Description: Translation of: Baltische ziele: lotgevallen in Estland, Letland en Litouwen
Brief description:
Jan Brokken is a writer of fiction, travel, and literary nonfiction. He gained international fame with The Rainbird, The Blind Passengers, My Little Madness, In the House of the Poet, The Reprisal, The Cossack Garden, and Baltic Souls, and his books have been translated into twenty languages. Brokken has won numerous prizes for his work, including the Golden Quill 2023 (a prize for his significant contribution to Dutch writing and culture) and the Bruce Chatwin Lifetime Achievement Award 2023 for his entire oeuvre. Four of his books have been made into movies; two are in production.
Review Quotes:
"A closely observed study of a region often overlooked, but of critical importance in world history ... A learned, literate travelog about a cultural cornucopia."
--Kirkus Reviews
"Baltic Souls is made up of fifteen stories of repression and liberation, each following a life or set of lives begun, or played out, in these south-eastern countries of the Baltic Sea ... Jan Brokken is a very good storyteller. He has an eye for detail, and his adventures and probings hold the reader's attention"
--Evelyn Juers, Sydney Review of Books
Praise for The Just:
"If I had known Jan Zwartendijk's story before, I would have had filmed that."
--Steven Spielberg
"He [Zwartendijk] filled desperate lives with hope during a period of great darkness, and his actions will remain a beacon of decency and righteousness for generations to come."
--Bill Clinton
"The Just documents a rescue operation to save Jews from the Holocaust in Nazi-occupied Lithuania ... Deep dives into archives, and documented encounters with people who were involved in the operation, contribute to a strong narrative about ordinary people performing extraordinary deeds at great risk to their personal safety. The lives of some of the people who were saved are chronicled, as are the struggles of Zwartendijk's family and friends to have him officially recognized for his work on behalf of Jewish people, an experience of which he was robbed during his own lifetime. In telling the life story of Jan Zwartendijk, The Just adds one more piece to the memory of the Holocaust."
--Foreword Reviews, starred review
"Stories of extraordinary acts of bravery and heroism continue to come out of WWII, and Dutch author Brokken's recently translated work is no exception. His extensive research and interviews form the story of Jan Zwartendijk ... Along with the Japanese consul in Lithuania, Chiune Sugihara, they were able to save as many as 10,000 Jewish families (possibly more). They could have both been seriously punished or killed if their superiors or the invading Russians or, later, Nazis discovered their deeds ... Weaving their stories, along with those of Jewish families rescued through the use of these visas, is remarkable for both the storytelling and the depth of research the author has undertaken to bring it to a wider audience."
--Lucy Röhrig, Booklist