When you hear about horrible events, you can’t help but think, “If I knew that was going to happen, I could have done something about it.” You want to be able to swoop down and catch people from falling, take out an evil person before they can take out innocent ones, or rewrite history by stopping pivotal moments from happening.
In fiction, we can do those things. In historical fiction, we get to play around with true events. And with magical realism, we get some of that power to manipulate history.
A popular and horrific period of human history is the Jewish Holocaust during World War II. We know to expect horror, sadness, and anger while hearing these stories. What we don’t expect is the incorporation of magic and fantasy to put a different spin on these events which elevates both a hopeful and suspenseful feeling as you read on. That’s what author David Michael Slater has accomplished with his magical realism historical fiction novel, The Vanishing.
The Vanishing plot summary
Sophie Siegel is an average little girl whose main concern is reaching the rank of top student in her class when the horrors of Nazi Germany turn her life upside down and leaves her and the remaining townspeople fighting for survival. But Sophie has an advantage over the others; she has become invisible. No one can see nor hear her, and she uses this ability to help keep her neighbors fed in the ghetto and, most importantly, keep her best friend, Gideon “Giddy” Goldfarb, safe throughout the duration of the war and the horrific journey that ensues over her next few, formative years.
The story
The Vanishing hits every beat of a standard Holocaust story. From the gradual stripping away of Jewish citizens’ rights to the brutality and horror of the gas chambers, experimentation, and starvation, the story delivers on the gory, shocking, and psychological elements of the era.
But this story is personal to our hero, Sophie, as we follow her as she watches her surviving townspeople struggle to survive. She herself sets out on a mission to keep them alive, to divert them from danger, and to make them comfortable, whether it’s by dropping vegetable scraps in their soup or holding their hand as they fall asleep.
The novel is a short read but covers so much ground without feeling rushed or lacking in any particular element. We don’t stay in one place for too long as Sophie follows Giddy from one horrific situation to another.
But young, innocent Giddy is worth following and saving. And while he’s the primary focus, several other characters come in and out of the story that give Sophie more to learn and small ways to help without causing any repercussions, a goal that she doesn’t always succeed in achieving, despite her best efforts.
The heroes
From the first pages, Sophie is characterized as a smart girl. She doesn’t get a chance to let her book smarts shine. Instead, her street smarts are rewarded in the little victories that she achieves along her journey. She’s also selfless in her disregard for her imaginary state. Unable to directly communicate with anyone, she’s alone yet focused and determined to make use of her predicament.
Sophie has to be smart about how she uses her abilities knowing that any victory can backfire and lead to the punishment of her people. And sometimes, it does. Her attempts to prevent further death typically result in more death, and she has to learn to live with her failures as well as her successes.
There’s something about viewing unthinkable scenarios through the eyes of a child. It does little to cushion the blow of the violence and horror, but it makes her little victories and large sacrifices that much more satisfying.
Slater doesn’t linger on the horror but is blunt and clear about it, invoking the appropriate emotions before moving on to the next step in Sophie’s journey. It’s not glamorized or meant to torture the reader but rather to help understand what Sophie is up against and how sneaky she has to be, despite her magical advantage.
Giddy is a sweet and innocent young boy who requires protection until his experiences harden him into a determined and self-sufficient pre-teen. You root for him and understand why Sophie is so protective of him. Everything rides on his safety, and he’s constantly being thrust into situations involving near certain death and knows that, on some level, Sophie is watching out for him.
The villains
The villains are your typical stock characters. It’s hard to find the humanity in them, and it’s not really necessary. Their actions speak for themselves, and anyone who is willing to inflict such harm doesn’t deserve an explanation or an exploration of their motives. The fact is, this happened, and sometimes, power hunger and brainwashing are the cause, yet the extreme cruelty show their true monstrosity, and that’s all that’s important to know in a story like this.
Other characters come and go throughout the story. All are fascinating and complex in their own ways. Some are surprising in their true motives. Others are interesting in the information and ideas that they bring to the story, whether it’s an exploration of the Jewish religion and culture or the extremes that non-Jews go for survival in a war torn country.
The message
If we’re going to make sacrifices and put our lives on the line, we want to know that it’s worth it and will mean something down the line. Many self-sacrificing people carry out their missions without knowing the outcome.
The beauty of fiction is that readers do get the answers to these questions. Seeing others’ sacrifices play out might just inspire readers to do the same when called upon to act in the face of evil and the horrors of the real world. If it happened before, it could happen again…and has. And if we can’t be come invisible, maybe the knowledge of having learned from the past, both through fictional and actual events, is power enough to put an end to things before they begin.
My recommendation
The Vanishing is a remarkable book for those who can handle the traumatic content. The violence and heartbreak are hard to deal with, but it’s necessary in order to enjoy the bittersweet outcome and the important lessons, philosophies, and values that it instills.
I recommend The Vanishing to anyone looking for a quick, emotional read that blends fantasy, reality, and history with complex characters and a quick yet even pacing. This story turns history on its head and provides a unique maze of plot-driven twists and turns while still developing and staying true to its characters’ morals and motivations.
My rating
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We haven’t read a WWII fiction book in a while. This looks like a great read.
This sounds like a really great book and it’s great that Sophie used her ability to keep people fed and safe.
WWII fiction is my jam. Anything from the Civil War to WWII — I’m in. I’ll have to wait until I’m in the mood for an emotional roller coaster. Sounds like an excellent book.