Book Review: To Dream of Shadows by Steve N Lee

My Rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐

Inspired by true events, To Dream of Shadows by Steve N Lee is a heart-wrenching yet powerful novel. We meet eighteen-year-old Inge Zaleska, packed into a cattle car with her family and other Jews on their way to being “resettled”. On reaching their destination, she is separated from her family and sent to a Nazi labor camp in Estonia. Alone, she has to learn to fend for herself and endure the filth, starvation, back-breaking work and horrific living conditions not to mention the cruelty of the SS Officers and the kapos in charge of the barracks. In a turn of events, she is eventually transferred to a different camp where she meets Nazi Commandant, SS Oberscharfuhrer Heinz Rudolf “Rudi”, Krusewho has only recently assumed charge of the camp. Rudi is portrayed as a compassionate character and as he observes the Jews in captivity and bears witness to the cruelty meted out to them by his fellow SS officers, he begins to question the beliefs that have been instilled in him about Jews while in SS training. His predecessor was a vile man who enjoyed inflicting the harshest possible punishment, but Rudi, though firm in his authority, does not follow his commandant's example. He is tested further when he meets Inge and observes her compassion for others and as they befriend one another, Rudi begins to see Jews as human beings and not “vermin” as he had been taught. Inge senses Rudi is different from other SS officers, but both of them know that there are lines that can not be crossed, failing which would lead to dire consequences for both of them.

Meticulously researched, beautifully written, and consistently paced, this novel is a compelling read. Stories set in this era are never easy or light reads, and this novel is no exception. Needless to say, the descriptions of the working and living conditions in the camp were difficult to read, the author does not mince his words while describing the camps and the punishment meted out to those who were deemed unfit to work or those deemed guilty of breaking the rules set by their SS captors. Inge is portrayed as an admirable character. Her resilience and resourcefulness in the face of hardship and cruelty truly make her stand out. It was a bit hard to accept that Rudi, a Nazi, would be any different from other SS officers but yes, the author does a good job is depicting him as a conflicted individual who is torn between his loyalty to his fatherland and his humanity. Ultimately, this is a story of resilience, compassion and sacrifice in a time of incomprehensible evil and tyranny.

Having said that, I don’t think I would have been able to appreciate the premise of this novel had it not been based on true events. Do read the Author’s Note, where he details the historical context of the story and also provides a link to his research into the true events and places that inspired the story.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this novel. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.