THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

Friday, December 11, 1982 25

A Sensitive 'Book of Songs' Novel About the Holocaust

By JESSIE STERN

In so doing, he gives this
Unlike most books on the
simple tale a power greater
Holocaust, "A Book of
than history.
Songs" (St. Martin's Press)
The book's form is re-
has no historical reference.
miniscent of a fable
No date or place is ever
which according to
mentioned. The action could
Webster is "a prolonged
have taken place anytime,
personification intended
anywhere. Yet the novel is
to convey moral truth."
undeniably about the
Fables also have a legen-
Holocaust.
dary, mythical quality.
Though it is written as a
While "A Book of Songs"
simple story, the book-is of
is dead serious, perhaps
universal proportions. The
more serious and intense
author, Dr. Martin Linn,
than most people could
told me that his aim was to
tolerate in another form,
reach non-Jews as well as
the storyteller helps us
through by relating his
JESSIE STERN
story by means of this
Jews with the burning mes- mythical approach.
CENTRALITE WANTED sage of the Holocaust. I be-
The action takes place in
lieve that he succeeds bril- a work camp. Men are sent
liantly.- However, by taking there to make artillery
JUNE, 1949 — $100
the story away from the shells for the war effort.
specifics of the usual They are not expected to
Arnold Belinsky
Holocaust setting, in the live long as their diet con-
hope of making it appeal to sists of weak soup and
4130 Vista De La Tierra
non-Jews, Dr. Linn has bread. Most die within a_
written a book that tran- week. No matter. There are
Delmar, CA 92014
scends even the powerful always others to take their
message of the Holocaust it- place.
(114) 481-0832 Collect
self.
Yet, beneath the cold and
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ENTERTAINMENT? * lies the promise of hope. It is
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the young boy who has been
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in the camp for a long time.
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His presence and power
are an enigma throughout
the tale.
The prisoners are
finely drawn. Each one
that we meet is a per-
sonification. The
philosopher, Sheleen, is
the leader when the story
begins. He possesses all
the answers except the
one most central to the
story: why is the boy
allowed to live? The reli-
gious man, Avron, to
whom the boy becomes
an obsession, prays that
God will spare the life of
the child. To Avron, the
boy represents a miracle.
The artist is memorable.
He draws his haunting pic-
tures on the dirty window of
the barracks where at night

they are illuminated by the
searchlight as it makes the
rounds of the camp.
Then there is the poet
from Vilna, a cynic with a
broken nose who has the
courage to attempt an es-
cape.
Only the storyteller's
character changes and de-
velops as he moves from
hopelessness to leader to be-
liever, finally taking on a
Moses-like quality, deter-
mined to rescue the boy by
getting him out of the camp.
Dr. Linn captures the
reader's interest over
and over with a variety
of story-telling,. tech-
niques which flow from
his pen. with apparent
ease. The shrapnel-
makers become musi-
cians; their machines be-
come instruments and
together they form a
symphony orchestra.
There is a violin section
in this strange orchestra,
a brass section, and, of
course, a conductor.
The book is a gem. The
author's first work, it is a

sensitively-drawn tale of
horror and wonder which
compels the reader on to the
superb ending.

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Prisoners Seen

NEW YORK — Rabbi
Tobias Roth of Long
Branch, N.J. has been
named editor of the Sermon
Manual of the Rabbinical
Council of America.
The list of contributors to
the Sermon Manual in-
cludes Rabbi Charles
Rosenzveig of Southfield.

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GENEVA (JTA) — The
International Committee of
the Red Cross has an-
nounced that its represen-
tatives in Syria have visited
three Israeli prisoners of
war held in that country
and delivered to them let-
ters and parcels from their
families in Israel.
The visit took place last
week, according to the
Geneva Convention, the
announcement said. That
means that the soldiers
were visited by the Red
Cross delegates without
witnesses.

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