The Kommandant's Girl by Pam Jenoff

September 18, 2007
Book suggested by Kim, and meeting hosted by Pat S.

This book was written by a first-time author, and when Kim told us about all she has accomplished in her young life we were impressed and amazed.

We liked the book, and in fact it is tied for first place (with Broken for You) in our ratings to date. Most of our discussion centered on the feelings that the Kommandant and Emma/Anna had for one another. Some of us thought she loved him only when she was in her Anna role. Some thought she was in love only with her husband, and others thought she loved him as a man, but loathed what he did. Some of us thought it was lust, not love. We also could not agree on the Kommandant's feelings for Anna. When asked if we thought he would have shot her, 4 said yes, and 7 said no. We wondered if his experience with his wife prevented him from loving anyone as he had loved her, and we thought he was a tortured man for many reasons.

We also could not agree with how we felt about Jacob. Some of us were angry that he left Emma, but others admired his dedication to the cause. We could not even agree on whether Jacob had been unfaithful to Emma by sleeping with Marta. We even disagreed on the morality that Emma/Anna displayed in some of her actions. Some of us thought it was understandable, and others thought some of her actions were inexcusable. She was living a life that was not her own, living with guilt, and worrying constantly about her parents. We did all agree though that only those who have lived through such times could possibly know how they would respond in such dire circumstances.

Some of us thought that the ending of the book was rushed. We were disappointed that the ending did not reveal what happened next, and speculated whether or not a story like this could end in "happily ever after." Most of the group thought that Jacob was safe and waiting for her and that they would escape to safety; others were not so sure.

We agreed that the love story was good, but thought that the book was an intellectual and not emotional recounting of the Holocaust. The book led us to feel more sympathy for the Kommandant than for the suffering parents. Someone said that they could not get emotionally involved in the Ghetto, and that the book did not accurately reflect the horrors of the time. A story about the Holocaust should not be so enjoyable to read.

Pam Jenoff's website: http://www.pamjenoff.com/