Long Summer Nights

Holocaust survivor Appelfeld's (The Man Who Never Stopped Sleeping, 2017, etc.) posthumous middle-grade novel. When Jewish Michael is still a boy, his father sends him to assume a gentile identity as Yanek and live on the road under the guidance of Grandpa Sergei, a Ukrainian former employee and soldier. Their relationship is mutually beneficial: Grandpa Sergei is blind and appreciates assistance in navigating the countryside while Yanek needs help surviving as a wanderer. Grandpa Sergei has one goal: to deliver his charge safely home after World War II is over. Along the way, he shares his insights with Yanek, training him to fight for justice. Appelfeld's prose, translated from Hebrew, is spare, slow, and matter-of-fact. Focusing on the wisdom of Grandpa Sergei, who at one time wanted to be a priest, the narrative is heavily religious, and lessons are presented with little subtlety. Ableist language, while perhaps historically accurate, is used throughout, and there is a particularly surprising scene in which Grandpa Sergei casually endorses statutory rape. Contemporary readers who are unaware of the historical context and changing gender norms may struggle to make sense of the repeated message that crying denotes weakness. Characters default to white. While some will find the story profoundly moving, overall this is a ponderous and outmoded narrative for a niche audience. (Historical fiction. 10-14)

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September 2, 2019
In his posthumously published second novel for young readers, Holocaust survivor and award-winning author Appelfeld (Adam & Thomas) tells the WWII story of an 11-year-old Jewish boy, Michael, whose father entrusts him to Grandpa Sergei, a Ukrainian former army master sergeant, who worked in the family lumber business before becoming blind. After changing Michael’s name to Yanek and putting a cross around his neck to “make the camouflage complete,” Grandpa Sergei introduces Yanek to a wanderer’s life, saying, “True wanderers want to purify themselves, to draw near to God, and thereby to help those in need.” Together, they walk from village to village, eating by campfire, sleeping outside, and begging near churches on Sundays. During their travels, Grandpa Sergei asks Yanek to read aloud the Psalms and trains him to be a fit soldier, because a “sound body will protect you and your soul.” Their whimsical conversations strike variations on themes—trusting God, contemplating the soul—while Mintzi’s spare, black-and-white drawings convey both melancholy and wonder. While some readers may find the narrative dull and disjointed, others will appreciate this poignant tale of loss and survival. Ages 10–14.