Orphan Number 8

Genre: Fiction

I gave this book *

This is the story of Rachel Rabinowitz and is based on true events. At four years old, Rachel and her brother Sam, six years old, are sent to live in orphanages in New York city. The two are separated; Sam is sent to the Orphaned Hebrews Home and Rachel goes to the Hebrew Infants Home. Medical experiments are conducted regularly on Rachel and other orphans in the orphanage (although the kids do not know or understand the nature of what is happening to them) and have very little kindness bestowed upon them. As the subjects of these experiments, the children are numbered (Rachel is Orphan number 8) and the results are reported in medical journals. At six years old, Rachel is moved to the Orphaned Hebrews Home where she reunites with Sam and where her daily life improves (comparatively from whence she came). We follow Rachel through her early teens when she falls in love with Naomi, another girl at the orphanage, and then teen years, when she travels west to follow Sam. As an adult, Rachel is a geriatric nurse and discovers that one of her patients is a doctor who performed experiments on her when she was in the orphanage. This prompts Rachel to research what was really done to her as a very young child and to face her own mortality as well as whether revenge is an option.

I really, really didn’t like this book. The only positive thing I can say about this book is that I like the way the story unfolds, alternating between Rachel’s past and present life. But, that’s about it. There is so much I don’t like. In particular, I find it completely ineffective that within the pages of this book van Alkemade addresses so many issues, some of which are: the treatment of orphans, the ethics of medical research, women’s rights, treatment of the Chinese and Native Indians in the west, World War II soldiers, the Holocaust, Zionism, the wealthy versus the poor, gay rights and the list goes on and on.

I think that when an author chooses to write a story, in particular one that is based on true events, and especially horrifying and shocking events such as the events at this orphanage, it is of the utmost importance to give the story the gravitas that it deserves. Yes, it is important to address that lesbians in the 1940’s (and even today) were not embraced by society. Yes, it is important to talk about the horrific experiences that soldiers experienced in battle during World War II. Yes, it is so very important to talk about the Holocaust and Zionism. Yes, it’s important to talk about the terrible treatments the Native Indians suffered in the US. Yes, all of these and more are so very important to address. But, by combining all of these in one book it simply serves to water them all down! Each of these is important. Each deserves its own story. I think van Alkemade missed a great opportunity to tell an important story that really needed to be told. Such a shame!