Mischling by Affinity Konar
Holocaust/Auschwitz story about twins who are research subjects, and are separated–I never really bought the connection between the twins (not fair?), and though I was mostly with her during the part set in Auchwitz, there seemed too many coincidences in the part after they leave. A sweet madam in a whorehouse who happens to have the thing Pearl has been looking for all chapter? Stasha performing a vivisection and taking the baby? I just didn’t buy it. It was all a little too precious for me, too imagined and described. Is it on purpose? Something that can’t be told as it really was, with starker reality? Maybe. But it still didn’t do it for me.
Amy P. Knight 