The Unanswered Letter by Faris Cassell
From the blurb:
Dear Madam — You are surely informed about the situation of all Jews in Central Europe and this letter will not astonish you.
In August 1939, just days before World War II broke out in Europe, a Jewish man in Vienna named Alfred Berger mailed a desperate letter to a stranger in America who shared his last name.
By pure chance I got your address . . . I beg you instantly to send for me and my wife...
Decades later, journalist Faris Cassell stumbled upon the stunning letter and became determined to uncover the story behind it. How did the American Bergers respond? Did Alfred and his family escape Nazi Germany? Over a decade-long investigation in which she traveled thousands of miles, explored archives and offices in Austria, Belarus, Czech Republic, and Israel, interviewed descendants, and found letters, photos, and sketches made by family members during the Holocaust, Cassell wrote the devastating true story of The Unanswered Letter.
My thoughts:
I loved this book so much! It's poignant and heartbreaking, thoughtful, gripping, unforgettable and beautifully written. Once I started, I didn't want to stop. No matter how many books I read about the victims or the survivors of the Holocaust, their stories always get to me. This one is no different. The history of the Berger family made me smile...and cry. And Faris Cassell is such a good writer! I was drawn to her own part in this story as well.
"Alfred and Hedwig Berger had been ordinary people, like most of humanity--like me. They were important because they were human. ... This dramatic letter had drawn me irresistibly and haunted me with questions that reverberated through my life. I hoped to understand, at least a little, how divisions that separate people could grow to Holocaust dimensions."
This is a such a compelling story. In a lot of ways, it reminded me of another favorite nonfiction read: The Lost: A Search for Six of Six Million by Daniel Mendelsohn. Both are amazing books and well worth reading!
Happy Reading!
The Unanswered Letter sounds like a very compelling read! That time period is among one of the ones I read the most about. I haven't read either this or The Lost, but will definitely have to add them to my list to read. Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean...I read a lot of books about this time period, too. And both of these books are amazing reads; the stories they each tell are so powerful and unforgettable. I loved both of them.
DeleteSounds amazing! I need to read this one for sure.
ReplyDeleteIt's so good!
DeleteHi Lark, I was very interested when you mentioned The Lost by Daniel Mendelsohn because years ago I read a review of his book which contained an excerpt describing what happened when the Nazis entered his Uncle's town. I was horrified and The Lost became one of those books I have been afraid to read ever since. But your review makes me realize I should read The Lost and The Unanswered Letter because as you say reading is also about being moved, learning from history and being made to think.
ReplyDeleteBoth books deal with very sad times and events, but they're both so good I think everyone should read them. They take you on a very worthwhile journey, even though part of that journey totally made me cry. They are both books I would own and read again. :)
DeleteThis story sounds incredible! Now I want to read it :)
ReplyDeleteI wanted to let you know that I recently participated in a Narnia-themed blog tag, and thought you might be interested in posting about it, too! (If you can't or don't want to participate in the tag, though, no pressure.) If you're interested, the link is below.
https://steppingstonesbookreviews.blogspot.com/2020/11/narnia-blog-tag.html
Your post was a lot of fun. Thanks for tagging me. Don't know if I'll do it, but it's still fun. :)
DeleteOh wow. I feel like I need to know what happens now. Thank you for sharing this!
ReplyDeleteThis is a very compelling read!
DeleteI'll add both these books to my 2021 plans, it's important to keep reading these testimonies about what happened.
ReplyDeleteI agree! We need to remember what happened then so we can keep it from every happening again.
DeleteThe book is based upon such fascinating and potentially tragic premise. It certainly sounds like it is worth the read. When I was younger I read a lot of books about The Holocaust. They always disturbed me but as I get older I find them even more disturbing.
ReplyDeleteI think books like this are not only worth reading, but also important books to read despite how sad they can be, if only so that we never let anything like that happen again. You know?
DeleteThe Holocaust as a whole is so disturbing and hard to fathom, but reading the personal accounts break my heart even more! I hope this story had a happy ending.
ReplyDeleteI guess the fact that members of the Berger family did survive the war is happy. But most of their story is sad because what happened back then was so tragic.
DeleteBooks about wars and Holocaust are always so hard to read, no matter if they are fiction or real stories. The Unanswered Letter sounds like a book which will touch a reader's heart in so many ways. Will have to keep this book in mind.
ReplyDeleteIt's definitely a memorable read. :)
DeleteHow have I never come across this book? It sounds like such a compelling read, as does The Lost. I'm definitely gonna be checking to see if my library has them.
ReplyDeleteFingers crossed! The Unanswered Letter is fairly new, so hopefully they at least have that one. :)
DeleteOh, this does sound good, sad, but ultimately hopeful. And maybe something we should all be paying attention to right now.
ReplyDeleteI think so. Stories like these need to be remembered and read so that we don't end up repeating the past.
DeleteOh this sounds like it would be a fascinating read!
ReplyDeleteIt's so good! I really loved it. :)
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