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After the War (novel)
Encyclopedia
After the War is a novel
written by author Carol Matas
. The book was published by Simon and Schuster and released in 1997.
, Ruth Mendenberg is released from a death camp in Buchenwald, one of Hitler’s concentration camps. Ruth returns to her hometown in Poland
and is quick to learn that both her home and her family are gone. Only being 15 years old, she has lost faith, and lives with the guilt of being the only one surviving from her family. She is received by a young man named Saul from Eretz Israel, who encourages recently liberated Jews
travel towards relative freedom in Mandate Palestine
along with other Jewish refugees. She is housed along with other recently liberated Jews, which include men and women of all ages. Although Ruth believes there is no hope, but agrees to travel with the refugees. The house is attacked by an angry mob after a child accuses some of the refugees of kidnapping and murdering some of the children in the village. She is forced to hide, until the soldiers quiet the mob, and shortly after is forced to flee, along with 20 children. It is her job to lead them safely through Czechoslovakia
, Austria
, Italy
, and then to Mandate Palestine.
. As the author describes,"For instance, No ship that I read about was both attacked and managed to beach on Palestine's shore but each event did happen separately. I simply combined them for greater effect.
The author also takes note that,
The author also takes note that between 1945 and May 1948, 69,000 Jews traveled to Mandate Palestine illegally.
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
written by author Carol Matas
Carol Matas
Carol Matas is a Canadian children's writer who lives in Winnipeg, Manitoba.She has written many books such as*Cloning Miranda*The Second Clone*The Dark Clone*After the War*The Freak*Turned Away...
. The book was published by Simon and Schuster and released in 1997.
Plot
Shortly after the end of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Ruth Mendenberg is released from a death camp in Buchenwald, one of Hitler’s concentration camps. Ruth returns to her hometown in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
and is quick to learn that both her home and her family are gone. Only being 15 years old, she has lost faith, and lives with the guilt of being the only one surviving from her family. She is received by a young man named Saul from Eretz Israel, who encourages recently liberated Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
travel towards relative freedom in Mandate Palestine
Mandate Palestine
Mandate Palestine existed while the British Mandate for Palestine, which formally began in September 1923 and terminated in May 1948, was in effect...
along with other Jewish refugees. She is housed along with other recently liberated Jews, which include men and women of all ages. Although Ruth believes there is no hope, but agrees to travel with the refugees. The house is attacked by an angry mob after a child accuses some of the refugees of kidnapping and murdering some of the children in the village. She is forced to hide, until the soldiers quiet the mob, and shortly after is forced to flee, along with 20 children. It is her job to lead them safely through Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, and then to Mandate Palestine.
Authors Note
Although the book is written from real events, the author has taken "liberties" to make certain edits and has combined various true stories, thus making the novel fictionFiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
. As the author describes,"For instance, No ship that I read about was both attacked and managed to beach on Palestine's shore but each event did happen separately. I simply combined them for greater effect.
The author also takes note that,
"no character is modeled after one specific person I read about, rather my characters are modeled on many different people I both read about and interviewed."
The author also takes note that between 1945 and May 1948, 69,000 Jews traveled to Mandate Palestine illegally.