The author recounts finding a telegram from Rebecca West tucked inside a secondhand copy of Black Lamb and Grey Falcon. The telegram, addressed to Ann Cottrell Free, hinted at a mystery involving West and a Jewish singer known as the Bulbul. West had described the Bulbul in glowing terms during her 1937 visit to Sarajevo, portraying her as a symbol of purity and artistic brilliance.
The telegram suggested a planned reunion, but the war intervened. Decades later, Free tracked the Bulbul down in a Yugoslav refugee camp in Sinai, where she sang with haunting beauty. The story underscores the tragedy of the Holocaust and the enduring power of art amid devastation.
Source: Hacker News · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing