I recently finished the historical fiction ‘Ashes in the Snow’, written by Oriana Ramunno. This 1943-based novel relays a murder mystery set in an Auschwitz Nazi concentration camp. The criminologist protagonist, Hugo Fischer, not only encounters a complex murder but discovers the truth of the harsh realities of the camp. Hugo himself faces a secret case of multiple sclerosis. As the book progresses he becomes increasingly desperate to keep secret his own debilitating condition, lest he become a target for the Reich. Unlike most WWI novels, ‘Ashes in the Snow’ incorporates a mystery thriller genre. As Hugo investigates the murder, the novel reveals the atrocities inflicted upon the prisoners, and is forced to decide what is most important to him. The following quote was voiced by Hugo when contemplating the mystery of the murder, as well as the unnerving instincts of the camp.
“A dead body is like the snow: sometimes, everything on the surface looks present and correct, perfect and clean. But it’s underneath that the murkiest things are concealed.” (pg. 54).
This quote was quite memorable because it expressed a message related to the murder mystery, and the history of Nazi Germany, but could also be connected to everyday thoughts. The truth, often concepts that are concealed, is a debatable subject. The truth is often more than initially appears but that may be argued as purposeful. The pursuit of truth often becomes obsessive yet can be better left unspoken. This quote demonstrates how something so inhospitable can easily be obscured by simple misconceptions. It teaches the reader how assumptions led to miscommunication, making us believe our story is the truth when in reality it’s falsehood. Don’t get me wrong, it is always important to learn the truth, but when concerned with your emotional morals, in some circumstances some things are better left unsaid. Similarly, in ‘Ashes in the Snow’, Hugo discovers that the Nazi concentration camps are committing inhumane experiments, but for his sake, he regrets learning the truth. As documented in the quote, the pristine white snow conceals the horror, but it pervades, nonetheless.