This poignant memoir by Noah Lederman; the grandson of Holocaust survivors; transports readers from his grandparents’ kitchen table in Brooklyn to World War II Poland. In the 1950s; Noah’s grandparents raised their children on Holocaust stories. But because tales of rebellion and death camps gave his father and aunt constant nightmares; in Noah’s adolescence Grandma would only recount the PG version. Noah; however; craved the uncensored truth and always felt one right question away from their pasts. But when Poppy died at the end of the millennium; it seemed the Holocaust stories died with him. In the years that followed; without the love of her life by her side; Grandma could do little more than mourn.After college; Noah; a travel writer; roamed the world for fifteen months with just one rule: avoid Poland. A few missteps in Europe; however; landed him in his grandparents’ country. When he returned home; he cautiously told Grandma about his time in Warsaw; fearing that the past would bring up memories too painful for her to relive. But; instead; remembering the Holocaust unexpectedly rejuvenated her; ending five years of mourning her husband. Together; they explored the memories—of Auschwitz and a half-dozen other camps; the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising; and the displaced persons camps—that his grandmother had buried for decades. And the woman he had playfully mocked as a child became his hero.I was left with the stories—the ones that had been hidden; the ones that offered catharsis; the ones that gave me a second hero; the ones that resurrected a family; the ones that survived even death. Their shared journey profoundly illuminates the transformative power of never forgetting.
#1206533 in Books 2014-05-29Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.28 x .85 x 6.34l; 1.07 #File Name: 1442223278218 pages
Review
25 of 27 people found the following review helpful. Islam Remains MystifyingBy William CarpenterI have had the great pleasure of hearing Harris Zafar speak at interfaith gatherings and other such occasions. He is articulate; informed; and interesting.Unfortunately; these qualities are not apparent in his book; Demystifying Islam: Tackling the Tough Questions. He has chapters that explain the basics about Islam and tackle a series of difficult issues: Jihad; Shariah; Religious Freedom; Free Speech; Women's Rights; Jesus Christ; and the various sects of Islam. Over and over again one learns that Muslims and Muslim-majority countries have misinterpreted Islam and are acting against its dictates. I was left more than a bit mystified as to why so many Muslim political entities fail to follow the teachings of Islam.The author has to engage in sometimes extremely convoluted linguistic and logical work in order to justify Islamic positions in these areas. This was particularly true in two chapters. In the chapter on women's rights for example; we learn that men and women are equal before God; but men must protect the honor of women (who should wear head coverings). Men are also responsible for earning a living while women have an equal responsibility for rearing children. In the chapter on Jesus Christ; we learn that Jesus survived his crucifixion and lived quietly the remainder of his life teaching the 10 Lost Tribes of Israel.There are other difficult claims as well; including that the text of the Quran has never been altered. Zafar notes that Muslims accept and revere the prophets of other religions - such as Confucius; Buddha; Socrates; etc. I am unaware that Socrates; the Buddha; or Confucius thought that they were founding religions. I was also surprised to read that it was the Jews that tried to execute Jesus on the cross. This libel was rejected by the Catholic Church at the Second Vatican Council and I was sorry to see it repeated in this book.The final chapter of the book; on the sects of Islam; was by far the best. Zafar does an excellent job giving the historical and theological background on the split between the Sunnis; Shias; and other sects; as well as a good update on more recent sects such as the Sufis and the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community; the author's own group. This sect believes that the messiah returned in the late 1800's in the person of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian; India. He advocated "Jihad by the pen;" i.e. defending the faith through writing; wisdom; and intellect. Zafar is following just that path with this book.Ahmad also re-established the Khilafat (Caliphate). This is particularly interesting at a time (I wrote this review in July; 2014) when ISIS in Iraq and Syria has just declared a Caliphate. An issue of The Economist this month talks about "The tragedy of the Arabs" who once had a dynamic civilization and led the world in learning; tolerance; and trade - a thousand years ago. This book sheds a little light on how that tradition was lost but offers no hope for recovering it.1 of 2 people found the following review helpful. This book is a fantastic one for knowing about Islam with truth and basics ...By Sheraz AhmedThis book is a fantastic one for knowing about Islam with truth and basics without false interpretations and references. I recommend to all who wants to learn about Islam this book is a gem.1 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy literary10A wonderfully clear book. Zafar was able to address the common misconceptions and critics allegations about Islam.
