Daria’s Secrets by Jeff Ingber tells the story of Daria Abramson, a young girl living a carefree life in Kalisz, Poland, until the war broke out. Then, one summer day, they were all marched out of the ghetto, and she was forcefully separated from her family and taken as a seamstress. Later, she would find out that her loving parents and sister were taken to Chelmno, a killing camp. Now, nearly half a century later, Daria is experiencing nightmares from her past and is trying to heal from the past traumas. Hence, she goes to see doctor Metzger, a therapist who guides her toward healing her past and making a beautiful life for herself. Alongside Metzger, Daria is loved and supported by her daughter Karen, her best friend Ruth, and the visions of Peter, her dead husband, and Chaim Rumkowski, someone who history and Daria remember very differently.

Ingber writes in an effortlessly beautiful tone with vivid imagery and creates details that lead the reader on a remarkable emotional and visual journey. As we travel throughout the pages of this book, it feels like we are embodying Daria and feeling everything she is feeling. Ingber manages to keep his narrative straightforward while filled with the most beautiful stylistic figures in a way that touches and lures the reader in and leaves us wanting more.

I am pleasantly surprised by Ingber’s approach to writing and his character development. Daria is written so beautifully that you can’t help but empathize with her and want to give her all your love and support even though she is a fictional character. She has the innocence and courage of the young girl forced to survive in the most inhuman conditions in Poland while also having the knowledge and heart of a lady who has lived a long life filled with both joy and sadness, success and downfalls, and love and loss.

In addition, the psychology behind Metzger’s question and every answer Daria gives, including her frows, begs, and smiles, are crafted so perfectly that anyone can sympathize with it. This is a captivating read, especially for those interested in Psychology.

Daria’s Secrets by Jeff Ingber is a lovely work of fiction that depicts the lives of many victims and survivors of any war, which is, sadly, still relevant today. This book will have you on your toes and reaching for the tissues from its first to its final page. 

Pages: 232 | ISBN : 163988341X