Chris Bohjalian is the author of 11 previous novels, and in
every effort he has tackled serious ethical, moral and social
issues that challenge his characters in different ways. Two of his
prior works --- PAST THE BLEACHERS and MIDWIVES --- were turned
into successful made-for-TV movies. His latest, SKELETONS AT THE
FEAST, was inspired in part by an actual diary a friend asked
Bohjalian to read in 1998; it had been kept by his friend’s
East Prussian grandmother from 1920 to 1945.

Taking place during the final six months of World War II, SKELETONS
AT THE FEAST follows the evacuation of the Emmerich family from
their estate in East Prussia to points west of Berlin, Germany.
These aristocrats must make the tough decision of abandoning an
estate their family has owned for generations in an effort to stay
well ahead of the fast-approaching Soviet army. Tales of atrocities
to which the Soviet army has subjected their prisoners are enough
to force the Emmerichs to act quickly and begin their hasty retreat
west.

Rolf Emmerich, the father of this clan, is called into battle by
the German army along with his two eldest sons, and they are not
able to accompany the rest of their family on their harrowing trek.
This leaves his wife, “Mutti” (as she is called by her
loved ones), and her children, Anna and Theo, to travel on their
own, following others from their area who are also embarking on a
journey west. Joining the Emmerichs is Callum Finella, a
20-year-old Scottish POW who had been captured hours before the
Normandy invasion and forced into labor on the Emmerichs’
estate. Complicating matters is the fact that Callum must hide
beneath sacks of grain on the Emmerichs’ wagon so as to not
be seen by German forces they may encounter in the area.
Additionally, Callum and 18-year-old Anna have secretly fallen in
love.

Shortly into their trek, the group meets “Manfred,” a
26-year-old German officer. Unbeknownst to the Emmerichs and
Callum, “Manfred” is actually Uri Singer, a Jew who
managed to escape from a transport train heading to Auschwitz,
abandoning his family in the process. During his time in disguise,
Uri has continually sabotaged the Nazi war effort wherever he can
and found himself driven to murderous heights that only such
traumatic and life-preserving situations could call for. His hope
is also to head west and be taken in by the Allied forces of the
British and American armies that are entering Germany from the
west.

The riveting journey the group takes leads them through ravaged
countryside, where they confront the horrors of a dying world while
trying to find reasons to believe in the fundamental goodness of
people. For the Emmerich family, it is an eye-opening trip as they
come to the full realization of the horrors and atrocities to which
their own people have subjected millions of innocent Jews --- a
realization that changes them forever. To make matters worse, they
are traveling during the winter months of 1945 and must battle the
cruel elements as well as the uncertainty of what may happen should
they encounter either the Soviets or their own German army (who
they now must avoid because of both Callum and Uri).

The novel takes the reader through all of this, as well as
depicting the face of war via the experiences of these personal
encounters with fear and loss. It jumps between different narrators
and also includes the story of a small group of Jewish women who
are trying to survive in a Nazi concentration camp that is being
evacuated. The lives of all the central characters eventually cross
during an unforgettable finale.

Bohjalian handles the context of this story effortlessly and has
created characters so engaging that any reader will find themselves
connecting with these very real people. I particularly enjoyed the
fact that he chose to tell it from a point of view rarely seen in
WWII tales --- that of the families within Nazi territory. While
the Soviet army may very well have been responsible for some war
crimes of their own, the Emmerich family sees through the eyes of
Callum and Uri that this was nothing in comparison to what their
own army was responsible for.

The novel takes its title from a remark made by the
Emmerichs’ Uncle Karl, who finds himself unwilling to vacate
his home during this mass exodus. Uncle Karl states: “These
days, you and I --- our families, our world --- are nothing more
than skeletons at the feast anyway.” This simple statement of
helplessness in the face of things beyond one’s control is a
poignant symbol of the sentiment felt by many of the survivors of
WWII.

Some have compared SKELETONS AT THE FEAST to THE ENGLISH PATIENT.
While there is definitely the element of romance here, the
unflinching depiction of sexual degradation and murderous war
escapades far exceeds the romantic ideals of stories like THE
ENGLISH PATIENT. It is for this reason that I hail
Bohjalian’s new novel and its fearless account of one of the
greatest tragedies of the 20th century.