Inkflower
by
Suzy Zail
I think there is no better day than Global MND Day to post my review of Inkflower
Publication date: 5th July 2023
Genre: Young Adult / Historical Fiction
Pages: 384
RRP: $22.99AU (paperback)
Source: Courtesy of the publisher
My review of Inkflower
Fifteen year old Lisa's father has Motor Neurone Disease and only six
months to live. He gathers the family together to tell them the story
of his childhood. A story of a young boy who fought against all odds
to survive.
Lisa battles with
the idea of this new version of her father; a dying man with a
devastating childhood. His stories bring to life the grandparents,
aunts and uncles she never had the chance to meet.
Inkflower unfolds in
a dual time-line narration. The now, set in the 1980's, is narrated by Lisa as she
navigates school and friendships whilst coming to grips with her
father's illness and also who she is. The then, is narrated by Lisa's
father Emil as he tells his family the harrowing story of a young boy
bullied at school for being Jewish, taken from his home in
Czechoslovakia and the horrors of his years in Auschwitz.
The balance and
parallels between Emil's years of fighting for survival in Auschwitz
and his battle against the debilitating effects of MND were astutely
portrayed.
Inkflower is a
deeply moving story of survival inspired by the true events of the
author and her family.
Suzy Zail has
written an honest and candid story of love, courage, family and
resilience.
There can never be
too many stories detailing the horrors of Auschwitz and they need to
be recorded now because soon there won't be any survivors left.
My rating 5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Publisher's recommended age: 14+
About the author
Suzy Zail has worked as a litigation lawyer, specialising in family law, but now writes full time. Among other titles, she has written The Tattooed Flower, a memoir about her father's time as a child survivor of the holocaust, the story which inspired this novel. Her first novel for young adults, the Wrong Boy, was short listed for the Children's Book Council of Australia Book of the Year Awards, the Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature, the WAYRBA, USBBY and YABBA awards.
You can visit Suzy online at suzyzail.com.au and on Instagram @authorsuzyzail
This review beautifully captures the emotional depth and historical significance of Inkflower. The dual timeline structure, weaving Lisa’s coming-of-age struggles in the 1980s with her father Emil’s harrowing survival story in Auschwitz, sounds incredibly powerful. The parallel between Emil’s fight against MND and his past struggles for survival adds another heartbreaking yet poignant layer. Suzy Zail’s personal connection to the story makes it even more impactful, and I completely agree—stories like this need to be told and remembered. A definite must-read for those who appreciate historical fiction with deep emotional resonance.
ReplyDeleteThank you Khandakar. Inkflower will always be one of my favourite young adult books.
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