Thursday, April 2, 2015

Review: Behind the Iron Curtain: My Years Hidden As A Boy by Irene Kucholick

Behind the Iron Curtain: My Years Hidden As A Boy by Irene Kucholick

Link to buy: Behind the Iron Curtain: My Years Hidden as a Boy (Iron Curtain Memoirs) (Volume 2)

Story Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Review:

You know the old saying "To the victor go the spoils"? Well, that's what happened to Germany after it was defeated in World War II. The country was split between the nations that had sacrificed so much to end Germany's reign of terror across Europe. The poor souls who ended up in the Russian-controlled communist portion of Germany experienced hunger, oppression, and all manner of abuse. Other Germans living in other parts of the country came under the control of France, England, and the United States, and they enjoyed greater freedom and prosperity.

This is the sequel to a book that ended when Germany lost World War II. It recounts the life of a teenage German girl who survived the war only to end up trapped under the thumb of the conquering Russians. This is an interesting, educational look at the daily struggles of the author, her family, and friends in the years following the war. It offers a glimpse into circumstances that most people will hopefully never have to endure.

The biggest problem with this book is how depressing it is. If the author's goal was to strike fear into every reader's heart at the thought that their comfy lives could at any moment be ripped away because of evil, corrupt, and self-serving governments, then mission accomplished! Because that's exactly what this book did for me. The people depicted in this book weren't responsible for Hitler's atrocities, yet they were the ones paying the price at the hands of Russian soldiers who clearly felt justified in abusing the German people.

The title refers to the fact that the main character begins dressing like a boy in order to avoid being repeatedly raped by Russian soldiers. German women and girls were frequently abducted from their homes and dragged to the barracks for the soldiers' entertainment, but boys were safer. Yes, they'd get beaten – and the main character certainly did get her share of beatings – but at least she avoided being raped. See what I mean about how the book is depressing?

When the Russian soldiers weren't raping the locals, they were stealing everything they could from them. The Germans were starving, so they resorted to any means necessary to find food for themselves and their families, including stealing and travelling to cities to become (illegal) street performers. Everyone knew that if the Russian soldiers got their hands on anything of value that the Germans had, it would be confiscated. The author's accordion was taken at one point, which was tragic because she had been using it to earn money to buy food.


Finally, be aware that this book is written in a simplistic style that could be the result of an author for whom English is a second language. That makes sense if the author was living in Germany following WWII, but an editor could have smoothed out these rough spots. 

Reviewed by Peter

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