Good Reads / Community Library Notes
The Flight Portfolio (Part 2)
Julie Orringer
Review by Priscilla Comen
The Flight Portfolio (Part 2)
Julie Orringer
Review by Priscilla Comen
The Flight Portfolio Part 2, by Julie Orringer, is the continuing story of Varian Fry and his friend Grant who now are heading for Arles, partly by train, partly by bike as it’s 50K from Marseille. This is partly a vacation for the two, (who are lovers), and is also a search for a young man, Tobias, son of Grant’s colleague, Katznelson. When they find him he has been arrested and been sent to Veren, a terrible concentration camp. When they return to the office in Marseille, they and Mary Jayne Gold devise a plan to rescue Tobias. Mary Jayne will seduce the camp’s commandant in return for his releasing Tobias. The commandant orders them to leave immediately accompanied by a uniformed Nazi guard, to the train and all the way to Marseille. The guard is Tobias in disguise.
Soon, Varian is replaced by a “clown of a man” who doesn’t understand Varian’s job. Later, Jay Allen, the “clown” is arrested by the Vichy (the Nazi/French group in charge) and Varian is asked to resume control of the ERC rescue committee. The staff cheers. Varian approaches Tobias with a plan to get him out of France on a ship, disguised as a British soldier. Tobias agrees. Meanwhile, the Flight Portfolio, drawings, texts, stories, artwork, has grown to more than fifty pieces. They will be exhibited at U.S. galleries to raise money for the rescue committee. A bidding war has already started in New York after an article in the New York Times announced it. Zilberman is ready to go at Varian’s request to take the Portfolio.
When Grant gets sick—pericarditis—Varian cares for him. He also goes to meet the captain of the ship he wants Tobias and Zilberman to sail on. They play chess, and Varian purposely loses the game, and asks the captain to hide two men on his ship to Africa. The captain says one at a time. The next ship will sail in three weeks. Varian must agree. Later, Tobias makes his escape on the ship, and refugees are crossing the Pyrenees. Things are going well for now.
However, Grant takes morphine for the terrible pain of his disease, Zilberman is arrested, and the Flight Portfolio pieces are stolen by his German guard. Varian promises to give the commandant two original Chagall drawings if he is allowed to see Zilberman. Zilberman tells Varian that Tobias is not the man, the expert in physics, who was wanted by the Germans. He is merely the son of Grant’s friend. Of course, the father wants his son to be rescued, and has pretended his identity was important to the allies. Has Grant lied to Varian to help his colleague? Varian is devastated.
He is “kicked out” of France by the Vichy and Varian’s associates from the office come to see him off. They assure him he has done all that he could do. Does Varian go home to his wife in New York? Or does he go to see Grant who has been dismissed from Columbia University? Find this wonderful historic fiction book on the new fiction shelf of your Community Library.
Soon, Varian is replaced by a “clown of a man” who doesn’t understand Varian’s job. Later, Jay Allen, the “clown” is arrested by the Vichy (the Nazi/French group in charge) and Varian is asked to resume control of the ERC rescue committee. The staff cheers. Varian approaches Tobias with a plan to get him out of France on a ship, disguised as a British soldier. Tobias agrees. Meanwhile, the Flight Portfolio, drawings, texts, stories, artwork, has grown to more than fifty pieces. They will be exhibited at U.S. galleries to raise money for the rescue committee. A bidding war has already started in New York after an article in the New York Times announced it. Zilberman is ready to go at Varian’s request to take the Portfolio.
When Grant gets sick—pericarditis—Varian cares for him. He also goes to meet the captain of the ship he wants Tobias and Zilberman to sail on. They play chess, and Varian purposely loses the game, and asks the captain to hide two men on his ship to Africa. The captain says one at a time. The next ship will sail in three weeks. Varian must agree. Later, Tobias makes his escape on the ship, and refugees are crossing the Pyrenees. Things are going well for now.
However, Grant takes morphine for the terrible pain of his disease, Zilberman is arrested, and the Flight Portfolio pieces are stolen by his German guard. Varian promises to give the commandant two original Chagall drawings if he is allowed to see Zilberman. Zilberman tells Varian that Tobias is not the man, the expert in physics, who was wanted by the Germans. He is merely the son of Grant’s friend. Of course, the father wants his son to be rescued, and has pretended his identity was important to the allies. Has Grant lied to Varian to help his colleague? Varian is devastated.
He is “kicked out” of France by the Vichy and Varian’s associates from the office come to see him off. They assure him he has done all that he could do. Does Varian go home to his wife in New York? Or does he go to see Grant who has been dismissed from Columbia University? Find this wonderful historic fiction book on the new fiction shelf of your Community Library.