This pair of short nov­els exam­ines the hor­rors of the Holo­caust and the bur­dens of liv­ing as a sur­vivor. The first, Porgess, is about a hand­some young boy who was par­a­lyzed on the last day of World War II. The sto­ry con­sists of one long con­ver­sa­tion between the Porgess and his healthy friend, osten­si­bly the writer of this ​“mem­oir.” The sec­ond, The Abyss, deals with the tor­tured mem­o­ry of a sur­vivor who con­cludes that only luck sep­a­rat­ed sur­vivors from those who were doomed. He seeks solace in mem­o­ries of the woman he loved. The writ­ing is rumi­na­tive, slow mov­ing, yet heartbreaking.