The second part of the book is told from the perspective of Ben, a Canadian professor of Jewish descent who was born in Canada to survivors of the Holocaust.

He is a big admirer of Jakob's poetry and respects the way he deals with the Holocaust, while Ben himself has trouble coping with the horrors his parents must have endured.

Fugitive Pieces contains themes of trauma, grief, loss and memory, primarily in relation to the Holocaust, which Michaels explores via metaphors such as nature.

The work is told in a poetic style, which has caused some critics to view it as an elegy,[2] and others, such as Donna Coffey, to feel that it re-imagines the literary telling of the Holocaust and also of nature.

John Mullan wrote that he feels that the book shows how the Holocaust and traumatic moments can impact generations of survivors and their family members.

[4] Fugitive Pieces also contains mentions of the senses, which are shown through an emphasis of Jakob hearing what happened to his family, rather than seeing the event take place, which in turns adds to his trauma and his inability to gain closure.

[5] The title of the novel is taken from Fugitive Pieces, Lord Byron's first volume of verse, privately printed in autumn 1806.

[7] Michaels has received praise from media outlets and academics such as John Mullan of University College London[4] and Michiko Kakutani.