A sublime, compelling novel of hope

4 stars

The Threads Remain is a tender, heartbreaking novel of WWII Germany, from those trying to survive the horrors of war to a young orphan, years later, seeking to understand the past and what occurred. I initially thought the writing a bit spare but found a simpler approach kept the story tight and to the point. War novels can easily spiral beyond the brief but this kept nicely to the stories of our main characters.

In The Threads Remain the story pivots around the people linked with a handmade, stuffed bear named Barli. Mainly, the Jewish woman who made him, the boy who chose him as a birthday gift and an orphan years after the war searching for his biological parents. As one might expect, this novel is a powerful one but one that feels like essential reading in our current climate.

The story is well plotted with the timeline jogs and dovetailing of critical points rendered seamlessly. It is hard reading at times, particularly the story of Josef, a large 15 year old boy who is forced into the SS, who, as a boy, chose Barli as his birthday gift. His story is painful and, though his is not a story of redemption, as such, it is a story of humanity; moving beyond a difficult, unchangeable, past and striving to make a better future going forward. It is in the gift of all of us to do the right thing, show compassion and act with a kind heart toward our fellow man, regardless of differences. The Threads Remain is a sublime, compelling reminder of this.