Rachel Seiffert

Set over three days in 1941 Ukraine, the author desribes a massacre of Jews, through a few plausible characters. There is the German engineer, sent out here long before, to create the infrastructure of roads and camps needed..even as he hates all his country stands for. Then a farm girl; her fiance has got away from the Russians and, pragmatically, joined the German police,. And lastly a pair of Jewish boys- as their parents obediently gather to be "resettled", 13 year old Yankel and his little brother, are making a bid to escape...
It works because the characters aren't solid baddies; the Germans are making tough choices too, in order to get through...
Sobering and evocative.… (more)

This book is set in the Ukraine in November 1941, winter is approaching. The Russians have just withdrawn their troops after a 10 year occupation and the locals wonder what is in store as the Germans now move in.
The book is a slow burner and I initially struggled to engage with the characters. Pohl, a German engineer, has managed to avoid conscription to the army by volunteering to build roads strong enough to support the armature of war and in his mind to outlast a generation. Ephraim, a Jewish watchmaker,his wife and young daughter have been rounded up in the early hours by the SS, along with the other Jewish inhabitants. His 13 year old son, Yankel, has runaway during the night taking their youngest child with him. Yasia, daughter of a farmer has walked into town to sell farm produce not realising that there is a curfew in place while the SS round up the Jewish community. She also hopes to locate her fiance who has runaway from the Russian Army and joined the German forces to try and earn enough money to support his family. The story moves from one character to the next,
Then the narrative ramps up the tension as it becomes apparent what is to befall the Jewish community. This happens with real impact as some of our characters witness the atrocity. Yasia takes the boys under her wing to shelter them and they attempt to escape across the cold winter landscape to a place of safety.
The book makes you realise the horrific decisions ordinary citizens are forced to make in an effort to survive. After a slow start, this short novel became a satisfying read.… (more)

(8.5) The 'Afterwards' of the title refers to post traumatic stress disorder often experienced by those who have served in the armed forces.
When Alice meets Joseph, they feel an immediate connection and the relationship develops gently. As they begin to spend more time together, Alice becomes aware that Joseph withdraws at times from the relationship and she struggles with this. She is aware he had spent a few years in the army but he never talks about it.
She herself is recovering from her grandmother's ill health and eventual death. To this end she regularly visits her grandfather but he has always been an aloof individual. It was her grandmother she was close to. Her grandfather was in the airforce when his grandparents met, in Kenya. It soon becomes apparent to the reader that his experiences have impacted on his behaviour as well. When she introduces the two men to each other, the grandfather seems to sense Joseph's ability to empathize and talks of his past.
However, this then triggers Joseph's own memories of active duty in Northern Ireland and relationships rupture.
This is an thought provoking read, well structured, with the storyline moving forward, while being punctuated with recollections from the past.… (more)