.
We Are Only Ghosts plays with the idea of identity throughout its pages as we weave in and out of the linear present and the non-linear past, jumping through time back into the days when Charles was a boy named Karel.
I liked the writing of this one quite a bit. Charles feels like a cipher throughout most of the story and that feels right. He’s been forced to haunt his own life, his name and identity fashioned and re-fashioned over and over in the pursuit of survival, leaving him with little sense of self until the end.
Thank you to the author, Kensington Books, and NetGalley for the ARC.
We Are Only Ghosts is the story of Charles, born Karel, a headwaiter at an expat café in late 1960’s New York. He finds himself serving coffees and pastries to an older gentleman who strikes him as familiar. Charles eventually recognizes the man as Berthold, a Nazi officer who both tormented and abused him and whom he views as having saved his life.
We Are Only Ghosts plays with the idea of identity throughout its pages as we weave in and out of the linear present and the non-linear past, jumping through time back into the days when Charles was a boy named Karel.
I liked the writing of this one quite a bit. Charles feels like a cipher throughout most of the story and that feels right. He’s been forced to haunt his own life, his name and identity fashioned and re-fashioned over and over in the pursuit of survival, leaving him with little sense of self until the end.
Thank you to the author, Kensington Books, and NetGalley for the ARC.
March 6, 2024
Ok, let me start by saying for those reviewers who gave this novel a one star review due to their misunderstanding of the authors answers in the Q&A at the end of the novel, you all obviously latched on to the phrase “I’ve always had a fascination with the Holocaust” and you clearly failed to read the rest of the statement, where he says why he was fascinated and with what. I believe that most people are indeed fascinated with the Holocaust and the horrors that took place, otherwise, there would not be museums dedicated to it in America and abroad. Shame on you all for running with something that was not there in the first place.
Now that I have that off my chest, let’s get to the novel itself and how I felt about it.
I thought this was a tough read, at times I felt that other novels had captured the same subject matter in the same way, but at other times, and most of the time, I found the novel to be even harsher and more disturbing than those previous novels, but in a good way. We cannot hide what happened, nor should we want to. The horrors that happened were once hidden away from the world, only to be put on full display at the time of liberation by the Soviets.
Richards does an amazing job with the subject matter. He handles it with care, while encompassing the sheer terror people went through and the ways they were ripped apart from families and how many did things just to survive.
I loved the prose. This is a novel not to miss.
So in closing, yes this is a hard read. Rather than focus on one sentence in the back of the book, or the fact that the author is not Jewish himself, consider the full work for what it is, and not what you think it should be to make you more comfortable. Sometimes literature is not comfortable.
I am not Jewish, but I am a part of the LGBTQ+ community.
Now that I have that off my chest, let’s get to the novel itself and how I felt about it.
I thought this was a tough read, at times I felt that other novels had captured the same subject matter in the same way, but at other times, and most of the time, I found the novel to be even harsher and more disturbing than those previous novels, but in a good way. We cannot hide what happened, nor should we want to. The horrors that happened were once hidden away from the world, only to be put on full display at the time of liberation by the Soviets.
Richards does an amazing job with the subject matter. He handles it with care, while encompassing the sheer terror people went through and the ways they were ripped apart from families and how many did things just to survive.
I loved the prose. This is a novel not to miss.
So in closing, yes this is a hard read. Rather than focus on one sentence in the back of the book, or the fact that the author is not Jewish himself, consider the full work for what it is, and not what you think it should be to make you more comfortable. Sometimes literature is not comfortable.
I am not Jewish, but I am a part of the LGBTQ+ community.
July 21, 2025
Beautiful. You feel as detached and unemotional as Charles to his life in the beginning, and as the story progresses, you feel the heartache, soul ache - every ache. I couldn’t put it down. A must read.
Also thank you to Penguin for sending me the advanced readers copy!
Also thank you to Penguin for sending me the advanced readers copy!
Read
July 28, 2024DNF at 41% so no rating. I went into this open minded after having read several reviews, but I couldn���t do it anymore. Too many things annoyed me and I didn’t care about Charles or what had happened between him and the Nazi officer. The blurb sounded interesting, but the execution could have been done so much better!
July 2, 2024
What a heartbreaking story paired with a beautiful redemption. While set during the Holocaust, it is not the typical tale. We meet Charles Ward, and he takes the reader on an incredible journey as he tells the story of his survival over his lifetime.
Charles is working in NYC and enjoying his established routine. He is suddenly confronted with his past one day at work, thus begins our journey back in time. Told from end the to beginning, we learn of Charles' (whose birth name is Karel Benakov) harrowing experience. From the encampments at Terezín, to his deportation to Auschwitz with his family, to being unfortunately (or fortunately) "saved" by an officer at Auschwitz, all the way to his present day. Charles' story is one of survival and redemption.
I am usually not a fan of any historical fiction, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I found myself drawn in from the beginning and I shed many tears. It is a deeply heavy read, but entirely worth it.
Content / trigger warnings: rape, mental and physical abuse, murder, and all the true horrors of Holocaust / Nazi Germany.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for this advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.
Charles is working in NYC and enjoying his established routine. He is suddenly confronted with his past one day at work, thus begins our journey back in time. Told from end the to beginning, we learn of Charles' (whose birth name is Karel Benakov) harrowing experience. From the encampments at Terezín, to his deportation to Auschwitz with his family, to being unfortunately (or fortunately) "saved" by an officer at Auschwitz, all the way to his present day. Charles' story is one of survival and redemption.
I am usually not a fan of any historical fiction, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I found myself drawn in from the beginning and I shed many tears. It is a deeply heavy read, but entirely worth it.
Content / trigger warnings: rape, mental and physical abuse, murder, and all the true horrors of Holocaust / Nazi Germany.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for this advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.
February 17, 2025
Identity found is the overall theme/conclusion but it just lacked substance for me. Others gave this poor reviews just merely based on the fact that this author was not Jewish and had a fascination with the holocaust but that is not the case for me. My issue was that it read like fan-fiction and maybe my expectations were too high but I think if you’re going to write about such a heavy subject, the writing needs to be stellar, deep and thought provoking and this just wasn’t.
November 3, 2023
War is never about people but always about land.
I received an ARC and initially thought I would not like it as it is a little out of my reading comfort zone. However, I really enjoyed the writing style and was so engrossed in the story. Some parts of the book were understandably a hard read, but the ongoing theme of identity and finding (and losing) yourself makes for a remarkable read.
I received an ARC and initially thought I would not like it as it is a little out of my reading comfort zone. However, I really enjoyed the writing style and was so engrossed in the story. Some parts of the book were understandably a hard read, but the ongoing theme of identity and finding (and losing) yourself makes for a remarkable read.
Read
January 3, 2024Quick author's note that I've added a blog post regarding Trigger Warnings for We Are Only Ghosts and encourage all to read prior to reading if there are any qualms about the subject matter of the novel.
Jeffrey L. Richards
Jeffrey L. Richards
February 25, 2024
I bought this book twice (hardcover and audio) and I wish I had bought it 0 times!
May 30, 2024
Not actually sure what the author was trying to achieve here...
This is not your normal Holocaust novel. I've read many, and this does stand out, but for the wrong reasons in my opinion.
This is not your normal Holocaust novel. I've read many, and this does stand out, but for the wrong reasons in my opinion.
April 13, 2024
I will also do a video review here at my channel: http://www.youtube.com/magicofbooks
"We Are Only Ghosts" by Jeffrey L. Richards follows the story of Charles Ward, a gay Jewish man who survived the Holocaust when he was a teenager. Working at a sophisticated cafe in 1968, Charles is shocked when a man enters the cafe---a man Charles never expected to see again. Berthold Werden was an officer at Auschwitz. Charles and Berthold had a sorrid, abusive relationship until the end of the war. Charles is faced with an identity crisis and must come to terms with his past and his quest for revenge.
Whoo! This was good. But damn, was it rough to get through at times. This is not an easy read. There's many parts in this novel that are absolutely disturbing, verging into disgusting. Don't go into this novel thinking this is going to be "Hot Nazi Porn" (that has got to be a trope at this point) where the Nazi is sympathetic and gets a redemption story. The narrative is complex, the characters are complex. This is a harrowing story of a young, gay, Jewish man who is sent to Auschwitz, then taken out of the camp by an officer so he can do slave labor at this officer's home, and then used as a sex toy by the officer. And boy oh boy is it sickening! This is a story of a man that spans from World War II up to 1968 who is suffering from an identity crisis and the sexual, emotional and physical abuse he endured. Through events that were out of his control, his home and family were taken from him, and even his own name was taken, to be replaced with "Charles Ward." This is his story to reclaim his identity and make peace with his past. When this former Nazi officer walks back into his life, what is Charles to do? He had a complex relationship with Berthold Werden---a relationship that was both oddly (disturbingly) loving and abusive. Is there any point to revenge? Should they resume their relationship? This novel tackles some pretty heavy, upsetting, disturbing questions, but the whole time you completely understand Charles' motives and thought process because of the psychological sexual warfare that was placed upon him as a teenager. I think the whole novel is presented in a very mature way that allows you to sit and think before jumping to judgement. As I was getting closer to the end of the book, I kept thinking to myself, "there is no way this is going to end in a happy, satisfying way." But Jeffrey L. Richards managed to prove me wrong, and I think many will find the ending satisfying and uplifting against the bleakness and depravity that occurs in the rest of the book.
Another element of interest that I liked was that this book was not linear. The sequences that take place in 1968 do follow a traditional linear passage, but Charles' flashbacks work backwards, starting with his days following his freedom after the war, then his time in the Werden household, and then his time in a ghetto with his family before they are sent to Auschwitz. I liked this very deliberate staging of the story. Once again, this is a story about identity. Each layer that peels backward in time reveals the true Charles that he no longer is in 1968. That's how it made for an ultimately satisfying conclusion for me as 1968 and 1941 Charles finally merge into the true version.
So...this book probably (most certainly) won't be for everyone. As I keep repeating, there are some scenes in this book that make you cringe with how disturbing they are. It's not really a traditional Holocaust novel. In some ways, that's the smallest part of this book. It's about one man's journey to reconcile his past with his present and who he wants to be in the future. I recommend this book if you enjoy books set during and after World War II and I also recommend it if you are looking for a book that deals with a gay character as your main lead. I enjoyed this book for its themes and messages and for presenting a complex, flawed human being that felt true and believable.
"We Are Only Ghosts" by Jeffrey L. Richards follows the story of Charles Ward, a gay Jewish man who survived the Holocaust when he was a teenager. Working at a sophisticated cafe in 1968, Charles is shocked when a man enters the cafe---a man Charles never expected to see again. Berthold Werden was an officer at Auschwitz. Charles and Berthold had a sorrid, abusive relationship until the end of the war. Charles is faced with an identity crisis and must come to terms with his past and his quest for revenge.
Whoo! This was good. But damn, was it rough to get through at times. This is not an easy read. There's many parts in this novel that are absolutely disturbing, verging into disgusting. Don't go into this novel thinking this is going to be "Hot Nazi Porn" (that has got to be a trope at this point) where the Nazi is sympathetic and gets a redemption story. The narrative is complex, the characters are complex. This is a harrowing story of a young, gay, Jewish man who is sent to Auschwitz, then taken out of the camp by an officer so he can do slave labor at this officer's home, and then used as a sex toy by the officer. And boy oh boy is it sickening! This is a story of a man that spans from World War II up to 1968 who is suffering from an identity crisis and the sexual, emotional and physical abuse he endured. Through events that were out of his control, his home and family were taken from him, and even his own name was taken, to be replaced with "Charles Ward." This is his story to reclaim his identity and make peace with his past. When this former Nazi officer walks back into his life, what is Charles to do? He had a complex relationship with Berthold Werden---a relationship that was both oddly (disturbingly) loving and abusive. Is there any point to revenge? Should they resume their relationship? This novel tackles some pretty heavy, upsetting, disturbing questions, but the whole time you completely understand Charles' motives and thought process because of the psychological sexual warfare that was placed upon him as a teenager. I think the whole novel is presented in a very mature way that allows you to sit and think before jumping to judgement. As I was getting closer to the end of the book, I kept thinking to myself, "there is no way this is going to end in a happy, satisfying way." But Jeffrey L. Richards managed to prove me wrong, and I think many will find the ending satisfying and uplifting against the bleakness and depravity that occurs in the rest of the book.
Another element of interest that I liked was that this book was not linear. The sequences that take place in 1968 do follow a traditional linear passage, but Charles' flashbacks work backwards, starting with his days following his freedom after the war, then his time in the Werden household, and then his time in a ghetto with his family before they are sent to Auschwitz. I liked this very deliberate staging of the story. Once again, this is a story about identity. Each layer that peels backward in time reveals the true Charles that he no longer is in 1968. That's how it made for an ultimately satisfying conclusion for me as 1968 and 1941 Charles finally merge into the true version.
So...this book probably (most certainly) won't be for everyone. As I keep repeating, there are some scenes in this book that make you cringe with how disturbing they are. It's not really a traditional Holocaust novel. In some ways, that's the smallest part of this book. It's about one man's journey to reconcile his past with his present and who he wants to be in the future. I recommend this book if you enjoy books set during and after World War II and I also recommend it if you are looking for a book that deals with a gay character as your main lead. I enjoyed this book for its themes and messages and for presenting a complex, flawed human being that felt true and believable.
October 31, 2023
Something about Jeffrey L. Richards’ We Are Only Ghosts hooked me fast and it’s going to stay with me for a very long time.
I might think it was the cover, because of the concentration camp tattoo on the waiter’s forearm, but it probably wasn’t that. I think that probably made me wary when I first came across the novel, and I did have it for a little while before I read it, because fiction set during World War II and involving even the potential for romance in Auschwitz or any of the other camps usually strikes me as… unnecessary.
What I did like when I read the summary of We Are Only Ghosts is that at least part of the story was promised to take place in 1968 and I thought that might be the balance I needed to see it through.
And it was.
The title of Richards’ novel is explained throughout almost every sentence of the novel, the idea that a person can be countless things and still never quite know even themselves or be known with any certainty. And so a person can be a ghost.
Charles Ward, he of New York City in 1968, was Charles Werden in Poland and Germany in the latter part of World War II and the first years after. Charles Werden was Karel Benakov from the moment of his birth in Czechoslovakia until he was forced to become Charles Werden by Obersturmbannfuhrer Berthold Werden, the Nazi Auschwitz officer who both destroyed and saved the Jewish teenager from Czechoslovakia.
The relationship between the Nazi officer and the Jewish boy is a sexual one. It seems almost like the idea of Stockholm Syndrome, in that Karel is given a choice to die as soon as possible in the camps or to live with the Werden family and become Berthold’s lover and maybe not die for awhile yet. He agrees to become his lover in the hopes that it will help his mother and sisters in the womens’ camp.
It does not help them.
And still Karel finds himself carried away the idea that he might mean something to Berthold, that there must be a deeper reason that he was chosen to survive in the particular way that he did.
Left alone at the end of the war, Charles ends up in America where the story starts twenty-plus years later when he recognizes the man in the cafe where he works as the war criminal he lived with for years.
And he wonders if they might rekindle what they had then.
The true beauty of the story lies in Charles’ realization that it was all a mirage and that he has to see the other man for what he is and what he was. He has to do it for Karel, for his younger self, and for his family who are only ghosts now. His journey of self-discovery and self-reflection is simple and it is profound.
The one small issue that I have with an otherwise perfect story is that Richards’ decision to make Berthold’s American fake identity to be a Jewish jeweler seems to be a unnecessary and borderline disrespectful. I understand the logic of making a Nazi in hiding choose that ironic of an identity in a story about figurative ghosts, but I think the story could have had the same impact without that part.
The novel still gets five stars from me because it’s Charles’ story, not Berthold’s, and Charles’ story is deeply and powerfully moving.
- cw: rape, murder, mental abuse, physical abuse, all other Nazi-era truth-horrors
- I received an early copy of We Are Only Ghosts through NetGalley & Kensington in exchange for an honest & original review. All thoughts are my own.
I might think it was the cover, because of the concentration camp tattoo on the waiter’s forearm, but it probably wasn’t that. I think that probably made me wary when I first came across the novel, and I did have it for a little while before I read it, because fiction set during World War II and involving even the potential for romance in Auschwitz or any of the other camps usually strikes me as… unnecessary.
What I did like when I read the summary of We Are Only Ghosts is that at least part of the story was promised to take place in 1968 and I thought that might be the balance I needed to see it through.
And it was.
The title of Richards’ novel is explained throughout almost every sentence of the novel, the idea that a person can be countless things and still never quite know even themselves or be known with any certainty. And so a person can be a ghost.
Charles Ward, he of New York City in 1968, was Charles Werden in Poland and Germany in the latter part of World War II and the first years after. Charles Werden was Karel Benakov from the moment of his birth in Czechoslovakia until he was forced to become Charles Werden by Obersturmbannfuhrer Berthold Werden, the Nazi Auschwitz officer who both destroyed and saved the Jewish teenager from Czechoslovakia.
The relationship between the Nazi officer and the Jewish boy is a sexual one. It seems almost like the idea of Stockholm Syndrome, in that Karel is given a choice to die as soon as possible in the camps or to live with the Werden family and become Berthold’s lover and maybe not die for awhile yet. He agrees to become his lover in the hopes that it will help his mother and sisters in the womens’ camp.
It does not help them.
And still Karel finds himself carried away the idea that he might mean something to Berthold, that there must be a deeper reason that he was chosen to survive in the particular way that he did.
Left alone at the end of the war, Charles ends up in America where the story starts twenty-plus years later when he recognizes the man in the cafe where he works as the war criminal he lived with for years.
And he wonders if they might rekindle what they had then.
The true beauty of the story lies in Charles’ realization that it was all a mirage and that he has to see the other man for what he is and what he was. He has to do it for Karel, for his younger self, and for his family who are only ghosts now. His journey of self-discovery and self-reflection is simple and it is profound.
The one small issue that I have with an otherwise perfect story is that Richards’ decision to make Berthold’s American fake identity to be a Jewish jeweler seems to be a unnecessary and borderline disrespectful. I understand the logic of making a Nazi in hiding choose that ironic of an identity in a story about figurative ghosts, but I think the story could have had the same impact without that part.
The novel still gets five stars from me because it’s Charles’ story, not Berthold’s, and Charles’ story is deeply and powerfully moving.
- cw: rape, murder, mental abuse, physical abuse, all other Nazi-era truth-horrors
- I received an early copy of We Are Only Ghosts through NetGalley & Kensington in exchange for an honest & original review. All thoughts are my own.
January 29, 2024
This is a really moving historical fiction novel about Charles Ward, a Holocaust survivor, and how the past comes back to haunt him. This is one of those books that I couldn’t read too fast. It gave me so much to think about and reflect on, that I didn’t want to skim over it and not give it the credit it deserved. Charles’ feelings of not knowing his true self were especially poignant. It felt like his life was just happening to him and he had no true agency for so long, that when he was finally free, he didn’t really know who he was anymore. He was put in so many unfair situations that I just wanted to give him a big hug.
I still wonder what happened with Frau Werden and Frau Hueber. But then, I like to have closure with all characters in a standalone novel! I am really glad Charles ended up where he did.
Fun fact: the author and I are both from Oklahoma!
This book releases February 20, 2024. I was fortunate to receive an ARC from a #goodreadsgiveaway
I still wonder what happened with Frau Werden and Frau Hueber. But then, I like to have closure with all characters in a standalone novel! I am really glad Charles ended up where he did.
Fun fact: the author and I are both from Oklahoma!
This book releases February 20, 2024. I was fortunate to receive an ARC from a #goodreadsgiveaway
March 7, 2024
Speechless.
November 20, 2023
I was so skeptical about reading this book. I typically stick to a few select genres not including this. I won it in a Goodreads giveaway and finally decided to give it a shot and am glad I did. It’s a page turner and unique in that it keeps going from present to past- every time it goes back to the past it goes back a little farther than before. This story is riveting and heartbreaking. It’s well written and I highly recommend.
December 31, 2023
For me this was not so much a “queer” book as so many other reviewers have stated. Although there are many queer parts and experiences, the focal point is finding one’s self and regaining a lost identity.
The story opens in 1968 New York, then travels in reverse back to 1941 Czechoslovakia. In 1941 a young Jewish boy’s life is turned upside down, forever altered when he and his family are deported to Auschwitz. As his life circumstances change, so does his identity, he goes from Karel to Charles then back to Karel. The title speaks volumes, is brilliant and thought provoking.
As a self preservation measure, we can easily lose who we are and/or who we were. We become ghosts of our former selves. People chronically abused, held as slaves or prisoners are only a mere reflection (ghost) of themselves. Where and how do you begin to get back to one’s self?
Excellent captivating read. Very thought provoking, colorful store.
The story opens in 1968 New York, then travels in reverse back to 1941 Czechoslovakia. In 1941 a young Jewish boy’s life is turned upside down, forever altered when he and his family are deported to Auschwitz. As his life circumstances change, so does his identity, he goes from Karel to Charles then back to Karel. The title speaks volumes, is brilliant and thought provoking.
As a self preservation measure, we can easily lose who we are and/or who we were. We become ghosts of our former selves. People chronically abused, held as slaves or prisoners are only a mere reflection (ghost) of themselves. Where and how do you begin to get back to one’s self?
Excellent captivating read. Very thought provoking, colorful store.
November 9, 2023
This book was a different than I expected, but in a good way. It brings out a whole different perspective of identity and also thinking of what everyone went through at the time of the Holocaust. The book split up with different time lines made me keep wanting to read more to find out what happened to Charles back then and how he came to where he is now. There were some German words I had to look up to find out what they meant while reading, but it added to the story. This was a great read!
January 13, 2024
Good storyline and ending is nice. Graphic sexual encounters are throughout the story but it coincides with the main character and his struggles.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 12, 2024
Often so tragic but sometimes so beautiful, this book just really touched my heart.
November 24, 2024
“On the canal, a bevy of swans, white feathers capturing the moonlight, glides past as quietly as ghosts returning to their graves”
the start of this story was very interesting, but I started to struggle the more it continued. However, the beautiful writing allowed me to enjoy some important moments throughout the book.
the start of this story was very interesting, but I started to struggle the more it continued. However, the beautiful writing allowed me to enjoy some important moments throughout the book.
December 28, 2023
An extraordinary, emotionally intense novel spanning World War II Europe to 1960s New York City with an unsettling psychological edge, We Are Only Ghosts depicts not only the horrors of the death camps but the toll on those who survived—powered by a story of the unexpected, complicated connection between a Nazi officer and a young Jewish boy.
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