Jakob’s Colors by Lindsay Hawdon – Book Review

**Trigger Warning: This book contains graphic descriptions of physical abuse. 

This stand out novel is from what I was able to find the author’s first. It tells the story of eight year old half gypsy Jakob on the run during the Holocaust of World War II.  The story shifts between Switzerland, England and Austria from the 1920s to the 1940s. Throughout the book we meet Jakob’s family past and present, and experience through his eyes the events in his young life that give him his “colors”.

As you would expect with such a grim backdrop the characters experience a lot of pain and heartbreak. The author though with her vivid use of words tackles those scenes in such a way that the reader is left saddened and bruised but not defeated. There is an underlying current of hope which lifts this book up and stayed with me to the very last sentence.  It was a good read and I recommend it. I also recommend that you have some tissues nearby if you plan to read it in public.

I’ve been on a going to the library and getting an actual book kick. My M.O. has been to wander the new release aisle until a book cover grabs my eye. In the past three months I’ve read seven books as a result of my library excursions. I even took one of them on vacation with me but mums the word on that because I’m not sure if there are rules regarding taking library books out of the country. I didn’t ask so don’t tell me.

When was the last time you went to an honest to goodness in the flesh library? What are you reading now?

Stardate:160019.07