The Scrapbook by Heather Clark

Heather Clark’s novel, The Scrapbook, is a haunting, sensual, and melancholy narrative that offers a fascinating and unique perspective on the enduring impact of World War II. Through exquisite prose and multi-layered psychological insight, Clark crafts a story deeply rooted in how the complexities of history influence the present.

At the heart of the novel is Anna, an American senior at Harvard in 1996, whose life is shaped by a scrapbook left to her by her grandfather. This cherished artifact contains photographs from his time as a young soldier in World War II, including powerful images from his participation in the liberation of Dachau and the seizure of the Eagle’s Nest bunker, where Hitler killed himself. The scrapbook becomes a touchstone for Anna, guiding her thoughts and actions as she begins her own adult life.

Anna’s fascination with the past deepens when she meets Christoph, a visiting German student. Their connection quickly turns into infatuation, leading Anna to follow Christoph to Germany. Like Anna, Christoph is obsessed with World War II, though he holds complicated feelings about his grandfathers’ roles in Hitler’s army. He is simultaneously judgmental and defensive of them, ultimately weighed down by a sense of inherited guilt. For example, he quotes German philosopher Theodor Adorno’s observation to Thomas Mann from the late 1940s: “It was as if the Germans truly believed they had never been Nazis. They had completely repressed their obedience to Hitler.”

As Anna’s first romantic relationship unfolds, she is swept up by Christoph’s intensity. Together, they visit sites featured in her grandfather’s scrapbook, engaging in intellectual discussions about the war, German architecture, art and literature. Despite the passage of fifty years since the end of the war, their love is haunted by unresolved historical trauma. Anna grapples with difficult questions: Does Christoph’s grandfather’s complicity mean Christoph himself is capable of similar actions? Should he be held accountable for the misdeeds of his ancestors?

While the backdrop of their relationship is WWII, their difficulties are not solely the result of their families’ histories. Instead, their eventually dysfunctional relationship is shaped by their youth and Anna’s naivety. In highlighting the uncertainties of young love, some aspects of their interactions did not feel entirely convincing. Their personality traits and relationship also hint at the dynamics between their countries during the war.

Heather Clark’s outstanding novel wrestles with profound themes of inherited guilt, obsessive love, and the trauma that echoes through generations. The Scrapbook is a serious and thought-provoking exploration of how, despite the decades, WWII continues to shape identity and relationships. 4.5/5

(Thanks to my friend Karen for giving me this book!)