Testament by Kim Sherwood is an impressive and moving debut novel that follows a young woman's quest to understand her family's past. When her grandfather, famous artist Joseph Silk dies , Eva is filled with grief. She has cared for him in his final days, and regards him as more of a father figure than her real father, his son, who is estranged from both of them. Eve knows her grandfather always guarded the secrets of his past, and was a deeply private man, but she feels that she needs to try to uncover his history as a way of remembering him, and when she finds a letter from the Jewish Museum in Berlin she sets out on a quest that will take her back to the darkest times of the 20th Century and give her a new understanding of her family and the conflict that has marred it for generations.
The writing in this book is beautiful, but the style does take a little getting used to , at first it seems a little meandering but once I got into the rhythm of it, it became easier and more enjoyable. The book uses both past and present timelines and switches between them effectively. From reading the afterword of the book it is clear that this was a book that was very close to the author's heart, and the care and attention that she lavished on it is clear on the page, and drawing on her own family history gave the story a very personal feel. There is so much emotion, even from the characters that seem to repress it , and this along with the dark subject matter makes this a difficult read at times but a very worthwhile one.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

I found Testament to be a really original and thought-provoking historical novel. While it is a novel about the Holocaust, it is just as much about the present, as the past - and most importantly, how they interconnect. At the beginning of the novel, Eva's grandfather SIlk has just died and she is coming to terms with his death. By his later life, Silk has become a renowned artist, circulating the cultural circles of the UK with charm and charisma. But as a Holocaust survivor, Silk has clearly had a traumatic past, which he has hidden deep within himself and from others. Eva has inherited Silk's creative spirit, and herself aspires to be a film-maker; and in particular is interested in filming a documentary about her grandfather's life. It is not until his death that she is able to make some inroads to his path, as the barriers he had fought hard to build begin to crumble down.

The novel explores this connection between the past and the present, and the lasting impact of the horrors of the Holocaust on generations to come. Chapters from the past interweave with the present day, as Eva digs deeper and deeper into her family's path. I felt this created a great pace to the novel, with the different layers creating a beautiful psychological depth.

This was both moving and thought provoking. Eva’s grandfather is a famous artist and when he dies she helps to settle tle the estate. Eva finds a letter from the Berlin Jewish museum asking if they can use Jozsef’s testament in a holocaust exhibit. Eva is unaware of her grandfathers history and travels to read the testament. The book is then told in alternating chapters of Eva dealing with her grandfathers past and Jozsef and his brother Lazlo’s survival during the Nazi regime.
The book was not an easy read but it is a story of triumph and love through the horrors.
Thanks to Quercus books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
#Testament #NetGalley

Wow! It’s hard to believe that this is a debut excellent if difficult read. The repressed emotion is palpable on every page

When her grandfather Joseph Silk dies, Eva is forced to confront the hidden fractures between her father and his father. Silk was an important painter, famed for the intense blue tones he used, but he was also a Hungarian Jew who suffered through the war. Eva is contacted by the Jewish Museum in Berlin, they have Silk's 'testament' - the statement he made after liberation - so Eva goes to see it and it opens up the secrets long buried.
Flitting between the present and the past, this novel tells the story of a family destroyed by the Nazis and the breaking up of Eastern Europe. The scenes set in the labour camps and amongst the prisoners are heartrendingly written. The choices made by the protagonists are contextualised beautifully. However Eva's story is no less complex and the ending is suitably not complete. This is very mature writing from a debut novelist and it is fantastic to see that this book is being noticed for awards because it combines the very higher literary form with a story that resonates.

This is not an easy or entertaining read but it's a book that involves you and touch your emotions giving you food for thought.
I'm usually a fast reader but it took me a while to read it as I wanted to savour the pages and didn't want to go in an emotive overload.
The style of writing is amazing, it's intimistic and powerful at the same time and it makes you lives what is being written on the page.
I look forward to reading other books by this author.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to Quercus Books and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.