I just can't seem to get enough of World War II fiction. There are so many haunting war stories waiting to be told and heard, each teaching something new in its wake. The Rainbow by Carly Schabowski is one such book that would remain with you long after it ends.
Setting
Most of the story is set during the Second World War in Poland. Poland was one of the first countries invaded by Germany in 1939 that led to World War II. By 1941, the whole of Poland was under German occupation. Polish people suffered great atrocities at the hands of Germans. Jews were singled out and exterminated. Around 90 per cent of Polish Jews were killed during the holocaust. Many Polish men and boys were conscripted into the Wehrmacht forcibly.
Storyline
This is a dual timeline book. In 2015, Isla chances upon an old newspaper article that makes her question everything she knows about her grandfather. Seeing her grandfather in a Nazi uniform shocks her and leaves her feeling betrayed. It sets her on a quest to find the truth behind it all. She travels to Poland to find the answers. While looking for her grandfather's life story, she ends up finding a heart-rending love story at its heart. A story of love and sacrifice.
My Thoughts
The Rainbow gave me a different perspective on the war. Being set in Poland and told from the viewpoint of a Polish man forcibly conscripted in the German army was a unique and appealing premise. It was difficult to find fault with Tomasz even when he betrays his compatriots unwillingly. Instead, you end up feeling his helplessness, his love for Zofia and his pain. The way Isla stirred up old memories in her grandfather and persuaded him to turn pages of a long-forgotten chapter of his life was extremely poignant. The fact that the author Carly Schabowski took her grandfather's story as an inspiration for the book proves the fact that more such tales need to be told.
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