In Jeffrey L. Richards' captivating novel set against the backdrop of World War II, the narrative unfolds in alternating timelines—both during the war and in its aftermath. The story intricately weaves the lives of its characters, particularly Charles Ward, with that of a Nazi officer named Berthold Werden.

The plot commences with Charles, a waiter, encountering an elderly man who strikingly resembles someone from his past. To Charles's surprise, this man is indeed Berthold Werden, who has assumed the alias Wallace Lynch in an attempt to sever ties with his dark history. From this moment, a complex web of emotions, including both affection and hatred, is rekindled.

As the narrative progresses, it delves into the struggle for identity in a life shattered by the Holocaust and explores the profound effects of sexual manipulation on individual. While the initial pages prove challenging, the story gains momentum as it delves deeper into Charles's experiences during the Holocaust, both physically and mentally. The unexpected darkness of the narrative adds a layer of intensity that kept me thoroughly engaged.

One notable strength lies in the skillful use of alternating timelines, which not only makes the plot more intriguing but also provides a nuanced understanding of Charles's motivations and actions. The story's backward unfolding adds a compelling layer to the narrative, offering a justified backstory that elucidates Charles's decisions.

A particularly commendable aspect is the meaningful integration of the title, "We Are Only Ghosts," into the fabric of the story. The title is not a mere label but is thoughtfully referenced throughout the book, both in quotes and narration, adding depth to the overall experience.

In conclusion, "We Are Only Ghosts" is a masterfully crafted novel that skillfully navigates the complexities of wartime experiences, personal identity, and the lasting impact of historical atrocities. Jeffrey L. Richards's storytelling prowess shines through, creating a compelling narrative that lingers in the mind long after the final page.

I’m really sorry to say that this one wasn’t for me :( I didn’t click with the writing or the story.

I tried to read this...partly because I found the writing engaging. I'm just not able to deal with the subject matter. There is a lot of sexual abuse in this book - which certainly happens in the world - I'm just not sure it was written with the same delicate hand as it has been in some cases.

I also felt that for a book about an event as utterly devastating as the Holocaust, that it fell a bit flat. Too much detail possibly?

Not for me.

I wasn't really sure what to expect when I first started reading this book, so the first thing I would like to say to everyone considering reading this book is to look up content warnings, because there are a lot of them. This book takes place in two timelines, one during the Holocaust and one slightly after, and it is a heavy read. The book follows the main character, Charles / Karel, in his experiences during and after the Holocaust, specifically with the Nazi general who essentially kidnaps him from Auschwitz to be his lover.

I thought this book did a really good job at telling things from Charles' view which was a somewhat innocent and naive viewpoint while still showing the horrors of what was going on to the audience. This book was really well-written and had some very pretty prose, and I liked the non-linear storyline.

I also like that in the end, rather than a story of Charles and Berthold, this was a story about Karel confronting his past and coming to terms with everything.

This was awful. The only even slightly redeeming quality was that the writing wasn’t the worst thing I have ever read and it did have a nice ending. The ending was a full circle moment of finding and reclaiming your identity but everything else was awful. I want to preface this by saying that I believe that people should be able to write about characters and experiences they didn’t have and none of my criticism is with the fact that this author is not Jewish. Regardless of his religious affiliation, I would’ve loved the book if it had been done well but it wasn’t.
The MC is 17 when his interaction begins with the older man and that was disturbing. By modern standards that is literal grooming. The fact that he was groomed was barely addressed in relation to his other traumas as well. His other traumas were also barely addressed and not reflected enough in his life. Not to mention the very idea of a young boy falling in love with someone responsible for some of the Holocaust was a choice that did not sit well with me. I might’ve been more inclined to like it if it had been presented more as Stockholm syndrome but it wasn’t. The writing wasn’t good. The descriptions are so awkward- especially during graphic scenes- and it was not tastefully done.
I wish more research had been done on Judaism and the Holocaust because it did not feel authentic or like an appropriate representation of that time in history. I saw another review say this as well but during this time Jewish individuals were not permitted to do the salute by the late 1930s but Charles does it and it earns him points with the guards which is completely inaccurate. Also for a book about identity the main character barely has one. He is not a three dimensional or real person and while that could be blamed on his trauma it seems more like a lack of fleshing out a character than an artistic choice. The rape scenes were distasteful and that trauma was also never addressed or mentioned again. Do not read this book.

"If someone, for some odd reason, decided to tell the story of his life from start to finish, they would find a life of chaos, with incredible moments of volatility, a life in a constant state of flux"
This book was disturbing, heartbreaking and yet very interesting. There are many moments throughout history, and in today's world where people must live as ghosts, learning to hide in plain sight. This was one of those situations for various reasons. Due to the explicit nature of this story, this book may not be for everyone. However, there is much to benefit from reading it. Thanks #NetGalley #KensingtonBooks

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

This was such a heartbreaking and beautiful story. Made me feel so many emotions and conflicting feelings. The prose was very well written. A good but tragic book to read.

This was a roller coaster ride. I have never read anything like this before. I was in awe! This will be a book I will be recommending to everyone I talk to.

For me this was not so much a “queer” book as so many other reviewers have stated. Although there are many queer parts and experiences, the focal point is finding one’s self and regaining a lost identity.

The story opens in 1968 New York, then travels in reverse back to 1941 Czechoslovakia. In 1941 a young Jewish boy’s life is turned upside down, forever altered when he and his family are deported to Auschwitz. As his life circumstances change, so does his identity, he goes from Karel to Charles then back to Karel. The title speaks volumes, is brilliant and thought provoking.

As a self preservation measure, we can easily lose who we are and/or who we were. We become ghosts of our former selves. People chronically abused, held as slaves or prisoners are only a mere reflection (ghost) of themselves. Where and how do you begin to get back to one’s self?

Excellent captivating read. Very thought provoking, colorful story.

This is an incredibly heavy book with a story that needed to be told and needs to be read. It's a historically significant exploration of death camps and the ripple effects caused by the actions contained within.

What a heartbreaking story paired with a beautiful redemption. While set during the Holocaust, it is not the typical tale. We meet Charles Ward, and he takes the reader on an incredible journey as he tells the story of his survival over his lifetime.

Charles is working in NYC and enjoying his established routine. He is suddenly confronted with his past one day at work, thus begins our journey back in time. Told from end the to beginning, we learn of Charles' (whose birth name is Karel Benakov) harrowing experience. From the encampments at Terezín, to his deportation to Auschwitz with his family, to being unfortunately (or fortunately) "saved" by an officer at Auschwitz, all the way to his present day. Charles' story is one of survival and redemption.

I am usually not a fan of any historical fiction, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I found myself drawn in from the beginning and I shed many tears. It is a deeply heavy read, but entirely worth it.

Content / trigger warnings: rape, mental and physical abuse, murder, and all the true horrors of Holocaust / Nazi Germany.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for this advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review. This review can also be found on Goodreads.

★ ★ ★ ★ //5

We Are Only Ghosts
by: Jeffrey L. Richard’s

THOUGHTS:

I want to thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for giving me the opportunity to read an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

I thought that this book was very well written. This book is written in two timelines and you follow Charles when he was taken to Auschwitz’s and after when he was out. We go through the motions and rollercoaster of emotions and feelings through this entire book. I thought that the author took mind to in what way this story was told and I thought it was well done. I sat in silence for quite a while after this book ended. Please make sure to read ALL of the trigger warnings with this book before reading, this book will not be for all readers.

Author Jeffrey L. Richards references Maria McCann's <u>As Meat Loves Salt </u> in his Q&A. <u>We Are Only Ghosts </u>, though set in a different time and place, has a similar brutality to it, where even the sentences feel like punches.

<u>We Are Only Ghosts </u> is the story of Charles, born Karel, a headwaiter at an expat café in late 1960’s New York. He finds himself serving coffees and pastries to an older gentleman who strikes him as familiar. Charles eventually recognizes the man as Berthold, a Nazi officer who both tormented and abused him and whom he views as having saved his life.

<u>We Are Only Ghosts </u> plays with the idea of identity throughout its pages as we weave in and out of the linear present and the non-linear past, jumping through time back into the days when Charles was a boy named Karel.

I liked the writing of this one quite a bit. Charles feels like a cipher throughout most of the story and that feels right. He’s been forced to haunt his own life, his name and identity fashioned and re-fashioned over and over in the pursuit of survival, leaving him with little sense of self until the end.

<spoiler> I really struggled with the portion of the story set in Auschwitz and almost dnf’d a couple of times, particularly after reading the scene where Berthold executed Karel’s mother and sisters in order to exert his claim over the boy he called Charles. By the time the story arrives at the concentration camps, we as the reader already understand that Charles’ entire family died in the Holocaust, that he was selected and groomed by Berthold, much to the consternation of Berthold’s family, that he’s gay and felt desire towards his abuser, and that Berthold “saved” his life. Reading about his abuse and suffering on page began to feel exploitative, rather than adding to the narrative. Does the reader need to bear witness to the erasure of Karel’s self through his horrors he endures in order to fully understand and celebrate him ultimately reclaiming it? I don’t know the answer, and I’ve definitely found myself thinking about that and the book in the days since I’ve read it. It is as haunting as the ghosts and shadow-selves who people its pages. </spoiler>

Thank you to the author, Kensington Books, and NetGalley for the ARC.

Something about Jeffrey L. Richards’ We Are Only Ghosts hooked me fast and it’s going to stay with me for a very long time.

I might think it was the cover, because of the concentration camp tattoo on the waiter’s forearm, but it probably wasn’t that. I think that probably made me wary when I first came across the novel, and I did have it for a little while before I read it, because fiction set during World War II and involving even the potential for romance in Auschwitz or any of the other camps usually strikes me as… unnecessary.

What I did like when I read the summary of We Are Only Ghosts is that at least part of the story was promised to take place in 1968 and I thought that might be the balance I needed to see it through.

And it was.

The title of Richards’ novel is explained throughout almost every sentence of the novel, the idea that a person can be countless things and still never quite know even themselves or be known with any certainty. And so a person can be a ghost.

Charles Ward, he of New York City in 1968, was Charles Werden in Poland and Germany in the latter part of World War II and the first years after. Charles Werden was Karel Benakov from the moment of his birth in Czechoslovakia until he was forced to become Charles Werden by Obersturmfuhrer Berthold Werden, the Nazi Auschwitz officer who both destroyed and saved the Jewish teenager from Czechoslovakia.

The relationship between the Nazi officer and the Jewish boy is a sexual one. It seems almost like the idea of Stockholm Syndrome, in that Karel is given a choice to die as soon as possible in the camps or to live with the Werden family and become Berthold’s lover and maybe not die for awhile yet. He agrees to become his lover in the hopes that it will help his mother and sisters in the womens’ camp.

It does not help them.

And still Karel finds himself carried away the idea that he might mean something to Berthold, that there must be a deeper reason that he was chosen to survive in the particular way that he did.

Left alone at the end of the war, Charles ends up in America where the story starts twenty-plus years later when he recognizes the man in the cafe where he works as the war criminal he lived with for years.

And he wonders if they might rekindle what they had then.

The true beauty of the story lies in Charles’ realization that it was all a mirage and that he has to see the other man for what he is and what he was. He has to do it for Karel, for his younger self, and for his family who are only ghosts now. His journey of self-discovery and self-reflection is simple and it is profound.

The one small issue that I have with an otherwise perfect story is that Richards’ decision to make Berthold’s American fake identity to be a Jewish jeweler seems to be a unnecessary and borderline disrespectful. I understand the logic of making a Nazi in hiding choose that ironic of an identity in a story about figurative ghosts, but I think the story could have had the same impact without that part.

The novel still gets five stars from me because it’s Charles’ story, not Berthold’s, and Charles’ story is deeply and powerfully moving.

cw: rape, murder, mental abuse, physical abuse, all other Nazi-era truth-horrors
I received an early copy of We Are Only Ghosts through NetGalley & Kensington in exchange for an honest & original review. All thoughts are my own.

I think maybe I didn't read the blurb correctly because an Auschwitz - turn - escape to America queer Stockholm syndrom style plot was not what I expected when I started this book. I actually thought it was aiming to be some sort of love story to hospitality staff and the invisible and thankless work they do. If that is what the book was about I would have really enjoyed it.
BUT. What the book was? I l;oved it!
Don't get me wrong: I can see this book being polarizing. It covers a lot in quite a short few pages and the time jumps are not linear which can be hard to follow. In fact it tends to go backwards in time instead of forwards to tell the story, with intermittent trips to the present day.
But for me, a must read. Have never read anything like this before. Bravo!

*Thank you NetGalley for the eARC of this book*

This was such an interesting read. There have been more and more queer novels that help to make these stories more plentiful. The development of this story, the backdrop of World War II brought a different dynamic as well. I believe that this could be a story that we continue to talk about and re-explore later and find new pieces each time. The prose in the story brought me so much joy and gave me that felt like following some of the more classic novels.

Please find some time to read this book once it is released, it will be very much worth your effort. Getting through this is not for the light reading, but though it takes thought, the thinking it will make you do will help you grapple with some of those life questions.

DNF- I got a little over 30% of the way through this and just found it lacking. I was very intrigued by the synopsis but felt that the storyline was very slow paced and I found myself waiting for something interesting to happen. A lot of the reviews for this book are very good so perhaps it gets better but it just didn't hold my attention.

It's hard to communicate how painfully offensive and badly done this book is. From the start, it becomes clear that the writer neither understands, nor particularly care about Judaism or Jewishness. Charles as a character barely seems to exist. He is a cipher, a poorly drawn and ill-fitting caricature of a survivor. His Jewishness does not seem to affect him. His thought processes rarely center what is actually happening. His mind turns to sex when he leaves Auschwitz. He galavants about his Nazi minder's village, seemingly unconcerned about the suffering he has left behind. When a German woman bemoans a soldier's death, he simply wants to wag his finger and scold her in the most sterile of terms of how "war is about land and not people!" That he is a minority whose people are being subject to genocide seems to mean absolutely nothing to him.

The writer had done almost no research whatsoever. He does not understand how gas chambers worked. How Jews in the camps were actually treated and acted (portraying them as legions of servile sheep to the slaughter with no nuance). Karel/Charles wins some favor by playing to the Nazis with a Heil Hitler salute. Except it was explicitly illegal for Jews to do this. That a Jew would think it would help in Auschwitz is mind boggling.

Perhaps the one credit to the book is the relationship between Karel and his Nazi abuser is portrayed as just that: abuse. But in a book about an abuse victim reclaiming his identity, as Karel does, The omission of identity is shocking. Throughout the entire climax, Karel does not think of himself as a Jewish man. He does nothing Jewish. His reclamation is not about him being Jewish. He does not say berakhas, he does not participate in Jewish holidays. That he is Jewish doesn't seem to register.

Kensington Books should be embarrassed. This book is Boy in the Striped Pyjamas levels of bad and appropriation. Some of this would be easy to excuse, but we REALLY need to have a talk with how gentiles approach Jewish narratives in the Holocaust. Richards could not have cared less about doing justice to a survivor's story. His Q'N'A is full of privilege, reeking of offensive statements. Saying how own voices are good "in theory," he strawmans the entire argument of appropriation, reducing it to "but then should I not write any BIPOC characters," ignoring the massive difference between character and telling someone else's story without sensitivity. He claims we need more Black authors, and more Asian writers....but he very notably does not list Jewish writers. Despite telling a Jewish narrative in a field where Jewish voices are often erased in favor of gentiles.

And then he claim the commonality he shares with his character is "deeper" than being Jewish or a Holocaust survivor. It is a gobsmackingly shocking thing to say and a horrible example of Jewish erasure.

I hope there is a chance to learn from this criticism. But this is a bad book. It is a horrifyingly offensive book. It is unfortunately, a very antisemitic book that believes it is not and there is already too much like that on the market.

We Are Only Ghosts:
“He understands he has just knocked on the door to madness.” In 1968 New York City, a former prisoner of Auschwitz comes to find the family, more so the Nazi Officer, that took him from the camp and had him live in their house as a servant, fulfilling the needs of both the house and the officer.
This book dealt with some heavy subject matter, peeling open Holocaust- a word with such ubiquitous cultural and historical inflammation, and forced the reader to peer into just one man’s story throughout this period of time. As a reader, we’re confronted with some realities and scenarios: homosexuality has always existed, humans need to express their sexuality, how do you do so when the backdrop is the literal Holocaust? Perhaps that sexual identity is the crux of the whole story, and not necessarily reliant on the main character, Charle’s, Jewishness. Could this book have been set in another time period? Perhaps, but then that would take away from some of the discomforting yet necessary realties we have to consider when remembering the Holocaust in a constructive way.
By the end of this book, we’re left with an understanding that Charle’s was, yes a victim of the Holocaust, and yes, certainly gay, but not much more than those two things. There were moments for the author to really let us see who Charles is: when he first sees Berthold in 1968, when his father dies, when he’s taken to Berthold’s house in Poland, when he’s forced to watch his mother and sisters die, when he finally gets his birth certificate back. But with each opportunity it seems that the character is merely a straight-man for the events around him, ironically lacking any real personality or motives- whether that was intended to parallel the plight of a lost Jewish identity or not isn’t an idea that is played with.
Ultimately the only thing we truly come to know about Charles is that he’s outlandishly horny. Maybe that is the true plight of man, to place sexual desire above all other things, but… there’s a time and place. Or perhaps that’s exactly the point– the time and place might not be the most couth, but the necessity is still there. For instance: “The Obersturmfurher smiles at the understanding in Karel’s eyes.” Almost immediately after Charles has been taken out of Auschwitz, he’s thinking about sucking dick. Auschwitz and sucking dick don’t seem to belong in the same sentence, but here we are. And then that is all we are left with. The author didn’t take the time to dive into the intricacies of such a relationship- between that of a Nazi Officer and Jewish prisoner from Auschwitz. There was something there but was ultimately not expounded upon in any meaningful way.
There was so much meat that this book had to offer, so many outlets for the author and reader to explore together, but instead, any poignancy is left to the reader to extrapolate on their own. A lot of questions were presented, and the reader has the option to answer them on their own, separate from the author.
I recommend this book for the avenues the narrative offers the reader, but not necessarily for the narrative itself.

LOC. 413: “hew own cup of coffee” should be “her own cup of coffee”?
LOC. 588: “you doesn’t know enough to connect you?”” should be “who doesn’t know enough”?
LOC. 1036: “someone kind of manager” should be “some kind of manager”?
LOC. 1703: “exists the taxi and” should be “exits the taxi”?
LOC. 2248: “l ghosting in his memories” should be “ghosting in his memories”?
LOC. 3535: “barks angry dog snarling” should be “barks like an angry dog snarling”?
LOC. 3573: “AGAINST hand. Karel continues to” should be “against hand. Karel continues to”?

Thank you Netgalley / Kensington Books for the Advanced review copy in exchange for an honest review.
Publication date:  20 Feb 2024

Completed reading in just 2 days and that explains how excellent the writing is!!
Set during WWII,  this story is about Charles,  a young Jewish boy living in war-torn Europe, who at seventeen along with the family was deported to Auschwitz.
Unfortunately or fortunately he was taken in by a Nazi officer to his basement as a slave and something more. This officer turned out to be both his saviour and torturer.
This is not a typical holocaust tale,  but it has more to it.
Just loved how the story has been narrated,  suffice it to say,  this is one of the best books that I've read in recent times.
Well deserved 5 stars 💥💥💥💥💥