Overview

A monumental journey through Baltic history and culture, in which we encounter well-known personalities and forgotten ones, and a disconcerting picture of Europe in the twentieth century. From 1999 to 2010, Jan Brokken explored life stories in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. The result was his masterly Baltic Souls, available here for the first time in English. Brokken uncovered the stories of famous artists and writers such as Mark Rothko, Sergei Eisenstein, Hannah Arendt, and Jacques Lipchitz, who were all born in the regions bordering the Baltic Sea before leaving to build their work abroad, spreading a bit of the Baltic soul across Europe and America. Less well known were the stories of people such as the Rozes and their family bookstore in Riga, or the von Wrangels, the ultimate descendants of the Baltic barons. Or the story of the titanic struggle that violist Gidon Kremer fought with his father in Riga, who was burdened by the death of thirty-five family members in concentration camps. Or the story of Loreta Asanaviciute, who was run over by a Russian tank in 1991. It is this melancholy imbued with fatalism, this vitality forged by the upheavals of history, this appetite for reading, music, and art, that enriches the portraits painted by Jan Brokken. Conducted in the style of a travel diary where chance encounters and biographical sketches mingle, Baltic Souls makes us feel the cruelty and violence of an era, but also the tenderness and solidarity of an entire people, united across borders. 'A closely observed study of a region often overlooked, but of critical importance in world history ... A learned, literate travelogue about a cultural cornucopia.' -Kirkus Reviews 'A gem in its genre. Superbly written.' -Le Figaro 'An absolute highlight of European literature. Bloody beautiful.' -La Repubblica

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9781922585837

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Reviews

"Praise for The Just: ""If I had known Jan Zwartendijk's story before, I would have had filmed that."" --Steven Spielberg ""He [Zwartendijk] filled desperate lives with hope during a period of great darkness, and his actions will remain a beacon of decency and righteousness for generations to come."" --Bill Clinton ""The Just documents a rescue operation to save Jews from the Holocaust in Nazi-occupied Lithuania... Deep dives into archives, and documented encounters with people who were involved in the operation, contribute to a strong narrative about ordinary people performing extraordinary deeds at great risk to their personal safety. The lives of some of the people who were saved are chronicled, as are the struggles of Zwartendijk's family and friends to have him officially recognized for his work on behalf of Jewish people, an experience of which he was robbed during his own lifetime. In telling the life story of Jan Zwartendijk, The Just adds one more piece to the memory of the Holocaust."" --Foreword Reviews, starred review ""Stories of extraordinary acts of bravery and heroism continue to come out of WWII, and Dutch author Brokken's recently translated work is no exception. His extensive research and interviews form the story of Jan Zwartendijk... Along with the Japanese consul in Lithuania, Chiune Sugihara, they were able to save as many as 10,000 Jewish families (possibly more). They could have both been seriously punished or killed if their superiors or the invading Russians or, later, Nazis discovered their deeds ... Weaving their stories, along with those of Jewish families rescued through the use of these visas, is remarkable for both the storytelling and the depth of research the author has undertaken to bring it to a wider audience."" --Lucy R�hrig, Booklist"

Praise for The Just: ‘If I had known Jan Zwartendijk’s story before, I would have had filmed that.’ -- Steven Spielberg Praise for The Just: ‘He [Zwartendijk] filled desperate lives with hope during a period of great darkness, and his actions will remain a beacon of decency and righteousness for generations to come.’ -- Bill Clinton Praise for The Just: ‘The Just documents a rescue operation to save Jews from the Holocaust in Nazi-occupied Lithuania … Deep dives into archives, and documented encounters with people who were involved in the operation, contribute to a strong narrative about ordinary people performing extraordinary deeds at great risk to their personal safety. The lives of some of the people who were saved are chronicled, as are the struggles of Zwartendijk’s family and friends to have him officially recognised for his work on behalf of Jewish people, an experience of which he was robbed during his own lifetime. In telling the life story of Jan Zwartendijk, The Just adds one more piece to the memory of the Holocaust.’ -- <em>Foreword Reviews</em>, starred review

Author Information

Jan Brokken (Author) Jan Brokken is a writer of fiction, travel, and literary nonfiction. He gained international fame with The Rainbird, The Blind Passengers, My Little Madness, Baltic Souls, In the House of the Poet, The Reprisal, and The Cossack Garden, and his books have been translated into ten languages. The Just is his latest book. David Doherty (Translator) David Doherty studied English and literary linguistics in Glasgow before moving to Amsterdam, where he has been working as a translator for over twenty years. His literary work includes novels by award-winning authors Marente de Moor, Peter Terrin, and Alfred Birney. Summer Brother, his translation of Jaap Robben's Zomervacht, won the 2021 Vondel Translation Prize and was longlisted for the 2021 International Booker Prize.

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