A Train in Winter

I just finished this book and I'm a little bit speechless. Many books about the Holocaust have crossed my path and I've read them all. The last I read, Man's Search for Happiness, was completely enthralling and even a bit positive, written by a psychologist who analyzed what helped some people survive and was missing from those who perished.

The first half of this book was a challenging read, describing in detail lives of French women involved in the Resistance during WWII. I had to take scrupulous notes to keep names organized and remember each person's job and who was involved in which chain of the Resistance. These women worked for underground newspapers, hid Jews trying to escape to the "free" south of France, transfered documents and even produced and hid weapons. They added these duties on top of their every day lives. The more I learned about each courageous woman, the more I dreaded the impending round up that was sure to come. As mostly only Barrett knows, I'm sometimes annoyed with women who are advocates for things because I feel like most of them are tag-alongs these days. This book made me realize how strong women can be and how important they can be to each other. At the end of the book, it was noted that many of these women weren't noticed for their efforts because they had more inconspicuous jobs PLUS women are naturally humble about their doings, so they rarely stepped into the spotlight after the war.

It was dreadful to watch these women's journey step by step, going from deep involvement in underground networks around France, to being watched by police, to being constantly anxious, to being taken to prison, to ending up in Birkenau (at Auschwitz) and having no control of their lives. These were regular women doing things that I would also do without thinking, whose lives were ended or changed without hope of reconciliation to their pre-war selves. How could this have happened? I don't think the terror or reality of the Holocaust has ever been so clear to me.

Though not the author's intended theme, I definitely have realized how grateful I am for my simple, happy life. Lately I've been thinking about being more proactive and trying to find a niche where I can be influential and have been inspired to realize that it is meaningful to do something worthwhile even if barely anyone notices.

A difficult but rewarding read.