A young woman moves across an ocean to uncover the truth about her grandparents' mysterious estrangement and pieces together the extraordinary story of their wartime experiences In 1948; after surviving World War II by escaping Nazi-occupied France for refugee camps in Switzerland; Miranda's grandparents; Anna and Armand; bought an old stone house in a remote; picturesque village in the South of France. Five years later; Anna packed her bags and walked out on Armand; taking the typewriter and their children. Aside from one brief encounter; the two never saw or spoke to each other again; never remarried; and never revealed what had divided them forever.A Fifty-Year Silence is the deeply involving account of Miranda Richmond Mouillot's journey to find out what happened between her grandmother; a physician; and her grandfather; an interpreter at the Nuremberg Trials; who refused to utter his wife's name aloud after she left him. To discover the roots of their embittered and entrenched silence; Miranda abandons her plans for the future and moves to their stone house; now a crumbling ruin; immerses herself in letters; archival materials; and secondary sources; and teases stories out of her reticent; and declining; grandparents. As she reconstructs how Anna and Armand braved overwhelming odds and how the knowledge her grandfather acquired at Nuremberg destroyed their relationship; Miranda wrestles with the legacy of trauma; the burden of history; and the complexities of memory. She also finds herself learning how not only to survive but to thrive--making a home in the village and falling in love.With warmth; humor; and rich; evocative details that bring her grandparents' outsize characters and their daily struggles vividly to life; A Fifty-Year Silence is a heartbreaking; uplifting love story spanning two continents and three generations.
#130256 in Books Bison Books 1999-08-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.02 x .56 x 5.98l; .82 #File Name: 0803287607254 pages
Review
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. Great addtion to the history of women in native american culturesBy Lehigh History StudentThea Perdue adds an excellent addition to the Indians of the Southeast series by giving a new perspective on the role of women in Cherokee society. There are very few books that assess how women were affected by European invaders in a traditional society. The women existed in a matrilineal world where they controlled trade and social functions which are retold expertly here. Perdue recounts how war; diplomacy; and economics changed the roles of women and how the European viewpoints were dominant. The book ends with a look at the supposed Renaissance that occurred when missionaries from the Moravians began to work on a language and develop societal roles in Cherokee tribes.The literature on Indians of the Southeast; and Indians in general; is growing quickly and this will become a staple within the historiography. For those who want to look at the history of the Cherokee this is an invaluable source. Furthermore for those who want to look at matrilineal roles and how they affected European and Indian relations than this is a great way to study them.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Women's cultural history at its bestBy Susan J. StoddardThis book raises the bar for women's cultural history in general and is a must-read for anyone interested in the history of the Cherokee; especially Cherokee women. Perdue's book is one of those rare works which has garnered numerous academic accolades with its depth of research still presenting it in a manner that makes it accessible to the average reader. While documenting the massive changes Cherokee women experienced through colonial contact and removal; she also tells the story of the continuity of a culture and a people. The choice of the cover art; a rendering of a woman from each of the seven clans; is brilliant as it emphasizes her principle point; Cherokee women are the people. Her scholarship is significantly influencing the field and works like this are the reason. If you are interested in Cherokee history; women's history or in obtaining a deeper understanding of southern American cultural; read this book.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Facinating and a good strong readBy Erica A. MilfordᎣáá²;Elaborating on the reasoning behind moontime and clarifying gender roles of both War Women and Beloved Women this book should be in every á£áŽ³áŽ© home with both women and men reading it. Rarely are there books published solely about the women it dwells into the old and new way that women and men work together to make our nation strong. Not sure how this book could be given below a 3 star rating.á©á™! For this book!
