Jonathan Safran Foer is one of those authors that I've always intended to read, but never did because something else came along. Thanks to the clearance bin at Chapters, I found this novel in hardcover form for $5! I advocate buying books instead of stealing them, but I won't turn down a deal like this!
When I started this book I had just finished his wife Nicole Krauss's book, The History of Love, the night before. From reading this one can tell that they share a world view. The novel takes place through the gaze of a child (just as it did in The History of Love) - Oskar.
Oskar is trying to make sense of his life after having lost his father in the September 11th attacks on New York's World Trade Center. The story begins a year after the "worst day" - Oskar, entering his father's closet for the first time since his death, discovers a blue vase and accidently breaks it. At the bottom of the vase is an envelope with a key. The envelope says "Black" on it and this prompts Oskar to search the five burrows of New York City to meet everyone with the "Black" surname to see if he can find the lock that fits the key.
There is a sub-story as well, involving Oskar's parternal grandparents. Having survived the allied bombing of Dresden, Germany - they meet in New York and marry. Oskar's grandfather, having lost his voice (and his true love, Annie) because of the bombings, writes everything on pages of notebooks he keeps all over the house. His painful memories become too much and he leaves Oskar's grandmother before their son (Oskar's father) is even born.
He returns after he learns the son he never knew has died in the 9/11 attacks.
This book reminded me of the human side of war - the horrible results. How do you bury someone when there's nothing to bury?
