11/07/2016
Kaurin’s subtly devastating novel traces the gradual disintegration of Jewish life in Oslo, Norway, during the last months of 1942. While focusing on dreamy-eyed 15-year-old Ilse Stern and her crush on neighbor Hermann Rod, the story unfolds from several points of view, including those of Hermann (whose sudden interest in painting is a cover for his work in the Resistance) and a non-Jewish neighbor who is unwillingly thrust into an important role in the removal of Jews from the city. Even as daily life for Jews in Oslo takes on ominous changes (Ilse’s school is taken over by German soldiers, customers dwindle at her father’s tailor shop, and Jews’ identification papers are stamped with the letter J), Ilse and her older sister, Sonja, are lost in their personal dreams, pushing aside the increasingly threatening situation until the day their father is arrested and their own futures suddenly seem uncertain. In her first novel, Norwegian author Kaurin doesn’t flinch from describing the details of the ultimate fate of the Stern family, offering an intimate, chilling look at an individual family’s experience of the Holocaust. Ages 12–up. (Jan.)
Praise for Almost Autumn:
"An intimate, chilling look at an individual family's experience of the Holocaust." -- Publishers Weekly
"This translated import features the cool, distanced narration often attributed to Scandinavian novels, but the accelerating pace that accompanies the changing viewpoints, together with the obviously limited number of possible outcomes, make the experience surprisingly visceral. Thoughtful and satisfying, this is as much about destiny as about the Holocaust -- families lost, lives reformed, futures unknown, love reclaimed, all by the slightest nudge of circumstance. " -- The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
* "[An exploration of] the nature of chance and fate. " -- Horn Book, starred review
"Readers will be on the edge of their seats waiting to see what will happen." -- School Library Connection
11/01/2016
Gr 6–10—Ilse Stern, 15, is smitten with Hermann, the boy next door, in this historical novel set in Oslo. With World War II hovering in the background, life quickly spins out of control, pulling Ilse and Hermann in very different directions. As Ilse and her family confront growing anti-Semitic persecution, Hermann becomes increasingly secretive. Jewish families face pressure from police, discrimination in the work environment, displacement from their homes, and even deportation to concentration camps. Most of the narrative is told from Ilse's perspective, and there is very little historical context for readers to glean understanding about the German occupation of Norway or the larger Nazi movement. In addition, occasional switches of perspectives may pose a challenge for some, while the large number of characters often receive superficial treatment. In an afterword, Kaurin notes that she was inspired to write the novel by imagining the many "what-if" scenarios that shaped people's lives during the Holocaust, and her exploration of these situations, along with her unusual setting, may draw readers. For other titles specific to Norway during World War II, suggest Margi Preus's Shadow on the Mountain or Sandy Brehl's Odin's Promise. VERDICT Purchase where historical fiction and Holocaust books are in high demand.—Paige Rowse, Needham High School, MA
Taylor Meskimen narrates this historical novel, set in Oslo, Norway, in 1942, which tells the story of the German occupation through the thoughts and feelings of 15-year-old Ilse Stern. As she worries about her first crush, Hermann Rod, the realities of the German occupation are making life complicated, confusing, and dangerous. Most of the story is told in Ilse’s voice in a stream-of-consciousness style. Speaking with an intense staccato intonation, Meskimen succeeds in getting into Ilse’s head and exposing all of her confusion, conflicting emotions, and bewilderment as her world becomes more and more restricted and the sense of danger more palpable. This complex story starts slowly, builds tension, and demands that the listener stay engaged. Attention will be rewarded. N.E.M. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine
Taylor Meskimen narrates this historical novel, set in Oslo, Norway, in 1942, which tells the story of the German occupation through the thoughts and feelings of 15-year-old Ilse Stern. As she worries about her first crush, Hermann Rod, the realities of the German occupation are making life complicated, confusing, and dangerous. Most of the story is told in Ilse’s voice in a stream-of-consciousness style. Speaking with an intense staccato intonation, Meskimen succeeds in getting into Ilse’s head and exposing all of her confusion, conflicting emotions, and bewilderment as her world becomes more and more restricted and the sense of danger more palpable. This complex story starts slowly, builds tension, and demands that the listener stay engaged. Attention will be rewarded. N.E.M. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine
2016-09-19
Things fall apart for the Stern family over the last few months of 1942 in Oslo, Norway.Fifteen-year-old Ilse waits in vain for her date; did he stand her up because she's plain (even her white skin is dry)? Hermann, white-blond and Norwegian, wishes he could tell Ilse why he never arrived, but his secrets would endanger others. Sonja, 18, wants Ilse to be more helpful in their father's tailor shop. Isak rushes to work before his daughters wake so he can scrub “Jewish scum” off the windows, but he can't spare the girls from what's to come. The spare, lovely prose, translated from Norwegian and shifting narrative perspective from character to character, is wrenching for readers with context to extrapolate all that's unsaid. After a vile journey, "Sonja catches sight of a sign hanging over the platform: Auschwitz. It means nothing to her." Sonja's storyline ends abruptly only pages later, while she waits in the dark for a mandatory shower; Isak's comes to a similarly undetailed conclusion shortly after he's been categorized in Birkenau as "forty years old, no gold teeth." Such details are chilling for readers in the know but less so for those without a fuller understanding of Nazi atrocities. A historical note discusses the Holocaust in Norway but likewise assumes basic understanding. The myriad viewpoints decrease the appeal for younger readers (Ilse's concerns seem naïve when contrasted with her father's) but beautifully enhance the tragic unreality. This feels more like a mood piece for adults than a book for teens; regardless, a subtle, hard-hitting book for readers who have the background to understand its oblique approach. (resources) (Historical fiction. 14 & up)
