Safekeeping
is a novel about personal tragedy, hope, and suffering within
the backdrop of history. A medieval brooch is the connection
of time and history. Although it flashbacks to Jewish history
from the German Pogroms to the Holocaust and the founding
of Israel, its main focus is the year 1994 in an Israeli Kibbutz
where six people meet. These six are connected through a search
for their identities, looking to escape their own personal
crisis.
The main focus of the book is the theme of how someone perseveres
after a tragedy. This is done through the backdrop of the
Holocaust. As Hope stated, “People walked out of the
death camps stripped of everything and everyone they had ever
loved. They had all the reason in the world to give up on
existence, to give up on humanity, but somehow found the hope
and strength to start again, to fight for their own country.”
The reason the title Safekeeping, according to the author,
“We are living in a time where individuals need to speak
up. On some level there is a competition between looking out
for yourself and taking a responsibility for the larger community.
I called the book Safekeeping for a reason. Israel is supposed
to be a place where everyone can be kept safe. Sadly project
forward to today where there is still a search for safekeeping,
especially as the world turns its back on Israel. Safekeeping
is less and less guaranteed.”
By having a contrast of characters the author shows the reaction
of individuals versus the responsibility of a community. Set
in 1994 on a Kibbutz the story traces how the six characters
search for what is important. Among the characters are Ziva,
a Zionistic socialist; Franz, a Holocaust survivor; Ulya,
a Soviet émigré; Adam, Franz’s grandson
who has become an addict; and Claudette, someone trying to
overcome OCD.
Franz is an individualist who lives day to day, while Ziva,
a Kibbutzim pioneer, has a higher ideal, with a strength and
energy to start up a new country. An important scene in the
book contrasts these two when Ziva wants Franz to change his
name to a Hebrew one. A powerful quote reflects this, “All
I’m saying is that the Nazis tried their damnedest to
do away with Franz, and if it’s quite all right with
you, I’d prefer to not lend them a helping hand.”
Hope noted, “In building Israel Jews were asked on some
level to reinvent themselves. Franz had no Hebrew identity
and wanted to hold on to his old identity, while Ziva, by
extension, Israel, is asking him to give it up. She represented
those who founded Israel by turning away from their past,
reinventing themselves.”
The other characters, although not as much as a sharp contrast
are Ziva and Ulya. Both are ambitious; yet use it for different
reasons. Ziva has certain goals, the cause of establishing
the State of Israel, while Ulya is out for herself.
The author explained, “I wrote the Russian immigrant
character and Ziva as Scarlett O’Hara types. I was inspired
by Scarlett and fascinated by Gone With The Wind. I wanted
to write that type of character. All are not morally admirable,
extremely ambitious, yet you can’t help but be inspired
by their grit and determination. They use any tool to survive.”
The brooch also symbolizes history with the fears and desires
getting passed down. These brooch stories show how events
from the past, some of which are unknown, affect, how someone
turns out. The brooch chapters were a way to show readers
that they are influenced by what happened to their family
through past generations. Every single character in the book
has a personal challenge, usually that was inherited.
Safekeeping has a very riveting story that includes
romance, betrayal, and tragedy. Anyone that has tried to persevere
will find this book a must read.
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