Review by Jill Hedgecock
The One Man (2018, Minotaur Books, paperback, 448 pages, $14.76) by Andrew Gross is the riveting tale of a Jewish Polish immigrant named Nathan Bloom who escapes the ghetto roundup during the cusp of World War II only to take on a dangerous mission. His impossible task for the U.S. requires him to sneak into one of the most notorious of all the Nazi death camps, and to smuggle out a physicist, Alfred Mendl—a man with critical information needed to construct a nuclear bomb. The premise of the book alone promises a high-stakes tale, but Gross masterfully escalates the suspense with each turn of the page. The novel truly has it all, historical details of wartime 1940s, glimpses into the sacrifices made by military and underground heroes, family love and drama, and even a bit of coming-of-age romance.
Gross takes readers across the globe from U.S. military offices in Washington D.C. to a back wood drop point in Germany, to the most compelling of all places, Auschwitz. It is here where the author doesn’t hold back when describing the vile conditions in the Jewish prison camp or the cruelty of the German soldiers keeping watch over the beleaguered men and women they oversee.
It isn’t really surprising that the characters are both believable and have depth. Among the interviews Gross conducted during his research for the novel was his 95-year-old father-in-law who escaped from Warsaw just months before the war. The main character’s (Nathan Bloom’s) likability, his tragic history, as well as his bravery, provide an intriguing lens for the reader. Yet, from Leo, an extraordinary chess player who falls hard for the wrong woman, and becomes Mendl’s protégé, to “Wild” Bill Donovan, head of Bloom’s secret mission, to other ancillary characters such as Bloom’s sister, a talented musician, Gross manages to make their personalities radiate off the page. It is because of these characters that the story stands above the many other novels that recount World War II atrocities. The One Man was originally released in 2016 and received starred reviews in Booklist, Kirkus, and Publishers Weekly.
Andrew Gross is the author of New York Times and international bestsellers including The Blue Zone, Don’t Look Twice, and The Dark Tide. Button Man is another of his compelling historical thrillers. He has also coauthored several #1 bestsellers with James Patterson. His books have been translated into more than 25 languages. He and his wife live in Westchester County, New York. The audio book narrated by Edoardo Ballerini brings a depth to the characters that makes the story shine. Regardless of how it’s consumed, this historical thriller delivers a wild ride with ample twists and turns that will grip readers until the last page.
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