“I am the child of a woman who survived the Holocaust not by the skin of her teeth but heroically;†writes Rita Goldberg. In a deeply moving second-generation Holocaust memoir; Goldberg introduces the extraordinary story of Hilde Jacobsthal; a close friend of Anne Frank’s family who was fifteen when the Nazis invaded Holland. After the arrest of her parents in 1943; Hilde fled to Belgium; living out the war years in an extraordinary set of circumstances—among the Resistance and at Bergen-Belsen after its liberation—that the Guardian newspaper judged “worthy of a film script.â€As astonishing as Hilde’s story is; Rita herself emerges as the central; fascinating character in this utterly unique account. Proud of her mother and yet struggling to forge an identity in the shadow of such heroic accomplishments (in a family setting that included close relationships with the iconic Frank family); Rita Goldberg reveals a little-explored aspect of Holocaust survival: the often-wrenching family and interpersonal struggles of the children and grandchildren whose own lives are haunted by historic tragedy.Motherland is the culmination of a lifetime of reflection and a decade of research. It is an epic story of survival; adventure; and new life.
#1703518 in Books 2011-09-20 2011-09-20Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.26 x 1.19 x 6.29l; 1.35 #File Name: 1616143940379 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. DisappointedBy kathieI was hoping the stories would be similar to Mr. Coan's first book "Ellis Island Interviews". Half this book dealt with recent affluent immigrants who really didn't struggle to come to America like the poor who came through Ellis Island. I found it difficult to feel the emotion of people who just hopped on a plane and in a matter of hours were here. I totally skipped over all the pages of statistics and just skimmed through some of the stories after the 1950's. The stories of the Von Trapps has been told so many times that it could have been omitted here. Mr. Coan is an excellent writer and I don't know what happened with this book. There were two stories that repeated almost word for word the feelings upon meeting their mother for the first time in America; thinking the Statue of Liberty was a dedication to her; how the mother was dressed; and initial impressions. It almost sounded like a copy and paste. If you really want to read about immigrants who overcame hardships and made a better life in this country; Ellis Island Interviews is far superior and a must read.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Three StarsBy Mary S. Harte Director of MarketingHeartfelt family histories.0 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Toward a Better LifeBy Joyce L. BuckleyI didn't like it.
