The Story That Cannot Be Told, by J. Kasper Kramer

 

This middle grade novel takes place in Romania in the 80s, under the reign of a dictator who remains nameless in the book but not nameless in history.  

The storytelling is beautiful, with a graceful weaving in of folklore and other stories. The folktales themselves are cleverly twisted, filtered through the inventive mind of a child of communism. Ileana's reality is scary, and it reminds readers of a dark period in not-so-distant history that we should be careful not to forget. The writing is very good. The danger is high in a chillingly quiet way. The characters are interesting. The village setting is atmospheric and reminds me so much of my own experiences living and traveling in rural parts of Czechia (and Poland and Slovakia), other European countries once controlled by communism.

I'm sure that my love of the book came partly because I'm so interested in the culture and history and because it reminded me of my beloved home away from home. Toward the end I did come across some confusing and unrealistic parts. And I have a sneaky suspicion that this is the type of book that might play better to adults.

But I still highly recommend it.   

4.5 stars