BOOK REVIEW THE PRISONERS OF PARADISE Author: Xavier Güell From the reader report by: Jamie Mullin I found the approach to this story to be unique and original. The story of the life of the musicians at Theresienstadt collaborating and creating art as prisoners in the grimmest of circumstances is told beautifully. As they navigate the tragic realities of the loss of their past lives, including separation from their families, illness, death, and not knowing how much time they themselves have, there is a vivid sense of immediacy and connection to their work, and the life-sustaining power of art and music in the community. Though it was due to the propaganda campaign that Nazis allowed the prisoners to have an artistic life, they embraced it fully as their only form of resistance, injecting messages of the struggles of their reality into the performances and using the time afforded to them to live through their work. I believe this novel is suitable for translation and will find a receptive audience in the US. As historical fiction, the novel offers a unique plot connecting the inner world of the Theresienstadt ghetto with high levels of the Nazi regime, providing a moving glimpse into how the prisoners may have found strength through their art.
PUBLISHED IN NEW SPANISH BOOKS US
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