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Emeralds Never Fade

Stephen Maitland-Lewis
Glyd-Evans Press (2011)
ISBN 9780983259633
Reviewed by Tia Bach for RebeccasReads (11/11)

World War II is looming, but two German boys only know their shared love of playing the piano. Soon, forces beyond their control or understanding, separate them as Germany becomes an unsafe place for Jews. Leo Bergner’s parents see themselves as German, not just Jews, and refuse to believe Hitler will go as far as the rumor mill suggests. After family begs them to see the writing on the wall, Leo’s parents ultimately send him to safety in Palestine.

Bruno’s parents force him to quit teaching the Jewish pupil, and he ends up joining Hitler’s troops. Thanks to a bum foot, he is spared getting his hands too dirty in the war, but he gains valuable knowledge while working in an administrative capacity at a concentration camp. Knowledge he later uses to his advantage.

The story continues to unfold. Leo ends up fighting the Germans in the British army while Bruno escapes to Argentina just before the Allied Forces close in. Leo feels the burden of his past, of his lost loved ones, even when he marries and moves into a career in banking. Bruno uses information gathered during the war to survive.
 
Leo ultimately uncovers a bank conspiracy involving stolen Jewish possessions. His family’s lost emerald heirloom, stolen during the war, brings the two men back together in an explosion of emotions and fate.

The author intricately weaves together the stories of Leo and Bruno throughout the novel. Each man is affected by the war, but uses different means to cope and move on. From the moment Bruno steals the emerald, we know their fates are intertwined. With each page turn, we eagerly anticipate how the two stories will collide. The author leaves us guessing until the very end.

Although the novel is a thrilling page-turner, it is still steeped in emotion. Both men are victims of circumstance. I found Leo’s letters from his mom particularly touching, and Bruno grew up under the thumb of selfishness and judgment. Neither man’s character is clear cut, both are just men held strongly in the often cruel hands of fate. You will enjoy this rich story, and its well-crafted characters, from beginning to end. An amazing cover seals the deal.

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