The Museum of Murderers and Rescuers
Museum for mordere og redningsmenn
This is the story of the heartrending journey of Rakel and Jacob Feldmann in 1942, a Jewish couple betrayed by the very border guides they entrusted with their lives. Parallelly, it recounts the harrowing tale of Ellen Glott’s family, stripped of their home, possessions, and future aspirations, only to be driven into exile to evade the chilling grip of extermination. Fast forward two generations, and a twist of fate entwines these histories: Ellen’s grandchild is poised to wed the author, Simon Stranger. As Stranger delves deep into a piece on the Norwegian genocide, he stumbles upon revelations about his own lineage, shedding fresh light on a bleak chapter of contemporary history.
The novel’s structure emulates that of a museum. Each chapter unfolds like a room, brimming with artifacts, photographs, and remnants of the past. Collectively, they fashion a tapestry grounded in reality, with every fragment narrating a tale so astonishingly grim that it defies belief. The Museum of Murderers and Rescuers stands as a testament to the profound polarities of human experience, the weight of guilt and accountability, and the profound truth that, at times, our survival hinges on the benevolence of strangers.
Nominated for the 2023 Norwegian Booksellers’ Prize
“Painful reading. The parallels to events in today’s Europe make the book one of the year’s most important.”
Adresseavisen, 6/6 stars
“A dramatic and painful story of Jewish persecution … Stranger demonstrates his mastery of this documentary fiction technique superbly.”
Bok365, 5/6 stars
“Stranger has done a remarkable job of showing us some blank spots in our history extremely gripping and challenging.”
Dagbladet, 5/6 stars
