Caught Midstream: A Novel.

Baltimore, MD PublishAmerica, 2006. Paperback First Ed, so stated. First Ed, so stated. Very Near Fine in Wraps: shows only slight spine lean; else flawless. Binding remains perfectly secure; text clean. Very close to 'As New'. NOT a Remainder, Book-Club, or Ex-Library. 8vo. 269pp. Paperback: Pictorial Wraps. This book touched me deeply, and I highly recommend it. The author not only created characters that are so alive but reveals what goes on in their mind and heart, describing their every mood and emotion that lets the reader feel deeply involved. When I started out, I liked the cheerfulness and the mystery of Part I right away. I was totally drawn into it. 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 journey takes him to a place of darkness, where he lives through a near-death experience and goes through physical and emotional starvation, hard labor, and ostracism; yet it also carries him into unlikely places and relationships where friendship, compassion, healing, mentoring, and love can, amazingly, still flourish. As the story unfolds, Janos’s journey accelerates from adolescence into manhood. Almost miraculously, Janos survives while vast numbers of his co-travelers perish. The book elicited many emotions in me, first of all compassion with this extraordinary and innocent young man but also joy and excitement that always something good came to him after his sufferings. It was moving and totally satisfying to experience that kindness, friendship, and love can survive in the harsh environment of a prisoner-of-war camp in Russia. The language is beautiful, the story is skillfully framed, and the insertion of Rilke's poetry give it a special touch. Very inspiring.