They Went Left by Monica Hesse is a historical fiction novel that takes place after the events of World War II. It follows a young Jewish girl named Zofia who has just gotten out of a mental hospital, and is going out and trying to find her younger brother after they were separated in the holocaust.
While creative upon first inspection, this book falls flat.
For November, the Hillcrest Book Club was given three options to vote for, and They Went Left beat out the other two.
The story’s initial premise is intriguing, as several books set during World War II focus on the events, the camps, the wars, and everything that transpired during that time. This is about the aftermath, which I have not seen very often, and is a creative and refreshing take.
However, it’s status as historical fiction that takes place somewhere around WWII doesn’t help, as it is deep into well-trodden territory and still struggles to stand out as a book worth reading.
Along with a wonderful setting, there are some great characters. Their motivations and character arcs are engaging, and each character feels fully fleshed out as a human. Zofia reads clearly as someone who had suffered, and her mental journey is easily the best part of this book.
As with all pieces of fiction, I didn’t care for some characters, but this strikes a good balance and avoids any truly detestable characters.
While working with high-quality ingredients, the end product was mostly “meh.” The mystery presented at the beginning follows a fairly predictable path, and most twists that were meant to shock kind of just confirm beliefs formed early on in the book.
Likewise, the romantic subplot doesn’t deliver, and while some loose ends get tied, you generally leave the book mostly disappointed that you spent time reading it.
Most people who enjoy historical fiction will enjoy this book, but the uniqueness of this book is quickly overshadowed by its sleep-inducing plot. Even with all the great aspects of this text, it is predictable, and not for those who even slightly dislike the genre, as they will just be bored.
