Friedrich Gorenstein's 1967 novel Redemption is now available for English readers. Set shortly after the end of World War 2, in a Soviet town that had been occupied by the Germans, Redemption is a revealing snapshot of life in that time and place. Other than that, it doesn't have much going for it.
Sashenka lives with her mother, whom she resents for dishonoring the memory of Sashenka's father, who "died for the motherland." Surly and vengeful, Sashenka constantly acts disrespectfully toward her mother. Parents of teenage daughters might be able to relate to this description: She "walked into the large room, clenching her teeth in angry irritation again, because she realized that if she once smiled and stopped being angry and suffering, she would forfeit her power in the home."
Her attitude reaches is nadir when she reports her mother to the police. Her mother brings home leftover food from her kitchen job. It's clearly a violation of the rules, but she does it to feed her destitute household. Nevertheless, Sashenka's report gets her mother thrown in jail. And so it goes.
The family drama takes a back seat to the cultural setting. The misery is layered. Their town is full of the rubble of bombed-out buildings. Neighbor is divided against neighbor as they remember who cooperated with the Nazis. The Soviet police state is entrenched, encouraging everyone to spy on everyone. People constantly relate to each other with suspicion and quarreling. Altogether Redemption is a bleak, unenjoyable slice-of-life narrative that I would not recommend except for its historical and sociological qualities.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!
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