Ordinary Heroes

A View Across The Rooftops by Suzanne Kelman is a powerful historical novel about ordinary men and women who performed extraordinary acts of bravery during a time of pure evil.

The novel is set in Amsterdam 1941-1945. It is the height of the Nazi occupation and a time of terror and unspeakable horrors. The Jewish people begin to disappear and no one said anything. Rumours of roundups began. Only when blood lands on a character’s doorstep do they wake up to the horrors all around. “When had all this become normal?” Now a character feels compelled to act.

Suzanne Kelman has captured the horrors of war and persecution. Man’s inhumanity to man knew no bounds. In contrast there were exceedingly brave acts performed by ordinary men and women who refused to let evil wash over them. “One doesn’t realise how brave one is until the cost outweighs the fear.” There were those who could not stand by and do nothing, those who went above and beyond, those who gave their all.