When I purchased this book, I expected it to be about Jews who were able to survive in Germany during the WWII with the help of a Nazi soldier. I was wrong. The story is about a German woman who did what she had to do to ensure the survival of herself and her young daughter while still trying to help the prisoners at the nearby Buchenwald camp. Even though it wasn't what I had expected, I found myself looking forward to reading more each evening.
The story switches between the present day and the war years. From reading the story of the war years, you know that at some point Anna finally told her daughter Trudy about life during the war but you don't find out what made Anna decide to open up until the last few pages. It's a wonderful surprise at the end.
In the "Acknowledgements", the author makes a passing comment that this story is historical fiction. I found it to be very believable in part due to the author's writing style and in part due to the fact that very little of the history is fictional.
Showing posts with label Recommended books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Recommended books. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Brownsville: The Jewish Years, by Sylvia Siegel Schildt
This book was recommended to me by a cousin. My dad and his siblings grew up in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn so I definitely jumped on the recommendation. I had already learned a lot about their childhood from my dad and also my Uncle Len's stories. This book helped provide a more detailed picture of what life was like at that time.
The author uses an informal style to tell her story. The typos and grammatical errors are proof of that. The author and my Uncle Len appear to be about the same age and attended P.S. 175 at the same time. It would be funny if they had been classmates. I'm looking forward to bringing the book up to New York at Passover to show the family and see if my dad and Len have the same memories of Pitkin Avenue, the "Main Street" of Brownsville.
Of course the Brownsville of my dad's childhood doesn't exist anymore. I guess all things have to change. My ancestors wouldn't have worked as hard as they did if they hadn't wanted better lives, or to put it better, more opportunities, for their children. Maybe we need a little more of those simple days now.
The author uses an informal style to tell her story. The typos and grammatical errors are proof of that. The author and my Uncle Len appear to be about the same age and attended P.S. 175 at the same time. It would be funny if they had been classmates. I'm looking forward to bringing the book up to New York at Passover to show the family and see if my dad and Len have the same memories of Pitkin Avenue, the "Main Street" of Brownsville.
Of course the Brownsville of my dad's childhood doesn't exist anymore. I guess all things have to change. My ancestors wouldn't have worked as hard as they did if they hadn't wanted better lives, or to put it better, more opportunities, for their children. Maybe we need a little more of those simple days now.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Mayflower by Nathaniel Philbrick
Mayflower is the story of the original Plymouth settlement and beyond. It begins with the 1620 voyage of the Mayflower to New England, in modern day Massachusetts. The Pilgrims were searching for a place where they could live and worship in peace. What they found were major challenges every step of the way. The author describes their difficult voyage, their choice to end their journey in New England instead of continuing on to Virginia as originally planned, and difficulties of those first months trying to establish their town.
As the story continues through the first 55 years of the settlement at Plymouth, and the surrounding colonies of Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Maine, the author tells both sides of the story, detailing the struggles and successes of Pilgrims & Puritans and also the Native American tribes in the region. Most of the original settlers seemed content to live side by side with the Indians but the first and second generations born here were more intent to increase their wealth and destroy the "savages". Some of the Native Americans just accepted their situation while others chose to finally stand up and put an end to their mistreatment leading to King Philips War in 1675-6.
This easy read taught me more than I think I ever learned in school about the early days of the New England Colonies. One thing that occurred to me that I had never thought of before was the the Pilgrims arrived in New England in 1620 and, although there were already other settlements along the Atlantic seaboard, it was only 150 years before things came to a boil in New England between the American Colonies and the British. We went from a few scattered towns to a new country in what seems to me to be a short period of time. Even though many of the Mayflower passengers died during the passage or during that first winter, the surviving passengers would be proud to know that, according to the author, their descendents number approximately 35 million. Now those are some big family trees!
As the story continues through the first 55 years of the settlement at Plymouth, and the surrounding colonies of Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Maine, the author tells both sides of the story, detailing the struggles and successes of Pilgrims & Puritans and also the Native American tribes in the region. Most of the original settlers seemed content to live side by side with the Indians but the first and second generations born here were more intent to increase their wealth and destroy the "savages". Some of the Native Americans just accepted their situation while others chose to finally stand up and put an end to their mistreatment leading to King Philips War in 1675-6.
This easy read taught me more than I think I ever learned in school about the early days of the New England Colonies. One thing that occurred to me that I had never thought of before was the the Pilgrims arrived in New England in 1620 and, although there were already other settlements along the Atlantic seaboard, it was only 150 years before things came to a boil in New England between the American Colonies and the British. We went from a few scattered towns to a new country in what seems to me to be a short period of time. Even though many of the Mayflower passengers died during the passage or during that first winter, the surviving passengers would be proud to know that, according to the author, their descendents number approximately 35 million. Now those are some big family trees!
Saturday, November 29, 2008
The Lost by Daniel Mendelsohn
I just finished reading The Lost, A Search for Six of Six Million, by Daniel Mendelsohn. This book documents his search for information about his grandfather's older brother Shmiel, and his family, who perished in the Holocaust. It was very interesting reading how his quest evolved from only searching for information about how they died to also wanting to learn as much as possible about how they lived and who they were. The author was lucky to be able to speak face-to-face with people who knew Shmiel, his wife Ester, and their 4 daughters. His journey took him around the world to Australia, Stockholm, and Israel, as well as more than one trip back to the shtetl of Belochow. The only thing I didn't like were the bible analyses. I just skimmed over these sections. It's just not something that interests me.
One thing that amazed me as he described his meetings with the Belochow survivors around the world is a common trait among them that I, being Jewish, see as common among Jews...they want to feed you when you visit. Not just a little snack but trays of pastries and huge meals. I've never been to Israel but I can picture an entire country of people who, when you visit, say, "Come in, you look hungry, I'll fix you a plate." Hopefully I will get to test my theory next year.
The author also pointed out, when talking about his grandfather's storytelling style, that there was never a direct line from the beginning of the story to the end of the story. All of these little detours had to be taken to make sure the person listening to the story had all of the facts, ALL of the facts. My dad visited me for Thanksgiving and, listening to him, I heard the same style in his conversation.
The only time the story let me down, by no fault of the author, was near the end when he was finally able to get details about the Polish teachers who hid Shmiel and his daughter Frydka. When he found out that one of the teachers had an illegitimate child, I gasped "oh my god" and immediately thought that this was Frydka's baby and the teacher was pretending it was her child to save it. I let my imagination get the better of me and I was disappointed when the story didn't go in that direction. That would have been something though.
One thing that amazed me as he described his meetings with the Belochow survivors around the world is a common trait among them that I, being Jewish, see as common among Jews...they want to feed you when you visit. Not just a little snack but trays of pastries and huge meals. I've never been to Israel but I can picture an entire country of people who, when you visit, say, "Come in, you look hungry, I'll fix you a plate." Hopefully I will get to test my theory next year.
The author also pointed out, when talking about his grandfather's storytelling style, that there was never a direct line from the beginning of the story to the end of the story. All of these little detours had to be taken to make sure the person listening to the story had all of the facts, ALL of the facts. My dad visited me for Thanksgiving and, listening to him, I heard the same style in his conversation.
The only time the story let me down, by no fault of the author, was near the end when he was finally able to get details about the Polish teachers who hid Shmiel and his daughter Frydka. When he found out that one of the teachers had an illegitimate child, I gasped "oh my god" and immediately thought that this was Frydka's baby and the teacher was pretending it was her child to save it. I let my imagination get the better of me and I was disappointed when the story didn't go in that direction. That would have been something though.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
The Holocaust Chronicle
I strongly recommend this book for anyone interested in the Holocaust including the period leading up to the war. This is a large hardcover book written with contributions by several historians. It is very well organized. Most of the book follows a timeline type of format with a lot of short stories about various people and events. This makes it easy to read a few pages at a time, especially when you get into what I call the "heavy years", 1941-5. There are many pictures, some that I've never seen before, and may not be suited for any squimish. The 2,000+ pictures are mostly in black & white so no red blood but some still make your stomach turn.
I purchased this book at Borders for about $20. There is an insert noting that it was intentionally well-priced so that schools could afford them. I see it on amazon.com new for $47 and $12.85 for different publication dates (only a few weeks apart). Not sure what the difference is except for 3 more pages and a different color dust jacket on the later printing.
I purchased this book at Borders for about $20. There is an insert noting that it was intentionally well-priced so that schools could afford them. I see it on amazon.com new for $47 and $12.85 for different publication dates (only a few weeks apart). Not sure what the difference is except for 3 more pages and a different color dust jacket on the later printing.
Bashert: A Granddaughter's Holocaust Quest
This is the personal story of Andrea Simon's quest for information about her family members from Volchin, Belarus (formerly Poland) who were killed in the holocaust. Volchin is located near Brest, Belarus (former Brest-Litovsk, Poland) which is what sparked my interest since this is the town in which my grandfather was born. Her book contains a detailed account of the liquidation of Brest ghetto in October, 1942, the 2nd largest mass murder outside of the concentration camps.
Two of the author's accounts stand out in my mind (I hope I'm recalling them correctly):
One took place during a visit to Volchin when she and some local volunteers were helping clean up the Jewish cemetery. A young man who was helping came across the monument at the mass grave for the victims of the 1942 liquidation of the ghetto there. The young man had a puzzled look on his face after reading the plaque. The author tells that she later found out that this was because he hadn't learned anything about the holocaust in school.
Another story shows that some of the hatred that existed during WWII still exists today. The author was taking some photos around the town and noticed 2 young men sitting, having a smoke. She took their picture, waved, they waved back, she took another picture and then started walking toward them. When she got closer, they gave her a "hiel Hitler" salute. She was stunned. Personally I don't know if I would have froze where I stood or charged at them.
I e-mailed the author to tell her how much I enjoyed her story and commended her on her courage in visiting these towns. I hope one day to visit "the old country" too, probably with a backpack full of tissues in tow.
Two of the author's accounts stand out in my mind (I hope I'm recalling them correctly):
One took place during a visit to Volchin when she and some local volunteers were helping clean up the Jewish cemetery. A young man who was helping came across the monument at the mass grave for the victims of the 1942 liquidation of the ghetto there. The young man had a puzzled look on his face after reading the plaque. The author tells that she later found out that this was because he hadn't learned anything about the holocaust in school.
Another story shows that some of the hatred that existed during WWII still exists today. The author was taking some photos around the town and noticed 2 young men sitting, having a smoke. She took their picture, waved, they waved back, she took another picture and then started walking toward them. When she got closer, they gave her a "hiel Hitler" salute. She was stunned. Personally I don't know if I would have froze where I stood or charged at them.
I e-mailed the author to tell her how much I enjoyed her story and commended her on her courage in visiting these towns. I hope one day to visit "the old country" too, probably with a backpack full of tissues in tow.
700 Sundays by Billy Crystal
As a Billy Crystal fan, I jumped on this one when I saw it on the discount table at a local bookshop. I'm glad I did. It was an enjoyable, easy, fast read. I could almost hear him telling the story (for some jokes, you have to do this because they aren't as funny on paper). He talks about his relationship with his father, growing up surrounded by the world of jazz, and the famous people he knew as a child.
Matzo Balls for Breakfast by Alan King
The full title is Matzo Balls for Breakfast: and Other Memories of Growing Up Jewish. It was published several months after Alan King's death. It is a wonderful collection of stories from Alan himself as well as many Jews in the arts, politics, sports, and the entertainment industry. Some are one-liners, others are longer stories requiring several pages. Also included is a foreword by Larry King and the 3 eulogies given at his funeral by Billy Crystal, Rick Moranis, and Barbara Walters.
You don't have to be Jewish to enjoy this one.
You don't have to be Jewish to enjoy this one.
The Enemy At His Pleasure by S. Ansky
The full title is The Enemy At His Pleasure, A Journey Through the Jewish Pale of Settlement During World War I, by S. Ansky, edited and translated by Joachim Neugroschel. This is the personal account of the author four-year journey through the Pale of Settlement while working with relief agencies in the war torn borderlands during WWI. S. Ansky was an influential Jewish-Russian journalist, playwright, and politician. The author's daily accounts detail his struggles to raise funds, lobby and bribe at the czar's court, procure and transport food, medicine, and money to the ravaged Jewish towns, which, in the course of the war, were conquered and reconquered by Cossacks, Germans, Polish mercenaries, and Russian revolutionaries.
I generally purchase books like this because I still had family in Europe during WWI, in Brest-Litovsk, Poland, and in Lozdzieje (Lazdijai), Lithuania. I'm not sure if my grandfather's family was evacuated from Brest-Litovsk. My grandmother's family was evacuated east from Lithuania to Belarus in 1915 and remained there until at least 1917 (when her youngest brother was born). I always hope to see mention of my towns but rarely do. That doesn't mean I didn't learn something about what life was like for my ancestors. One thing I remember from the book that I did find interesting is that most of the Jews did not want handouts...they preferred a loan to take care of their families and communities themselves.
I generally purchase books like this because I still had family in Europe during WWI, in Brest-Litovsk, Poland, and in Lozdzieje (Lazdijai), Lithuania. I'm not sure if my grandfather's family was evacuated from Brest-Litovsk. My grandmother's family was evacuated east from Lithuania to Belarus in 1915 and remained there until at least 1917 (when her youngest brother was born). I always hope to see mention of my towns but rarely do. That doesn't mean I didn't learn something about what life was like for my ancestors. One thing I remember from the book that I did find interesting is that most of the Jews did not want handouts...they preferred a loan to take care of their families and communities themselves.
Shores of Refuge by Ronald Sanders
The complete title is Shores of Refuge, A Hundred Years of Jewish Emigration, by Ronald Sanders. The author begins in 1881 at the outbreak of the first pogroms in Ukraine. It began as a trickle, but by 1900 it would reach flood proportions, and in the decades that followed, it would wax and wane with the currents of anti-semitism. Drawing on archival materials--diaries, memoirs, interviews, reports--the author reconstructs the world these Jews left and the worlds they entered.
This book was different than everything else I had read about US immigration because it is about emigration, not immigration. It is the story about what life was like for people trying to escape the hard lives they lead in eastern Europe. The book helped explain the flow of people to and through the towns where they needed to be processed to receive the proper paperwork for travel. I now know that anyone who emigrated shortly after WWI who listed Brody, Galicia (Ukraine) may not have been born or raised in that town. Brody was a major processing center for the aid societies.
I've run several town "sounds like" searches on the Ellis Island database using the Steve Morse search engine. One thing that is consistent from town to town is the gap in arrival dates. For all of the searches I've run, there are no arrivals at Ellis Island from 1915-1919. During the war it was difficult, if not impossible to travel, except for maybe running from the latest battle.
This book was different than everything else I had read about US immigration because it is about emigration, not immigration. It is the story about what life was like for people trying to escape the hard lives they lead in eastern Europe. The book helped explain the flow of people to and through the towns where they needed to be processed to receive the proper paperwork for travel. I now know that anyone who emigrated shortly after WWI who listed Brody, Galicia (Ukraine) may not have been born or raised in that town. Brody was a major processing center for the aid societies.
I've run several town "sounds like" searches on the Ellis Island database using the Steve Morse search engine. One thing that is consistent from town to town is the gap in arrival dates. For all of the searches I've run, there are no arrivals at Ellis Island from 1915-1919. During the war it was difficult, if not impossible to travel, except for maybe running from the latest battle.
Defy the Darkness by Joe Rosenblum & David Kohn
The full title is Defy the Darkness, A Tale of Courage in the Shadow of Mengele by Joe Rosenblum and David Kohn. This is the personal story of Joe Rosenblum, caught in the whirlwind of the Holocaust, who survived a chain of events so harrowing they almost defy belief. The author lived through the full spectrum of Nazi horrors, from the initial occupation to the forced march to Germany at the end of the war. He escaped the deportations from his town of Miedzyrzec, Poland, thanks to help from a local gentile family. When it became too dangerous for this family to hide him any longer, he went into the forests and joined the Russian partisans. Once being captured by the Nazis, he begins his journey through three concentration camps--Majdanek, Auschwitz, and Dachau.
While in the camps, he worked for the underground to help other prisoners and save children from the gas chambers. At Auschwitz, he worked for the infamous Dr. Mengele and, amazingly, was actually saved, yes saved, when Mengele performed surgery on him. This perhaps makes him the only Jew saved by the deadly doctor's skills.
An amazing story!
While in the camps, he worked for the underground to help other prisoners and save children from the gas chambers. At Auschwitz, he worked for the infamous Dr. Mengele and, amazingly, was actually saved, yes saved, when Mengele performed surgery on him. This perhaps makes him the only Jew saved by the deadly doctor's skills.
An amazing story!
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