The Flight

by Bryan Malessa

A powerful novel set at the end of World War II about one woman and her family's struggle for survival. The thrust of this epic novel occurs in the spring of 1945, during an event known in Germany as Die Flucht, or The Flight, when some 12 million Eastern European ethnic-Germans fled their ancestral homes to escape the advancing Soviet Army. ‘The Flight’ tells the story of Ida, a mother who attempts to take her children from their village in East Prussia to the assumed safety of Berlin. Travelling by foot, boat and rail across enemy lines, she quickly discovers that their survival is dependent on her will to save them, and on overriding the silent tragedies they will face during the journey west. Ida's is a terrifying passage, soaked with a bleak sadness, but her quiet bravery and sorrowful resilience in the face of the depravity of war is captivating. Told with clarity and beauty, in a remarkably understated way, ‘The Flight’ is a captivating novel of authenticity and power, which opens up a chapter of World War II long overlooked.

Genres: War

320 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2007

Reviews

[Pattie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh My Goodness! What a brutal story! Left me a little shaken, I have to admit.

[Snoops · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book started as a 2 star. The writing was choppy and hard to follow. But as it progressed it got much better and I ended up loving the story, as heartbreaking as it was.

[S.P. Moss · Rating 3 out of 5]

My interest in this novel stems from the fact that my mother-in-law fled from East Prussia in 1945 as a young teenager, together with her mother. They left everything behind except the clothes they stood up in (and a tablecloth, which is another story) - not just possessions, but their ancestral home and entire way of life.

The story concerns a mother and children from the Samland peninsula who flee from the approaching Russian army in early 1945, via Berlin to Thuringia. The style of the novel took a bit of getting used to. It reminded me of a docudrama film, where history is interspersed with individual fictive stories and characters. There is plenty of history to be had in the novel - sometimes from the narrator, sometimes from the characters (the grandfather, the village coffin-maker, memories of an old schoolmaster ...). In addition, the book has plenty of facts about the region along with numerous place-names.

Because of this, the human story comes a bit short. I didn’t get to know many of the characters in any depth, apart from the mother (Ida) and her oldest child Karl. I felt rather detached from what was happening to them. It was only towards the end of the story that I felt more involved with Ida, and was moved by her stoicism in the face of the violence and horror of war and its aftermath.

Reading the author’s acknowledgements, I assume that the novel must be based on the story of the author’s father, who was born in 1933. I wondered whether it would have made a better biography than fiction. On the plus side, I did learn plenty about the history and geography of East Prussia. And of course, the theme of the brutality of war and entire homelands vanishing could not be more topical at the moment, sadly.

[Kathleen Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Flight - view from a 70 yr old

I liked that Bryan Malessa used the “flight” of a mother and her two youngest children and a young nephew to portray many aspects of a ground war, with all its ramifications, as well as how lived was lived n rural areas, during the times before Hitler’s war. The author also used the woman’s older son to portray interactions for his age with his community of elders, including local Jews, with his friends and how some interactions and policies were for those on Hitler Youth Groups.
There is, consequently, explored topics of murder, rape, etc, so I would not recommend this for young people. I think the older teenager would be OK, since soon they will be adults.
Kate S.

[Christie Parkin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good book. Interesting to read about the war from a non Jewish perspective.

[Judi Mckay]

I learned a lot about this part of history but the book didn’t grab me.

[Caitlyn Wittman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, the short chapters made for an easy read.

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy reading WW1/2 stories and this is the first I have read from a non-English/Ally perspective and I wasn't let down in the slightest.

I found the entire tale interesting, the short chapters were just enticing me to read more and more every time until it became one of those books you just couldn't put down.

[Juliana Jura · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had the potential to be an epic given the plot. However, it lacked emotion and was devoid of detail. Disappointing!

[Charissa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Another “thank God that’s over”…
No emotion, so dry, so BORING…