An Ad in the Paper and Demons from the Past by Tali Nattiv-Ironi is no less than a psychological thriller. I like these kinds of books that keep your mind juggling all the time you are turning pages engrossingly. The story revolves around Illana who is a young history teacher in Israel. There is a small ad in a local newspaper that requires volunteers to write the real stories of victims of Holocaust. This was a normal advertisement in a newspaper like any other ad in a daily. But destiny had something else in store for Illana. Firstly, she decides to send a response to this ad. Secondly, the advertiser shortlists her for the job. And thirdly, it becomes the biggest turning point in her life. It was as if the whole set of sequences was a pre-plan against her. But strange thing is that she volunteers herself.
While performing her new job Illana gradually starts mixing her identity with that of the victims of the Holocaust. She starts, in fact, drifting away from her own real self. Rather, she starts living in the world of those who were longing for the life that they left behind years ago. And she becomes one of them craving for their happy past as if it was hers. She starts getting nightmares as if she was the real sufferer while in reality that was not the case at all. As a matter of fact, she loses her own entity in entirety. She actually forgets her own reality and becomes obsessive to start living their lives. That is the tragic story of An Ad in the Paper and Demons from the Past by Tali Nattiv-Ironi. In fact, their realities become her reality and her reality takes a backseat.
Tali Nattiv-Ironi creates shocking moments with a magical writing style
A small ad in a newspaper changes Illana’s life and lifestyle completely. The background of the story of An Ad in the Paper and Demons from the Past by Tali Nattiv-Ironi lies in the sirens and gas masks of the Gulf War during the 1990s. In fact, that was the period when a lot of people became a victim and the story didn’t end there. It kept building a deep feeling of fear and angst amongst the second generation of Holocaust survivors. In my opinion, every war is a blow against humanity that leaves nothing except guilt, shame, loss, repent, and suffering.
This book is a must for people who want to witness the real tragic lives of victims of a war no less than a Holocaust. The title of the book is a bit longer but quite relevant. The cover image goes well with the title and story depicting the colors of life vanishing leaving only black and white after a Holocaust.
