Good Reads / Community Library Notes
The Flight Portfolio (Part 1)
Julie Orringer
Review by Priscilla Comen
The Flight Portfolio (Part 1)
Julie Orringer
Review by Priscilla Comen
The Flight Portfolio, part 1, by Julie Orringer, is the story of Varian Fry, a man with the mission to help famous artists and writers escape from the Nazis in France in the early days of World War II. He meets with artist Marc Chagall and his wife Bella, and later, with an old college buddy, Grant. The location is Marseille and author Orringer describes that city in detail: the smells of cigarettes, the steep cliffs of limestone that surround the city and port, of sex, and cocaine.
Grant wants Varian to meet with a friend, Gregor, and happens to drop a cufflink on the ground as he leaves. Varian keeps it. We find out how they knew each other in their days at Harvard and how Varian was in awe of Grant’s intelligence, style, background, and body.
Varian has five high-risk clients waiting to cross the border into Spain, relatives of Thomas Mann’s. Lena, Varian’s secretary, has set up a filing system, designed interview forms, hidden an address book under the carpet as a valued partner in the group. Oppenheimer is their bookkeeper and hides illegal expenses. Albert Hirschman brings yummy pastries at lunch time. He's been running from Nazi soldiers for years, always plotting his next move. Refugees come to Varian’s hotel and wait in line outside his door until midnight.
Varian goes to see Grant’s friend, interviews Gregor, and says he can help. It appears that Gregor's son, a young genius, is being chased by the Nazis to aid in their war efforts. Miriam, another helper, introduces them to Mary Jayne Gold, a Chicago socialite, who can assist with finances as she is super rich. This novel is based on fact, and some of the characters are true. Mary Jane makes herself necessary to Varian’s plans. Harry Bingham is the chief of visas at the American consulate. They discuss how to get clients out of France, on foot or by train.
Mehring, one of Varian’s clients, is in a hotel room, too terrified to leave. The client list has been compiled from letters, memos, and phone conversations with contacts in New York. Franz Werfel has a weak heart, doesn’t know if he can make it over the mountains to Spain, but his wife, formerly married to the composer Mahler, will help him. Grant takes Varian out for a sail on a sailboat for privacy, and tells him about Tobias, Gregor’s son. Varian pledges to look for him, as the Nazis are, believing he can help in their for their war effort. Meanwhile, Mehring has panicked, run from his hotel room, and been arrested
Leon Ball, who leads refugees over the border, is at the train station with the nine refugees waiting to cross over on the train to Spain. When they have to change trains, the Germans take their passports and they must wait overnight at a hotel until the German inspectors are gone in the morning. We learn that Grant is part Negro and also Jewish, a thing he’s never told the University where he teaches. He had been class president and won many awards, but fears his background, if discovered, will cause his dismissal.
The next day, Varian decides to take the train with the luggage, and the refugees will go on foot over the Pyrenees with Ball as their guide. Find out what happens to all of them in Part 2 next week and on the new fiction shelf at your Mendocino Community Library.
Grant wants Varian to meet with a friend, Gregor, and happens to drop a cufflink on the ground as he leaves. Varian keeps it. We find out how they knew each other in their days at Harvard and how Varian was in awe of Grant’s intelligence, style, background, and body.
Varian has five high-risk clients waiting to cross the border into Spain, relatives of Thomas Mann’s. Lena, Varian’s secretary, has set up a filing system, designed interview forms, hidden an address book under the carpet as a valued partner in the group. Oppenheimer is their bookkeeper and hides illegal expenses. Albert Hirschman brings yummy pastries at lunch time. He's been running from Nazi soldiers for years, always plotting his next move. Refugees come to Varian’s hotel and wait in line outside his door until midnight.
Varian goes to see Grant’s friend, interviews Gregor, and says he can help. It appears that Gregor's son, a young genius, is being chased by the Nazis to aid in their war efforts. Miriam, another helper, introduces them to Mary Jayne Gold, a Chicago socialite, who can assist with finances as she is super rich. This novel is based on fact, and some of the characters are true. Mary Jane makes herself necessary to Varian’s plans. Harry Bingham is the chief of visas at the American consulate. They discuss how to get clients out of France, on foot or by train.
Mehring, one of Varian’s clients, is in a hotel room, too terrified to leave. The client list has been compiled from letters, memos, and phone conversations with contacts in New York. Franz Werfel has a weak heart, doesn’t know if he can make it over the mountains to Spain, but his wife, formerly married to the composer Mahler, will help him. Grant takes Varian out for a sail on a sailboat for privacy, and tells him about Tobias, Gregor’s son. Varian pledges to look for him, as the Nazis are, believing he can help in their for their war effort. Meanwhile, Mehring has panicked, run from his hotel room, and been arrested
Leon Ball, who leads refugees over the border, is at the train station with the nine refugees waiting to cross over on the train to Spain. When they have to change trains, the Germans take their passports and they must wait overnight at a hotel until the German inspectors are gone in the morning. We learn that Grant is part Negro and also Jewish, a thing he’s never told the University where he teaches. He had been class president and won many awards, but fears his background, if discovered, will cause his dismissal.
The next day, Varian decides to take the train with the luggage, and the refugees will go on foot over the Pyrenees with Ball as their guide. Find out what happens to all of them in Part 2 next week and on the new fiction shelf at your Mendocino Community Library.