Jan Dymond

Sept. 20, 2003

 

A fictional story to learn from

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I was reluctant to read this book at first, since I'm not normally drawn to war or espionage stories. But this book is much more than that.
WW2 might have happened more than half a century ago, but as for so many survivors reaching the end of their days on earth, it's just a nightmare away for Mathias Finne. A Danish Canadian now, he is forced by his conscience to return to Europe to face the demon that haunts him...known in Danish folklore as the Gripping Beast. He just has to confess to a murder he committed when still a young lad during the final days of the Nazi occupation of Bornholm, Denmark.
The book weaves back and forth smoothly between an old man's confession to a Russian police detective, and the too-clear memories of young Mathias as the story of being a child of the time unfolds.
Although a fictional story, it is obvious that the writer has taken the time to carefully search the memories of people who remember what it was to live on an island that, although governed by Nazis, was mostly populated by Danish resistance. Although I am somewhat aware of similar stories in other countries (Anne Franks book and such), I had no idea of the courage of the Danes until I read this book.
But this book is more about the story of growing up through the early teen years in a time when the smallest act of carelessness or willfulness could mean death.
The writing style Johansen uses moves the reader quickly through the story, and his sentences have a short-tempo structure that encourages a northern European accent in one's "inner" ear. The ending is not only satisfactory, leaving no loose ends, but is unexpected.
It has all the characteristics of a real life....coming of age drama, innocent romances, painful family relationships, historical insights, and heart wrenching realities. To call it entertaining is to minimize it.
In a time when we need to remember what war means to us, to children, and to a people....this is a must read.

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Paul Leney

Dec. 15, 2003

 

Thrilling tale of occupied Denmark

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This was a wonderful read, and one you can't stand to put down until it's over! I managed to finish it in 2 days. My apologies to the person I bumped into on the C-Train while reading it. Full of emotional intensity , the author manages to bring the reader in to a world of concrete reality. The lines get blurred between collaborators and resistors as a young boy grows up in a world of Nazi domination and lies. You, as the reader, are challenged to review your own perceptions of WW II in the process. My emotions ranged from a sense of joy & release to ones of deep sadness & frustration. You loose yourself in the mind of a young boy, trying to make sense of his world. Buy this book, you won't regret it!