Persephone Books discussion

Is anyone reading this one? I'm over halfway through. It's amazing this book was published in 1938, just as the war was beginning...the way it's written seems like it was created years after, since there is so much foreshadowing.
Here's a link to an article about Manja from The Persephone Forum: https://www.persephonebooks.co.uk/con...

Gina wrote: "Is anyone reading this one? I'm over halfway through. It's amazing this book was published in 1938, just as the war was beginning...the way it's written seems like it was created years after, since..."

Hi - I'm planning to start this at the first of the year. I'll be curious to hear your final thoughts.

That sounds great, Heather! Feel free to add your comments once you've finished it. :)

I've read the December book but not this one, so I'm planning to read this one this month. Just started.

Excellent! We can definitely continue to discuss Manja during December and January. I'm just about to get started on the December book. :)

I'm amazed how easy it is to read. Because it's a big one, I was thinking I'd read it slowly, but I'm racing through it. I'm finding the characters so engaging, especially the boys and their parents. I don't feel I know Manja and Lea as well as the other characters.

There is a terrible sense of doom over everything. And I'm also surprised how much the German people knew of what would happen to German Jews and communists before the war started - or perhaps it's just that Anna Gmeyner was more alert to it than most people, and having left, she had nothing to gain by pretending things were better than they were. Those who stayed were probably trying to convince themselves things wouldn't get worse.