The Shawl is the first book I’ve read concerning the Holocaust but it’s everything one would expect it to be. A horrific, poignant, lyrical, and heartbreaking narrative of one woman’s life before, during and after the traumatizing events for the Jewish during WWII. Listening to Yelena Shmulenson’s skillful narration brought Rosa’s suffering to life and doesn’t fail to evoke heartache for her plight.
Content Warning: This post discusses rape and sexual assault, particularly against women, and spoilers for both Outlander and Games of Thrones. Approach with caution.
"Rape happens. It’s always happened, and it’s a depressing and horrific thing we should be tackling every single day. Great activists and charities are doing stellar work, often with little funding, and insightful writers are challenging perceptions in countless essays and stories. I’m not here to tell any writer what they should and shouldn’t write, but I do ask for a few moments of thought on this particular issue: If dragons are an excusable anachronism from ‘historically accurate’ tales but not raping women is political correctness gone mad, then what does that say about us all?"
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