Official Review: He Does Not Die A Death of Shame

[[Danielle]]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "He Does Not Die A Death of Shame" by Jack Hoffmann.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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He Does Not Die a Death of Shame by Jack Hoffmann is a historical fiction novel that somehow managed to cover both the Holocaust in Europe and the dismantling of Apartheid in South Africa. The story begins in the early 1900’s with Dan in Lithuania. I found myself mesmerized as small events signaled the beginning of the Holocaust and Dan goes off to medical school in France, as the universities in Lithuania do not accept Jewish students. Eventually Dan’s family can no longer afford the cost of medical school due to rising anti-Semitism and encourage Dan to move to South Africa, where his brother has already relocated. Dan does so and receives updates on the horrors of Hitler’s growing reign through letters from his family, until the letters stop coming altogether.

Dan slowly develops marketable skills and travels on a motorbike finding work around South Africa, where he begins to notice the discrepancies in how the natives are treated in comparison to the whites. During his travels, he meets his wife Deborah and they later have a son, Zacharia. A native woman named Zanele becomes Zacharia’s primary caretaker. The story begins to focus on Zacharia as he begins to struggle with his feelings about Apartheid and the treatment of natives. Before the story jumps to Zacharia as an adult, we meet Zanele’s son, Mpande.

The remainder of the story alternates between Zacharia’s journey through medical school and Mpande’s induction into the anti-Apartheid group ANC. Zacharia continues to struggle with his moral views on Apartheid and the treatment of natives, giving the readers an intriguing character arc to follow. Mpande’s storyline allows for a fascinating glimpse into the resistance leading up to the dismantling of Apartheid from the side of the oppressed. I enjoyed the vastly different characters in the story that told such captivating and diverse elements of the same time in history. I felt as though I was reading the world’s most engaging documentary.

It is not often that you find a book that tells the story of two such major times and places in history in such a coherent manner. I always thought of the Holocaust and Apartheid as two completely separate events and times in history and never would have thought to weave them together in a novel. However, the author did just that in a way that connected the various times, places, and people flawlessly. It is such a complex and detailed read that I feel as though I may need to go back and read it again to find all of the details I might have missed the first time. While characters take different paths in the story, the author does a terrific job of having them connect again and again in unexpected ways.

I am giving this book a 4 out of 4 stars. There were very few grammatical issues and the storyline moved quickly and effortlessly between characters, locations, and time periods. While the story tackles various political and religious issues, I believe that people from many backgrounds would enjoy this story. Swearing and graphic scenes are limited but I would only recommend this novel for adults as there are complex themes covered that younger readers may not be able to fully understand.

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He Does Not Die A Death of Shame
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[Topsey]

This sounds really interesting. I’ll add it to my to be read list. Thanks for the interesting review.

[Harty Muli]

I always thought of the Holocaust and apartheid as some of the biggest tragedies to have ever inflicted man as a result of actions of a fellow man. I like that the novel highlights all these. Nice review.

[Chinelookeke]

I am am not a lover of history books but with such an interesting review I would say the book is a good one to read and learn some thing's from as well.

[AvidBibliophile]

This one sounds engaging indeed! What a unique blend the author must bring to the page, especially with his ability to place focus on both the Holocaust in Europe and the dismantling of Apartheid in South Africa. Thanks for your lovely and insightful review!

[Usma Khann]

A book highlighting the Holocaust and Apartheid in the same platform does make this novel stand out in a crowd. Thank you for the engaging review.

[LinaJan]

The first thing that brought me here was the cover and the title. Whilst the whole story sounds more than worthy of my time, the one element that had me rushing to add this to my shelf was that his story had started in Lithuania, which is where I am from. I always said that I wish to read the history of my country from a different point of view from that which our school curriculum is based on and this is my chance!

Thank you for such an informative and beautifully written review

[Adrianna Melillo]

"It is not often that you find a book that tells the story of two such major times and places in history in such a coherent manner. I always thought of the Holocaust and Apartheid as two completely separate events and times in history and never would have thought to weave them together in a novel. However, the author did just that in a way that connected the various times, places, and people flawlessly."

I absolutely love this concept and cannot wait start reading this! In fact, I think I'm bumping this to the very top of my "to read" list. Thank you for a wonderful, compelling review!