The Last Checkmate (Gabriella Saab) - ★★★★★

 

It's been - what, nine months? - since I've posted. Honestly, those nine months feel like a lifetime. I've had little time to spare, not getting enough sleep, and going through a lot with my mental health, so I haven't really had much of a chance to work on this blog. The writing style and content of this post isn't what like I used to, but I hope you like it.

    I've been excited about this book for a while. It isn't the first book I've read about the Holocaust, and I doubt it will be the last. I loved how much historical research Saab did, and how she did her best to remain authentically the experiences of the Polish resistance and the Nazi concentration camps, down to finest, most intricate details. 

    The split timeline is really well done. Saab keeps the reader on their toes by slowly revealing Maria's mysteries, memories, and experiences. This stylistic choice truly fits the plot and sets the tone of the whole novel. The glimpses of the chess game between Maria and Fritzsch at the beginning and near-end, as well as several sprinkled throughout, is very well done and helps connect the different timelines into a whole, cohesive story.

    Though Saab's stylistic choices add much to this book and are a clear showcase of literary mastery, they aren't what makes this book a favorite of mine. It's her exploration of hope, survival, and loss - of resistance in a place where resistance seems futile - that propel it from just a "good book" to a truly great one.

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