Nightfather

by Friedman, Carl. (Persea, 1991 ISBN 0-89255-210-7) Novel. 134 pages. Grades 5+.
This book was reviewed by Carol Otis Hurst in Teaching K-8 Magazine.

Review

This is a hauntingly graphic book about the Holocaust. A camp survivor is the central character in the book. Now a husband and father of three children he is, to the outside world, a conventional and productive member of society. To his family, however, he presents confusing images: loving father and husband, victim of nightmares and conduit to stories of horror. Everything in their lives seems to remind their father of another scene from the camp. The symbol/reality/memory relationship should be clear to most readers and the book is useful for a discussion of symbolism in literature. It's also a must for inclusion in any study of the Holocaust.