Sunday Business Post (Ireland) (Restitution)

A tale of abandonment and love amid the rubble of World War II Restitution tells the tale of Alix, a German aristocrat left stranded as the Soviet Red Army advance upon Germany, eager to drive the final nail into the Nazi coffin. Alix is forced to seek refuge in her former home during a snowstorm, where she is joined by her childhood sweetheart – who winds up deserting her. Stranded, Alix is left on her own in a world full of anger and hate. This is a tale which draws on the stories of the civilians who were displaced during the war, clearly portraying most German civilians as frightened, disillusioned spectators to Hitler’s game of life and death. Eliza Graham is an adroit writer; her prose is succinct yet powerful.

The Actuary (Restitution)

The Actuary April 2009
Recommendation of the month

Restitution
Eliza Graham

Restitution is set mainly in the Second World War and follows Alix, an aristocratic young girl, on a journey of love and betrayal. It has all you would want in a good novel, a gripping narrative and pure escapist plot. It's one of those novels you pick up and can't put down.

Historical Novels Review

Historical Novels Review

February 2009

RESTITUTION
Eliza Graham, Macmillan New Writing, 2008, £14.99/C$24.95, 393pp, 9780230709133

In January 2006 Alix is tracked down by her birth son, Michael. He asks the question she has long dreaded: ‘who is my father?’ The answer is simple and yet so complicated—he was her most feared, most adored enemy. Rewind the clock to 1945, and Alix’s story begins with her flight from the Red onslaught which is brought harrowingly to life. Death and fear stalk the pages and her meeting with old sweetheart, Gregor, is fraught with mistrust and passion. Rewind to 1939, and part-Jewish Gregor has his own story to tell—again confused by betrayal and fear—as he and his mother flee from Nazi aggression and try to find a place to call home. Interspersed between Alix and Gregor’s stories are those of their parents and friends. But for Alix and Gregor, the truth behind their encounter in 1945—and the puzzles it created—will only be understood after the passage of sixty years. At the heart of Restitution is the belief that corruption, hatred and fear cannot destroy love and hope, and that acts of kindness can take place even in the most appalling conditions. It is unusual to read a book written from the German point of view, showing many everyday Germans in a favourable light. It also focuses on the harsh treatment of German women by the Soviet army, a subject that many readers may not be familiar with. For all these reasons it is well worth reading, and I cannot recommend it highly enough. -- Sara Wilson