Title: The Devil’s Arithmetic
Author: Jane Yolen
First published October 1, 1988
170 pages, Paperback
ISBN: 9780142401095 (ISBN10: 0142401099)
Rating: 4.02
Overview
Rachel is getting ready for her Bat Mitzvah when she suddenly finds herself transported to a concentration camp during the Holocaust. As she struggles to survive in this new world, Rachel must confront the horrors of the past and fight to make sure they are never forgotten.
Will she be able to find a way back home, or will she be forever trapped in a nightmare world? The Devil’s Arithmetic is a powerful story of one young girl’s journey through time and space, and her struggle to find the courage to confront evil and stand up for what is right.
About the Author
Meet Jane Yolen, a multi-talented author who has penned over 300 books in various genres including novels, poetry, fantasy, journalism, songs, and children’s literature. Her impressive list of achievements includes winning the prestigious Caldecott Medal, two Nebula Awards, the World Fantasy Award, three Mythopoeic Awards, the Kerlan Award, two Christopher Awards, and receiving six honorary doctorate degrees from esteemed colleges and universities in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
Originally from New York City, Yolen is a proud mother of three and grandmother of six, and splits her time between Massachusetts and St. Andrews, Scotland.
Editoral Review
Jane Yolen’s The Devil’s Arithmetic is a powerful piece of historical fiction that offers a unique perspective on the Holocaust. Yolen is a prolific author of children’s and young adult literature, and this book, first published in 1988, is considered one of her most important works.
The novel is written for older children and young adults, but its themes and lessons are relevant to readers of all ages. The Devil’s Arithmetic is set in 1988, but the story takes place in 1940s Poland, where a young Jewish girl named Hannah is transported back in time and forced to experience life in a concentration camp.
With Yolen’s deft hand at storytelling, we follow Hannah’s journey as she moves from confusion and disbelief to understanding and acceptance. The novel’s central themes of loss, identity, and the importance of memory are woven seamlessly through the narrative, and the historical context adds weight to the story’s emotional impact.
Yolen’s handling of the Holocaust is sensitive and nuanced. She never shies away from the reality of what happened, but she also carefully avoids graphic descriptions of violence or torture.
Instead, she focuses on the psychological impact of the Holocaust, exploring the trauma and grief that survivors carry with them for the rest of their lives. The Devil’s Arithmetic is not a comfortable read, but it is an essential one.
One of the strengths of Yolen’s writing is her ability to create complex, fully realized characters. Hannah is a vibrant and relatable protagonist, and her reactions to the horrors around her feel genuine and authentic.
The supporting characters, including Hannah’s family and fellow prisoners, are also well-drawn and memorable. Yolen takes care to humanize everyone in her story, even the villains, which adds to the book’s realism and emotional resonance.
The pacing of the novel is brisk, with short chapters that keep the story moving forward. Yolen’s prose is generally straightforward and unadorned, but there are moments of poetic beauty that stand out.
The setting, both in Poland and the concentration camp, is vividly described, and Yolen’s attention to historical and cultural detail is impressive. If there is a weakness to The Devil’s Arithmetic, it is that the time-travel element of the plot is not fully explained.
This may not bother readers who are willing to accept the magical realism of the story, but some may find it frustrating or confusing. Additionally, the novel’s intended audience may find some of the more mature themes and content challenging to navigate.
Despite these minor quibbles, The Devil’s Arithmetic is a masterful work of historical fiction that deserves to be read and discussed widely. Jane Yolen has crafted a novel that speaks to the heart of the human experience, exploring themes of identity, memory, loss, and survival in a way that is both poignant and powerful.
This is a book that will stay with readers long after they’ve turned the final page. Rating: 4.5/5 stars
