by Nancy Huston
First published 2008
Sol is a gifted child whose mother sees greatness in his future, partly because he shares a distinctive birthmark with his father, grandmother, and great-grandmother. When Sol's family takes an unexpected journey to Germany, long-buried secrets about their World War II history begin to surface. The birthmark, it turns out, is not the only thing passed down through their bloodline. As the family travels from California's West Coast to the East, from Haifa to Toronto to Munich, hidden truths unravel backward through time. Four generations of children and parents have carried these secrets, and now Sol's family must confront a devastating revelation about their origins. Love, music, and faith collide with the legacy of evil that has shaped their family across decades and continents.
Genres: literary-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, mystery, 21st-century, family-drama
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, thought-provoking
Tropes: family-saga, generational-trauma, hidden-past
Setting: California, Germany, Haifa, Munich, Toronto
Period: World War II
320 pages · Paperback · ATLANTIC BOOKS