Home So Far Away
Tracking the buildup toward World War II through the eyes of a German Jewish teen drawn to Spain and the advance of Communism is a brilliant idea, and Judith Berlowitz builds a frequently insightful action novel that follows Klara Philipsborn into the chaos and danger of the Spanish Civil War. Gently sorting the threads of difference among Jewish identities of the time—Ashkenazi to Sephardic to hidden and converting—as well as the passions of anti-fascist action, Berlowitz unfolds an era through a conflict of personal life that explores a rarely portrayed effort: that of women as nurses in this nearly modern war.
The novel is told in first person, in journal segments with black-and-white images tucked in as if secured on the pages of the diary. Klara, whose name becomes Clara in her new ambience, is called upon to shift among her identities swiftly and appropriately, as well as among languages and perhaps loyalties. As a “camarada” (comrade), a political activist, Klara readily takes a stand whenever she can on behalf of freedom, personal and political.
The first-person narrative doesn’t suit the story well, with an observer’s role and reporter’s language too often preventing alliance with the protagonist. The pacing is also slightly awkward, which makes the book feel longer than it is. Perhaps most significantly, Klara’s personal changes and decisions are for the most part unemotional and analytic. Despite these issues, the book is a valued addition to historical novels for its choice of both era and political dimensions. Place it in the hands of readers who won’t object to a slower plot, in exchange for insight into the issues of the time.
