This was a heartbreaking trip through Poland during World War II, lived through by a Jewish family.
The title refers to their perseverance and even plain luck throughout the ordeal that Nazi-Germany has set upon their path, but nonetheless this novel evokes genuine emotion, where joy and heartache are almost siamese twins.
It's written in a wonderful way, knowing that the author Georgia Hunter is harvesting stories of her own family to weave an entirely thought-provoking tale, filled with real people, living in real places, going through real-life terrible events. I just can't imagine what it would have been like, being Jewish at the time, being haunted like rats and exterminated like vermin.
It's a scar we still see today, and one that I hope we'll never forget because it's unforgivable for so many nations to have turn a blind eye.
I recommend everyone to read this. It's a easy to follow story, occasionally pinpointed by the author with historic dates, which make the time lapses easier to digest.
Still. I think it's a realistic take on how World War II shaped some Jewish lives, even though, in my opinion, the author has romanticized more than she should've.
But I think that's the message she wanted to bring. That there can be love amidst misery. And that it ultimately prevails.
