Nachzehrer by Nelson Keane
Reviewed by James M. Fisher
The year is 1978. At a stoplight in Kitchener, Ontario1 a young man (the “Teacher”) in a red convertible Mustang encounters a homeless man (Gerald “Gary” Kurt Paine) wearing a steel German WWII helmet, flying goggles and an RAF officer’s uniform. It was a chance encounter that would change both their lives, as they became friends over the next four decades until Gary died in 2018 at age 99. The book begins with Gary’s obituary which sets the tone for the rest of this ingeniously written book.
The Teacher becomes Gary’s scribe as he relates his life growing up on a farm to becoming a pilot (quite by accident), then a remarkable train ride to the East Coast where he makes a new friend (MacDonald) and sails to England to join the RAF. I purposely left out many details because I wouldn’t want to spoil the fun. “Fun” is the keyword for the first part of Gary’s life until his Hurricane is shot down in occupied France. Then the psychological darkness begins.
Managing to elude the Germans, Gary falls in with the French underground movement and is reunited with his friend Mac. After tiring of their exploits, Gary decides to try and make it back to England to rejoin his squadron. He is betrayed by a French couple to the Germans and is arrested the next day by the SS. As an officer, he is well-treated until days later he is handed over to the regular German troops. He should have been taken to a prisoner-of-war camp, instead, he finds himself in Berlin at Plötzensee Prison2, an execution camp for traitors and spies (of which Gary is neither). This apparent mistake is soon revealed to be due to the insane machinations of the camp commandant, whose son, as it turns out was shot down and killed by Gary.
Again, so much occurs while Gary is in the camp that telling any of it would be encroaching spoiler territory. It is enough to say that plenty of torture (both witnessed and experienced) and death ensue. It is not for the faint of heart, but neither are the description gratuitous or overly detailed. The commandant has personalized Gary’s torture to not only punish Gary, but to punish his son as well. It’s complicated.
I mentioned earlier that Nachzehrer is ingeniously written and the reader will find themselves fully immersed in Gary’s world, eventually coming to a full understanding of why this man lives in a cardboard box under an overpass with a German helmet on his head and flying goggles around his neck.
"The uniform is mine, well-earned and impossible to discard. The helmet was given to me as a gift a long time ago, in a terrible place where monsters lived and where souls were eaten. Those soul-eaters and monsters are still searching for me, and these goggles help me see them coming.”
Galleon Books3 of New Brunswick is a small niche publisher whose total output, including Nachzehrer, is four titles as of this writing. I have reviewed three of them.4 Editor Lee Thompson has a knack for spotting good quirky reads with a purpose. In Nachzehrer, we take the time to learn the reasons why Gary is homeless (and chooses to be), why he sees ghouls and monsters and why he trusts the Teacher implicitly.
“Dr. Frankenstein had awakened me, but it would take a letter and coal and grit and dark places for the monster to truly exist.”
Psychological depth and eloquence of writing are the hallmarks of Nachzehrer.
About the Author
Nelson Keane is a retired school administrator and teacher living in Moncton, New Brunswick. He is married to a school principal and they share their home with two dogs and four cats.
Book Details
Publisher : Galleon Books (June 1 2024)
Language : English
Paperback : 186 pages
ISBN-10 : 1998122093
ISBN-13 : 978-1998122097
Formerly Berlin, Ontario. The name was changed in 1916 due to the animosity towards Germans in World War I.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pl%C3%B6tzensee_Prison
“Boom Road” by Shane Lawlor is yet to arrive at my desk.
Oh this sounds really interesting!
Much appreciated, Jim! (Signed, the Galleon 'crew')