One Hundred Saturdays by Michael Frank

Stella's story will stick with you.  In recent years, publishers have offered us a fine selection of WWII fiction, often highlighting  little know heroic efforts made by women. Of course, the backdrop of many of these stories was the Holocaust. These novels stand as warnings about how quickly anger and hate can change the world.  I have read and appreciated many, but none compare to the depth, honesty, and sensitivity of Stella's recollections.

For one hundred Saturdays, Michael Frank visits with Stella and little by little, she shares.  From growing up in Jewish Rhodes, being removed to a concentration camp, and ultimately surviving and thriving, she talks - with some hesitation. We feel her mulling as she weighs her words deciding what to relive, and with how much detail.  The process begins with gentle prompts from Frank and evolves organically to a shared experience between two people who have become friends. 

I so wanted Stella to be angry, to cry, to spew acidity at those who robbed her of family, and years of happiness and normalcy.  She did not.  My admiration grew the more I read, and to be honest, I slowed down the closer I got to the final pages.  How would she bring this all together and put a neat punctuation mark on it all, I wondered.  

If you have a friend, old or new, I encourage you to listen.  There are stories waiting to be told. There are vibrant storytellers all around.  If you have read one WWII book this year, please read another. Read Stella's story...and then seek out your own Stella.