From Publishers Weekly
Heinrich Hoffer is the acting director of the Kaiser Wilhelm Museum in a small Westphalian town at the close of WWII. Most of the artwork from the building has been removed to a salt mine by Nazi officials, but Heinrich, sensitive to their corruption, holds back one Van Gogh and hides it in the museum's subterranean vaults. As the U.S. air assault builds, Heinrich, abandoning his family, takes shelter with his staff in the vaults and ruminates on his efforts to keep the painting from a particular SS thug. Two days later, Cpl. Neal Parry arrives with the American vanguard and immediately begins searching for plunder, mostly alcohol and women. A commercial artist, Neal discovers the Van Gogh in the vault and sees the painting as his opportunity to return home and set himself up as a genuine artist. Heinrich and Neal's stories unfold in alternating chapters. In spite of considerable repetition and some tedious overworking of Western philosophy, Thorpe (
Nineteen Twenty-One) delivers a story rich in the details of European art history and German culture, and the twin protagonists emerge as memorable personalities, unified by a shared sensibility.
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Thorpe grapples with some heady universal themes as he expertly interweaves dual narratives, offering varying perspectives on love, war, and art. In the waning days of World War II, a small German town is besieged by invading Americans. During the incessant shelling, Heinrich Hoffer, acting director of the local art museum, seeks shelter in the museum cellar along with three of his colleagues. After the beautiful old building suffers a direct hit, Corporal Neal Parry, a commercial artist in his prewar life, uncovers a miraculously undamaged masterpiece in the ruins. As Herr Hoffer reexamines his commitment to his country, his family, and the philosophical ideals of art, Parry struggles with similar inner demons as he tries to decide what to do with the painting. Told in alternating voices, this melancholy tribute to the ultimate triumph of art over tragedy resonates with empathy for the human spirit in the face of war.
Michele LeberCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
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