'Heidegger's Glasses' by Thaisa Frank (TLC Tour Stop)

Genre: Historical (somewhat) Fiction

About the book (from TLC) :
Heidegger’s Glasses opens during the end of World War II in a failing Germany coming apart at the seams.  The Third Reich’s strong reliance on the occult and its obsession with the astral plane has led to the formation of an underground compound of scribes–translators responsible for answering letters written to those eventually killed in the concentration camps. Into this covert compound comes a letter written by eminent philosopher Martin Heidegger to his optometrist, who is now lost in the dying thralls of Auschwitz.  How will the scribes answer this letter?  The presence of Heidegger’s words–one simple letter in a place filled with letters–sparks a series of events that will ultimately threaten the safety and well-being of the entire compound.
Part love story, part thriller, part meditation on how the dead are remembered and history presented, with threads of Heidegger’s philosophy woven throughout, the novel evocatively illustrates the Holocaust from an entirely original vantage point.


Why I wanted to read this book: I was immediately captured by the original plot for this story. I like historical fiction and felt ready to read another book about the Holocaust and WWII.
 
What worked for me:

• The originality of the storyline really blew me away. I am totally amazed at how the author weaved this story to the point that she actually had me convinced that these letter writers existed.

• I think she captured how insane Hitler and his regime was and the affect that his actions had on people in so many countries.
• The author shows to what lengths humans will go to just to stay alive. Each letter writer was plucked from the hands of death and even though their work was unsavory, they were just happy to be alive.
• The character Elie truly touched me. I know that there were many women just like her during Hitler's control of Germany who put themselves in extreme danger just to save one person. Elie is a person who will stay with me.
• Frank begins almost each chapter with a letter that was written by someone in an internment camp. They haunted my dreams and at times just broke my heart. Why? Because you and I both know how the story ended for most of them. 

 Recommend?  Absolutely. This is a book that will stay with me for some time. I was touched on a deep emotional level. If you enjoy historical fiction that takes place during WWII and gives you much to ponder and think about, then I truly believe that you will want to read this one.

My Rating: 4/5


Thank you to TLC Book Tours. for sending me a review copy. I was not compensated for my review. My thoughts on this book were in no way influenced by the author or publicist. They are my personal reflections based solely on MY experience while reading this novel.

About Thaisa

Thaisa Frank has written three books of fiction, including A Brief History of Camouflage and Sleeping in Velvet (both with Black Sparrow Press, now acquired by David Godine). She has co-authored a work of nonfiction, Finding Your Writers Voice: A Guide to Creative Fiction, which is used in MFA programs.  Her forthcoming novel, Heidegger’s Glasses, is coming out this fall with Counterpoint Press.  Foreign rights have already been sold to ten countries.
Thaisa has taught in the graduate programs at San Francisco State, the University of San Francisco, been on the staff of various summer writing workshops, and written essays, including a recent Afterward in Viking/Penguin’s new edition of Voltaire.  You can find out more about Heidegger’s Glasses and Thaisa by visiting her website at  www.thaisafrank.com.


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