As a child, Esther Safran knew that her parents had been the only members of their immediate families to escape the reach of Nazi Germany during World War II. Natives of small villages in the Ukraine, they had survived due to their courage, some luck and the support of
…more strangers and friends. She yearned to know more but her parents were reluctant to talk about their experiences and share the stories of loss those years represented. In an attempt to solve some of the mysteries surrounding her family and to unveil the many secrets kept from her, she has devoted most of her adult life to researching her family history. Not only did she study archival records and historical documents, she traveled to Brazil and the Ukraine to meet with survivors who could help her tell her story. This book is the account of her efforts. The first half of the book is devoted to telling how her parents escaped, spent time in displaced persons camps and ultimately emigrated to the United States. The second portion focuses on her research and discoveries. This too reveals heartwarming detail and allows the reader to understand how important it is to embrace and honor family histories.
Although the narrative would benefit from additional editing during parts dealing with the research, the book is an important addition to the genre of Holocaust literature. It could even be considered an essential read for those wanting to better understand the impact of the attempted extermination of the Jews not only on actual survivors but on their extended families for generations. (less)
