Gratitude

I transported to World War II for awhile and just could not put the book down. It was compelling to see what Lili, or Paul were up to next.

Vanda Orsini

Set during the Second World War, Gratitude, a new novel by Joseph Kertes, Dean of Creative and Performing Arts at Humber's Lakeshore campus, spins a tale of a Hungarian-Jewish family and the people they meet along the way.
The opening scene follows the actions of Lili Bandel, a 16-year-old who was presented her mother's bridal dress in the early morning, before German militia arrives and has her hiding behind a wardrobe in her parents' bedroom. Her birthday cake burns in the oven as Lili is left to wonder about the fate of her family. From her optimistic journey searching for her missing family, Lili ventures from Tolgy into Budapest where she is found by the Beck family.
Through cuts and flashbacks, members of the Hungarian-Jewish Beck family are connected, loved, separated and lost, as a waging period of darkness leaves many unsettled.
Each character manages to ensnare you to follow their path. Lili with her charm and wit; her saviour Dr. Robert Beck, his wife Klari and son Simon; Istvan Beck, and Paul Beck tell their own tale of life, love and misfortune, their courage, anguish and laughter.
What appears at first glance to be shallow, philosophical-thinking characters, draw you into their passions and human flaws; and the reader follows as they rapidly grow, adapting to losses and pain.
Four previous written works have been met with acclaim: his first novel, Winter Tulips, won the Stephen Leacock Award for Humour. His second novel and two children's books were received with praise.
In his fifth novel, Kertes writes about the ability of mankind's darkest moment, and with the same hand wields an unending contrast of surprising humanitarian aid. World War II is wrought with death and torture, but through it comes joy and happiness.
Gratitude is a novel that explores the intricate balance of the human psyche and its emotional and physical desperations. It blends itself into a torn family portrait, where a group of people are tossed together and learn to live in a broken European empire.