Books

I just finished reading Resistance by Anita Shreve. A year or so ago I had listened to her novel, Light on Snow and enjoyed it very much. I had been discouraged, however, by the reviews from her other novels and not purchased one until now. Also, her novel The Pilot's Wife had been an Oprah's Book Club selection. I have been disapointed with the books I've read on Oprah's list and have found them too depressing.

Resistance is set in Belgium in 1944. It the story of a downed American pilot and the short love affair he had with the Belgium woman who helped hide him from the Germans. The story is somehwat depressing and put me in a very melancholy mood. What I liked about the novel is the powerful representations of life for the Belgium people during German occupation and the portrayal of the American pilot.

My grandfather served in WWII and talked of his experiences very little. This book opens a window to what the people living and dying in German occupied countries during the war experienced. It does a better job of eliciting empathy than any movie I have seen. It did in fact make this war which was over 60 years ago become very real to me.

I don't know if I would recommend this book or not. Maybe after some time has passed and I have gained some distance I will feel differently.