By Katie,
A Thread of Grace is based on a true story of
how ordinary Italian citizens saved the lives of many Jewish refugees as
they fled from the Nazis toward the end of WWII. Reviews
of this novel call it: "Hauntingly beautiful, utterly unforgettable."
(San Francisco Chronicle) and "Rich.. Based on the heroism of ordinary
people, [A Thread of Grace] packs an emotional punch." (People)
This gives me hope of an inspirational story that will uplift our spirits. Along the way, we will meet a plethora of characters from Jew refugees to their persecutors to the Italian people who hide them. My copy of the novel includes a character guide and maps. This suggests that there is risk of confusion while trying to keep track of everyone.
Here are some questions I think we should try and answer:
Renzo and Schramm have both committed crimes against civilians during war, but the priest Don Osvaldo feels there is some essential difference between the two men's actions. Is the difference merely a matter of scale, or is there an ethical difference? Does your emotional response to each character color your opinion?
What did you think of Renzo Leoni? Does your impression of him change during the course of the novel?
What did you think of Dr. Schramm? Were they right to hide him?
The title comes from a Hebrew saying: "No matter how dark the tapestry God weaves for us, there's always a thread of Grace.” What does this mean in the story? Is this the message the author is sending her readers?
Renzo Leoni attempts to remain apolitical during the Nazi occupation. Is moderation or neutrality possible or even desirable during war?
Here's to another thought provoking read!
What did you think of Dr. Schramm? Were they right to hide him?
The title comes from a Hebrew saying: "No matter how dark the tapestry God weaves for us, there's always a thread of Grace.” What does this mean in the story? Is this the message the author is sending her readers?
Renzo Leoni attempts to remain apolitical during the Nazi occupation. Is moderation or neutrality possible or even desirable during war?
Here's to another thought provoking read!
Hello Ladies
ReplyDeleteHow are you? Spring is coming to the U.K. – not arrived in its full glory, but we’re getting there. Hope the same can be said for your part of the world, Katie. I see politically, that things are not much better with you than they are with us. I’m afraid I’ve no idea what’s happening in Australia, Nancy, but I do hope you’re feeling more empowered, at every level, than I’m feeling here. I don’t know when I’ve felt so helpless in the face of personal, national and international events. ‘This, too, will pass’ as I keep telling myself.
Still, my woes are as nothing compared to the suffering of those directly involved in WW2. I learned a lot from this book, Katie. Thank you. I had no idea how badly Italy suffered. The large cast of characters and the different settings really emphasized the extent of the horror. It was a little confusing to begin with, but the character guides and maps kept me straight.
With regard to the thread of grace: I don’t have any religious convictions, so I think it’s mankind weaving the dark tapestry, and thus it’s up to mankind to provide the thread of grace. Many people did provide threads of grace here. However, I felt many of the characters were stereotyped so I didn’t know what motivated them. Were they just born with the ability to provide a thread of grace? Surely too simplified a view? Maybe there were too many characters and the emphasis was on events rather than character analysis. For example, with the exception of Schramm, the Germans were very predictable. I wonder how a German audience would respond to this book?
Schramm and Renzo have much more in common than initially seems. Renzo’s war crime was not deliberate. But it seems Schramm started by trying to prevent pain, as he perceived it, and then didn’t know how to get out of ‘the programme’. Certainly, Renzo immediately recognised in Schramm a fellow sufferer. He couldn’t do anything else than protect him. Schramm’s attitude to life/death enabled him to kill Osvaldo, which could only be regarded as a good thing. Schramm learned to recognise that disabled people can contribute to life; and to live with what he had done.
Renzo, however, never did live with his ’mistake’ - essentially killing himself. Renzo’s skills and motivations are gradually revealed to us throughout the novel, so I’d say he was explained to me rather than my impression of him changed. A humanitarian, someone with a highly developed sense of right and wrong, who couldn’t live up to the standards he set himself. Couldn’t live with himself.
In answer to your final question, Katie, moderation might be a tool in preventing war, but too often it fails. And I’m afraid given the weaponry, the fragility of the environment, the need to protect the world, none of us can be neutral these days. “While life often has grey areas, straddling the middle doesn’t lead us anywhere: ‘There’s nothing in the middle of the road but yellow stripes and dead armadillos.’” (Jim Hightower). Not sure where I got that quotation from, and it’s a bit melodramatic, but I take his point.
Thank you, Katie. It was indeed a thought-provoking read.
Hello to you both!
ReplyDeleteSpring and winter keep battling over whose turn it is to dictate our wardrobe. I’m sorry about all your distress, Sue. I can commiserate. The political situation here is just appalling. I’m trying not to stick my head in the sand and ignore the travesties this orange clown is inflicting upon my country but I’m also trying not to be completely immersed in it. Nancy, I hope your situations are better than where Sue and I stand. In much more pleasant news, the baby turns one in a week. It’s so bitter sweet how big she is getting.
I found this month’s novel sad because of the subject matter. Obviously the events of WWII were terrible so a novel set in that time period risks an element of sorrow. I did love the mindset of the Italian people. They held such rage toward the Germans and utilized it to help immigrants in need. I think this, Sue, was the motivation behind the characters and their desire to help the Jewish community: A “the enemy of my enemy is my friend” kind of mentality. I sometimes feel very similar in regard to my country’s political situation. Haha! But in seriousness, I feel the Italian culture is very friendly and open hearted. My mother and grandmother try to feed anyone who comes into the house. It’s like they can’t function until a guest’s appetite has been sated.
In regards to the first question, I think Don Osvaldo’s distinction was based purely on scale of civilian deaths. Any murder should be considered terrible but in the face of sheer numbers, it’s probably harder for the clergy to forgive an individual who was responsible for so many deaths. As for my own opinion, I felt that Renzo’s victims seemed more accidental than Schramm’s. Maybe I am biased knowing the outcome of Schramm’s train cars.
Toward the end of the novel of I loved Renzo more and more. His style in each of his different character roles was so realistic there were several times I truly thought a new character had been introduced. As his bravery in aiding Jewish and Italian citizens became more daring, I was totally charmed by him and easily forgot his war crime. My opinion of Schramm changed too but I never loved him like Renzo! I agree with your analysis of Renzo, Sue. He did seem to have high ideals that were just too out of his reach.
I love your quote. How accurate everything you said in the last paragraph! Neutrality doesn’t work when you have another group of individuals who are so bent on destruction. I had a little tiff with someone regarding the news. He didn’t understand my concern over the immigration ban as we are not Muslim and therefore not affected by it. My opinion was that if we let the government start with one group, how long until they ban groups that do affect us? This is why neutrality is not always a good move. Sorry for that little political tirade.
A little late here, I know, but I enjoyed the open book month. I know we never really addressed an opinion of it in the last forum but I did find it to be an interesting little change of pace. Would anyone else be opposed to doing it again? Or would we prefer to just stick with the same book each time?
Much love to you and your families!
Hello Ladies,
ReplyDeleteAs usual I’m running late with my comment on this month’s book….sorry !!
Our Autumn is finally making it self felt after a scorching hot Summer with some of the highest recorded temperatures ever. so some cooler mornings and evenings is very welcomed. I sympathise with you both and the disturbing political situations both your countries are experiencing. Sue, I’m also a little unsure of the exact situation in the UK, but there is plenty of news coming to us here about the US and the appears daily debarcles occurring there. So sorry Katie.
In Australia at the moment there is also an emergence of far right political parties gaining national attention and Senate seats. Also some right wing extremist groups recieving way too much positive publicity. This abhorrent seemingly worldwide trend is frightening.So it felt rather disturbing the first chapter in our story this month refers to Adolf Hitler.
I felt humbled by the courage displayed by the characters in A Thread a Grace and it was never far from my mind that Mary Doria Russell based these characters on real people and real experiences.
As you have both mentioned there were many characters and at times I felt I would have liked to know more about some of them, like Maria Avoni or Landau, but of course the novel would have been enormous if my curiosity was satisfied about everyone.
I was also charmed by Renzo Leoni and as his character was revealed throughout the story his bravery and courage drew me in.
I was reading a comment by the author where she talks of the randomness of death in wartime. Simply wrong time wrong place irespective of courage or cowardice, honour or evil and when she was creating her characters for this novel she had her son flip a coin to decide who should live and who should die, she then wrote according to this. It was something that really struck a chord with me and brought home the true futility of war.
I liked and agree with your Jim Hightower quote Sue. We are living in a world of such instability, outrageous inequality and outright corporate BS that we who are so privileged really can't be neutral any longer. How much are we willing to risk though? I feel such a moral dilemma with this.