Exile Music
When Germany annexes Austria in 1938, a young girl’s perfect childhood—filled with love, art, and storytelling—comes to an end. Since Orly’s family is Jewish, her parents flee Vienna, following their older son who has left ahead of them. But the world’s nations are barring their doors to the refugees, and only Bolivia is willing to take them in. Faced with its alien culture, Orly’s father seeks solace in his music, while her mother secludes herself in her kitchen. Only Orly is willing to explore the country that has granted her refuge. With the aid of her friend Miguel, she discovers its native peoples and ancient traditions. But with the end of World War II, Nazi fugitives arrive in Bolivia, prompting profound thoughts of vengeance in Orly’s mother and leading her to take terrible risks. When the peace also brings relatives and old friends to La Paz—among them, the love of Orly’s life—the family must examine whether they wish to go back to Europe, or whether home lies in Bolivia.
This novel documents a largely unknown chapter in the history of the Jewish diaspora. Through the character of Orly, Steil gives us a wondrous evocation of the openness of childhood, a heroine who perceives beauty and wisdom where her elders see only strangeness. While clear-eyed to the horrors of colonial exploitation, Orly delights in her new world, and her appreciation allows her to come to terms with banishment in this faraway sphere. As she grows into a writer, we come to care deeply for her as a person who is able to transform exile into an adventure, and an unfamiliar sphere into a place to call home.
