The Sooner You Forget bookcover

The Sooner You Forget

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Description

Based on a little-known chapter of World War II history, The Sooner You Forget dramatizes the struggles of a young American soldier to not only survive a Jewish labor camp, but also to later reconcile what happened to him at the hands of the Nazis--and his own government.


Soon to be eighteen, Charlton Buckley is looking to escape the grips of his dead-end Wisconsin hometown and abusive father. When his dreams of joining a Major League Baseball team fall short, he channels his enthusiasm toward piloting for the Air Force. His youthful optimism is quickly burnt away when his plane is shot down on his first mission, causing him to be captured and sent to a German stalag. As the Nazis' war efforts start to fail, though, they pull only Jewish soldiers from the Allied ranks and transport them to a secret labor death camp. Despite his Christian background, Buckley is taken, and there he experiences horrors beyond imagination. Navigating trauma, faith, love, and loyalty, The Sooner You Forget is the story of one man's search to find true liberation decades after imprisonment.

Product Details

PublisherSubplot
Publish DateFebruary 04, 2025
Pages256
LanguageEnglish
TypeBook iconPaperback / softback
EAN/UPC9781637559604
Dimensions8.9 X 6.0 X 0.6 inches | 0.7 pounds

About the Author

Christopher Bensinger is a James Kirkwood Fiction Award nominee. He earned a UCLA Certificate in Fiction with distinction and has a BA in psychology from Bowdoin College. The Sooner You Forget is his bucket list debut novel. Chris retired from his real estate executive position and became a Tony Award-winning theatrical producer of The Book of Mormon, American Idiot, La Cage aux Folles, and others. He is an avid sportsman, husband, and proud father of two wonderful children.

Reviews

"Christopher Bensinger's The Sooner You Forget is a deeply affecting and cinematic novel that explores the haunting legacy of war, the persistence of memory, and the long road to emotional freedom..." --Manhattan Book Reviews, Starred Review

"Tinged with the triumph of survival, The Sooner You Forget is a compelling historical novel about the impossibility of forgetting traumatic events." --Foreword Reviews

"Chris Bensinger's novel... takes readers through the lasting effects of trauma... the characters are well-developed and their troubles are painfully vivid to read." --Jewish Journal

". . . a riveting debut novel based on a lesser-known chapter of WWII history. . . . a powerful and deeply moving read." --CultureWag

"Bensinger shines a light on a feature of the conflict largely neglected--the internment of captured American soldiers in German labor camps during the war. This is a fascinating topic, and the historical verisimilitude the author achieves is laudable. He also cogently explores the extraordinary antisemitism rampant in the United States at the time, including its presence within the ranks of the very military sent to crush Hitler...the events are heart-wrenching....captivating. The author must be given his due credit for the exciting premise. An intriguing historical tale...."--Kirkus Reviews

"Vivid, horrific, and heartbreaking, yet utterly redemptive. The visceral and cinematic narrative crackles with authority."--MARK SARVAS, winner of the American Book Award and Jewish Libraries Fiction Award for his novel, Memento Park

"Beautiful and touching passages counterbalance horror and loss with great effect, and giving life to an unknown or rarely told story is important."--JONATHAN STARKE, contributing editor to the bestselling novel The Boat Runner

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