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Astonishing DAY FOR NIGHT by FREDERICK REIKEN


Fascinating novel about how different kinds of people are connected.

Narrated as first person narration.

These narrations takes different forms like letters, diaries, briefing by FBI etc...

In this separate stories, different person narrates their stories.

Some of the characters come and join in few other stories in this novel.

All those characters in these multiple plots play a larger role for the novel to come together at the end.

Bustling with characters like the lady doctor Beverly who escaped from Soviet occupied Poland with her parents, Tim guitarist in 20s and his singer lover Dee, her parents aunt Julia, Vet Vicky , Dillon, Dee's brother, Miriam-Beverly's friend , Jennifer- Beverly's daughter to FBI Sachs.

Stories occur in different places like Tampa, Utah ,New Jersey, Israel , topics touched upon from childhood friendship, multiple personalities, mysterious 500 Jewish intellectuals killed by Nazis to FBI wanted fugitive lady ( healer also).


In the first story...YESTERDAY'S DAY
Our narrator Beverly, a doctor, grew up in Poland moved to USA goes to Tampa with his boyfriend and his son.
The went to have fun swimming with sea cows(manatees) which is popular in that destination.
Tim a young man who plays guitar in a music group along with his singer girl friend is their guide at the water front.
End of the story, Beverly and Tim connected well in different circumstance (the portion that talks about Tim and Beverly's trip to see manatees swim at night, moonlight glowing at the water front
to relax the troubled mind of Beverly)... magical, I loved the images.

Now the novel moves to the second story...CLOSE YOU ARE narrated by Tim who goes to Salt Lake city with his singer friend Dee also called Gwendine whose brother Dillon is in Como after a motorcycle accident.

The third story MONSTER narrated by the FBI Sachs who questioned Tim and Dee while they
stayed at their motel when they visited Salt lake city.
Case is regarding a woman traveled , sitting next to their seats in the plane to Salt Lake city.
FBI has been searching for this woman for a long long time.
Only few folks are allowed to visit Dillon. This woman is one of the persons in the list.

The fourth story ALL ALONG THE RUINS is a diary of 4 Beverly's letters narrated by Jennifer, daughter of our doctor Beverly
{Beverly escaped from eastern Poland with her mom and years later, she has been sending out letter enquiring some European agencies for info about her father} and some of her high school stuff and her emotional talk about Story of five hundred Jewish men killed by Nazis.

Novel continues with narrations of a Neuroscientist, childhood friend of Beverly - Miriam, aunt Doris- fled from Poland.

Though I was fascinated by the chapters of FBI fugitive & healer Katherine Clay Goldman and Como reawakening chapter (LITTLE WOLF) (mmm... need to get back to this chapter and concentrate better).

later portions of Jewish/ Israel parts of the novel glued me.

SHADOW told by Miriam is very touching. Miriam-Beverly's childhood days, their closeness, letter exchanges, Beverly's dreams and her letters to Miriam about them, years later their get together, renewed correspondence, talks about stalking shadows dreams and their understanding, Beverly's thoughts on her father(one of the hundred Jewish men), her attempts to find out about his fate are very emotional.
Beautiful trust worthy friendship between them.

WHETHER

the astonishing miraculous tale of Vet Vicky( MANY COLORS)Vicky's move to Dead sea basin, her motorcycle trip to Hai-Bar nature reserve with Dillon(Como boy), Israel, Makhtesh Ramon crater - beautiful writing , their trips around the valley, marine animals, nice conversations, their stay together the awful tragedy that put Dillon in Como and pregnant Vicky's days of desolation.. to return of Dillon from Como awakening - All's Well Ends Well!

OR

profoundly moving...ANCIENT FOREST by Doris, Miriam's aunt, Holocaust survivor recalling the horrible incidents at Auschwitz(Nazi camp), Nazi solders didn't want to kill her at once when she sang a Jewish song, wanted to wait for a satisfying way to kill her.

or

Armon, Israeli soldier's reunion with Beverly and his narration to his unborn child

wow!

I sucked into the Jewish/ Israel parts deeply. HYPNOTIC portions indeed.

(Now I wanna revisit EXODUS to sob my heart out about Jewish persecution and their painful sacrifices for the cause of their people
or O Jerusalem historical struggle for Jerusalem when British left)


DAY FOR NIGHT by FREDERICK REIKEN is an impressive work about how various people are connected.

Loved the writing style with philosophical quotes.

Day for Night.jpg

Glad that sparkling blue waterfront front cover art of this novel caught my attention, when I visited the library.


Vinatha.