Author: Simon van der Heym
Published by Ivy House Publishing Group
ISBN 1-57197-420-2

The following review was contributed by Mary Simmons: Click Here to view Mary's other reviews.

Simon van der Heym chronicles one man's life journey in his debut novel, 'In
Search of a Brilliant White Cloud.'

Van der Heym draws on his own life experiences as a child fleeing the Nazi
invasion of Holland, a businessman, a husband and a father and a cancer
survivor.

His protagonist, Eric, goes through all of these same experiences. With each
episode in his life, he grows stronger and more self-aware, until he finally
comes to peace with all that has happened to him.

'In Search of a Brilliant White Cloud' traces Eric's journey from boyhood to
the verge of death. Readers will relate to many of the incidents described
in its pages and will discover life lessons as Eric discovers them at the
various periods in his life.

Tackling many issues, van der Heym raises awareness about the families which
were deeply affected by the Second World War. While we all know about the
millions who were imprisoned in concentration camps, the resulting deaths
and amazing stories of survival, 'In Search of a Brilliant White Cloud'
reminds us of the families who were able to escape the threat of the camps
by fleeing to places such as Switzerland.

Through the eyes of a nine-year-old boy who didn't even know he was Jewish - let alone what that meant - until the Nazi invasion of Holland in 1940, van der Heym takes us on
the family's journey to escape persecution. He also reminds us of the
countless people who generously and courageously risked their own lives to
save others.

As Eric grows to adulthood, van der Heym explores the dynamic of a loveless
marriage, divorce and the effect this has on a family.
He also touches on cultural differences through Eric's business trips to
Central America.And, finally, there is Eric's struggle with prostate cancer, which helps him
to appreciate how precious life is and gives him a sense of clarity.

Although, at times the reading was a bit slow and I never felt an emotional
connection to the characters, 'In Search of a Brilliant White Cloud' left me
thinking about my own life experiences and reminded me of the adage that
what does not kill you makes you stronger.