The Ever-Present Past: Holocaust Stories

A tour de force from a marvelous writer who himself survived the wrath of th Nazis.

Holocaust survivor, Bernard Otterman, locates some of his stories in the ghettos and the camps, others in the aftermath of WWII. This double narrative perspective greatly enriches his collection, whose stories are often chilling but always powerful and imaginative. From The Golem of Auschwitz , where a golem is created from ashes and water, to Lego Lager , where the son of a Nazi assumes the identity of a young Jewish Birkenau inmate, readers will be captivated by characters they will never forget. -Patrick G. Henry, author of Banishing the Coercion of Despair: Le Chambon-sur-Lignon and The Holocaust Today. Polish born writer Bernard Otterman portrays the textured worlds of pre, during, and post World War II. These are stories of inherent drama, yet there is no exploitation of events here. Often understated, frequently macabre, Otterman’s observant narrators see the world, as it is, surreal, yes, otherworldly, unbearable, and somehow wry. These tightly constructed stories propel us page-to-page, story-to-story, and though Otterman takes us into uncharted territory, we are guided by a strong tether that runs throughout, that keeps us grounded. A strong first collection, indeed. -Martha Rhodes, Director, Four Way Books.