Garden, Ashes

Garden, Ashes is the remarkable account of Andi Scham's childhood during World War II, as his Jewish family traverses Eastern Europe to escape persecution. As the family moves from house to house, the novel focuses on Andi's relationship with his father. He recounts the endless hours his father poured into the creation of the all-inclusive third edition of Bus, Ship, Rial, and Air Travel Guide, the bizarre sermons he delivered to his befuddled family, and his eventual disappearance and assumed death at Auschwitz. Rather than dwelling on the apocalyptic events fueling this family's story. Kiš focuses on specific details of his life during this period, constructing a personal account of a future artist growing up under the shadow of the Nazis in a world capable of containing a person as unique as his father.