Psalms [Paperback]

What a remarkable book. "Psalms" is one of those rare works just waiting for that special astute publisher who will read it and recognize that the gem that lies in these pages has the makings of a truly major work.

As the book's content already has been outlined at length in the "Stirring Memoir" review of July 15, on Amazon, it won't be repeated in detail here. Let it just be known that, in thinking back to his days as a youngster hiding in Belgium from the Nazis, Hirsch Grunstein has produced an unusually insightful, sensitive, passionate and, at times, wickedly funny memoir. This ambitious undertaking is, at the same time, a thriller, a history, a you've-never-read-anything-quite-like-it-before spiritual narrative, and a comedy. Where else, for instance, have we ever seen God berated because, "God has no sense of humor"?

What other words to describe this unique work: Gripping. Moving. Grim. Funny. And, above all, an extraordinarily acute recall of details from seventy years in the author's past. Grunstein remembers, for instance, the tension preceding the nine o'clock curfew for Jews and how "people would hurry to the safety of their homes, as if chased by invisible pursuers." And, more specifically, how one day a four-year-old-girl he knew spotted a flight of birds speeding across the sky as she and her mother were hurrying home minutes before the curfew. "Look, Mommy," she exclaimed, pointing up. "Jewish birds. They are hurrying back to their nests."

To keep his mind occupied while in hiding, Grunstein allowed his imagination to soar - like, for instance, imagining at length how he was "the only Jew left after the war, the silent witness to a vanished Jewish existence." His plan? To start "a big spanking-new Jewish nation. In Africa. Europe has no soul; we gave them the Ten Commandments and they trampled them underfoot." But that's not his only reason for choosing Africa. "The women are so lively and beautiful," the young man thought. He is especially smitten with The Queen of Sheba.

The construction of the book is seamless and Grunstein's writing style is fluid. Especially noteworthy is the author's use of a short simple sentence as the concluding line of this or that episode. Often acerbic, often quite powerful, always artful. What the book lacks in professional editorial polish in a few spots -- this easily remedied -- is more than made up for by the authenticity of the author's voice.

Among the book's unexpected virtues, the reader -- at least this reader -- learns a good bit about the role of the Belgians in World War II. Not generally known by most Americans, reading these portions had an effect on my own attitude concerning them.

The author clearly is a learned man of extraordinary intelligence and compassion and wit and skill. My life is the richer for having read this book. "Psalms"--what a find.

Hallelujah.

Hirsch Grunstein's memoir spans the years of the German occupation of Belgium during World War II. The first quarter of the book details life in Antwerp under the Nazi race laws that were directed against the Jews; the main body of the book, however, describes the nearly two years that the author, who was a teenager at the time, spent in hiding in order to escape deportation to the death camps.

Psalms chronicles the author's relationship with the heroic family that hid him, his eventual capture by the Flemish SS, and the dramatic operation by the Belgian resistance that saves him and hundreds of other children from certain death. What truly distinguishes this memoir, however, is the author's ability to illuminate the "internal landscape" of hiding. His searing examination and portrayal of this landscape--of the desperation wrought by enforced isolation, and the ways that a teenager contends with it--makes Psalms a moving, as well as wrenching, read.

Mr. Grunstein's story is not solely for Jewish readers. Psalms ultimately is about the triumph of the human spirit during times of darkest evil, a theme that has truly universal resonance. The very embodiment of this motif can be found in the rescuers--courageous and morally unswerving--who risk their own lives to hide the author and his family. In many ways, Psalms is an homage to these brave Belgians. While as non-Jews they could have "sat out" the occupation, Mr. Grunstein's memoir makes clear, (in touching but unsentimental prose) that for those who stepped forward to save him and his family, there was never such a choice.

My one criticism of Psalms is that Mr. Grunstein, perhaps hoping to provide context for what at heart is a deeply personal and gripping story, sometimes gets sidetracked into an expository/historical vein. While some may appreciate this, (especially where it is well-integrated into the narrative), I found that it wasn't always necessary.

What is most important to me as a reader is that an author is able to establish a flow, a rhythm, a cadence with his writing. At this, with the exception of what's noted above, Mr. Grunstein succeeds admirably. He is more than someone who has a story to tell. He is a fine writer, and often his prose takes off to stirringly lyrical heights. At first, random passages, then full pages, and ultimately entire chapters unfold with a beauty and thoughtfulness that can be seen as inspired.

Psalms is an important contribution both to the body of memoir writing and Holocaust literature. At times when reading it, you may feel as if you too are in the attic, alone and in silence, as Mr. Grunstein was for months on end during his time in hiding. It's not a comfortable feeling, and it's a credit to Mr. Grunstein as a writer that he is able to evoke it. Ultimately, however, as noted earlier, this is a story about the triumph of the human spirit, and how people persevere in the face of the most harrowing circumstances. My sense is that if this book gets the notice it deserves, it will land on the radar of a major publisher. My recommendation: buy this book, read it, and know what it is like to discover a writer, who has brought forth an inspiring and beautiful work, before he himself has been discovered. Rating: 4  stars, rounded up.

I finished the book in 2 days. Being born in Antwerp after WW II, I much appreciated the details of pre-war jewish life in the city. as well as the vivid and saddening description of gradual restrictions during the war , and heroic behavior of part of the flemish population. The Tachkemoni school, Quinten Matsijslei and Keyzerlei came to life again , in the light of a troubled war time .
I thought the digressions around the reading of the Psalms a bit longwinded but it didn't take away from the power and optimism this book imparts.A must read !

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