The Forcing (The Forcing Trilogy Book 1) - Paul E Hardisty

Civilisation is collapsing…

Frustrated and angry after years of denial and inaction, in a last-ditch attempt to stave off disaster, a government of youth has taken power in North America, and a policy of institutionalised ageism has been introduced. All those older than the prescribed age are deemed responsible for the current state of the world, and are to be 'relocated', their property and assets confiscated.

David Ashworth, known by his friends and students as Teacher, and his wife May, find themselves among the thousands being moved to 'new accommodation' in the abandoned southern deserts – thrown together with a wealthy industrialist and his wife, a high court lawyer, two recent immigrants to America, and a hospital worker. Together, they must come to terms with their new lives in a land rendered unrecognisable.

As the terrible truth of their situation is revealed, lured by rumours of a tropical sanctuary where they can live in peace, they plan a perilous escape. But the world outside is more dangerous than they could ever have imagined. And for those who survive, nothing will ever be the same again… 

What did I think?

Oh my goodness, this book chilled me to the bone.  It's not a murder mystery (unless you consider what we're doing to the planet as murder) but it is so scarily realistic that it gives me goose bumps just thinking of it now.

The Forcing is a cli-fi dystopian thriller that acts as a timely reminder of what we could be facing as we overpopulate and destroy our planet.  The government have put a relocation programme in place, not unlike the 'relocation' of the Jewish population in World War II but this programme relocates older people to make room for the young.

There is a dual timeline as David aka Teach tells his story many years later so spoiler alert he clearly survives the relocation.  I really felt for Teach when he got his relocation letter and his only comfort is that his wife is going with him...although it's no comfort to his wife as she was happy to think that Teach would be going on his own!  Married life, eh?

I couldn't help but compare the plight of the people to the concentration camps of WWII and what is more scary is that I could imagine it actually happening now.  The Forcing is a powerful and timely reminder of how fragile and precious life is.

Compelling, thought-provoking and relevant, The Forcing is a chilling dystopian thriller that feels so incredibly possible.  A highly recommended read.

I received a digital copy for the readalong and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

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BLOG TOUR: The Librarian of Auschwitz - Antonio Iturbe

For readers of The Tattooist of Auschwitz and The Choice: this is the story of the smallest library in the world – and the most dangerous.

'It wasn’t an extensive library. In fact, it consisted of eight books and some of them were in poor condition. But they were books. In this incredibly dark place, they were a reminder of less sombre times, when words rang out more loudly than machine guns…’

Fourteen-year-old Dita is one of the many imprisoned by the Nazis at Auschwitz. Taken, along with her mother and father, from the Terezín ghetto in Prague, Dita is adjusting to the constant terror that is life in the camp. When Jewish leader Freddy Hirsch asks Dita to take charge of the eight precious books the prisoners have managed to smuggle past the guards, she agrees. And so Dita becomes the secret librarian of Auschwitz, responsible for the safekeeping of the small collection of titles, as well as the ‘living books’ - prisoners of Auschwitz who know certain books so well, they too can be ‘borrowed’ to educate the children in the camp. 

But books are extremely dangerous. They make people think. And nowhere are they more dangerous than in Block 31 of Auschwitz, the children’s block, where the slightest transgression can result in execution, no matter how young the transgressor…

What did I think?

This is the second book about Auschwitz that I have read recently, and you can probably guess the title of the other very publicised book, but I have to say that The Librarian of Auschwitz stands head and shoulders above the rest.  From early on, I knew that this wasn't going to be an easy read as the level of detail in the book depicted the full horror of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp; a level of detail that was welcome, however difficult to read, as this period of history should be portrayed as close to the truth as it can be.

Dita was only 9 years old when the Germans invaded her home in Prague; and at aged 14, Dita is imprisoned in the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp.  This is a book based on real facts from Dita's life with a bit of fiction woven into it to create a compelling story from which you cannot bear to tear your eyes away.  The way that the prisoners in the camp tried to create elements of normalcy showed a strength of character that was beyond admirable in the face of adversity.  A school for the children, with teachers no more than children themselves, and Dita taking charge of the precious eight books in the camp gave the prisoners a reminder of the normal life they once knew.

As Dita's story is told, I loved reading the actual true facts, albeit sometimes horrific and shocking, but it adds gravity and depth to the story and reminds us that it's not a purely fictional account of a nameless Holocaust survivor.  I really enjoyed reading about the customs performed at Passover and the symbolism of the traditional food prepared for the meal.  It's always good to learn from books, especially when you're least expecting it.  I certainly know a lot more about the concentration camps than I did before reading this book; although it's not a pleasant history, it's one that should not be forgotten.

I feel slightly guilty saying that I enjoyed The Librarian of Auschwitz but it is such a compelling read; it's vivid, descriptive and informative and a MUST READ for all readers, not just those who enjoy historical fiction.  I will say that you need to wrap up warm to read The Librarian of Auschwitz as, despite sitting in a warm sunny spot to read, I was constantly getting goosebumps from the powerful and emotional words in this outstanding book.  A very highly recommended read.   

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

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The Tattooist of Auschwitz - Heather Morris

I tattooed a number on her arm. She tattooed her name on my heart.

In 1942, Lale Sokolov arrived in Auschwitz-Birkenau. He was given the job of tattooing the prisoners marked for survival - scratching numbers into his fellow victims' arms in indelible ink to create what would become one of the most potent symbols of the Holocaust. 

Waiting in line to be tattooed, terrified and shaking, was a young girl. For Lale - a dandy, a jack-the-lad, a bit of a chancer - it was love at first sight. And he was determined not only to survive himself, but to ensure this woman, Gita, did, too.

So begins one of the most life-affirming, courageous, unforgettable and human stories of the Holocaust: the love story of the tattooist of Auschwitz.

What did I think?

When I won a competition to pick 3 books from Wordery, the first book on my list was The Tattooist of Auschwitz; the book that everyone seemed to be talking about.  We all know the story of Auschwitz and just thinking about it is enough to give me goosebumps, which is why I was surprised to feel so emotionally detached when reading this book.

Don't get me wrong, it is a powerful story of love conquers all and Lale's eternal love for Gita is very evident throughout the story.  I just didn't feel any of the horror and sadness that you would normally associate with a story set in Auschwitz.  Maybe that's a good thing though, and a conscious decision by Heather Morris to concentrate on the positives, as it was quite a refreshing change to see that something good came out of Auschwitz and Birkenau.

Lale's survival in Auschwitz is down to him being a bit of a wheeler dealer and he reminded me a bit of Del Boy; ducking and diving and getting people things that they asked for.  In that situation, everyone does what they need to do to survive and Lale kind of fell into becoming the Tätowierer.  What an awful job and one that I'm sure nobody would volunteer for, but if he hadn't been tattooing numbers on new entrants to the camp then he may have never met Gita.

I think you could tell that the story was originally written as a screenplay as the characters felt very one dimensional and flat, something that I'm sure would be rectified when shown on the screen.  Due to this, I didn't really connect or empathise with any of the characters.  I suppose the one that does spring to mind is Cilka, another prisoner who does what she has to do to stay alive and to protect her friends.  I'm not surprised to see that Cilka's story is the follow up to this book and I'm quite looking forward to reading it.

So even though I'm not raving about it, I still think it was a worthwhile read.  It's a quick, easy read and I think if I hadn't believed the hype about it being a weepy, emotional story I would probably have enjoyed the story of Lale and Gita's love against the odds a whole lot more.

I think everyone should read The Tattooist of Auschwitz and make up their own mind, however, I have no doubt that it will be a resounding success when it makes it to our screens.

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