💌📚 Book Review 📚💌
Title: The Postcard
Author: Anne Berest, Translated by Tina Kover
Publisher: Europa Editions
Genre: Historical Fiction (Author’s family story so it has a biographical feel)
Wow. Wow. Wow. @suethebookie had recommend this awhile ago, but I baulked at it because it was almost 500 pages and did I really need to read another Holocaust book? But, when she published her top 10 favorites of 2023 and this one was on the list, that was the nudge that I needed. And to answer the question? Yes, I did and so do you!
This is a gut wrenching tribute to the author’s family.
It almost feels like two parts.
Our story begins in 2003 when a mysterious unsigned postcard shows up to Leila, the mother of Anne (the actual author). All it has on it is the four names of deceased family ancestors, who all died at Auschwitz. This part of the story takes us through the research of the Rabinovitches family and what happened to them. I think it often surprises people how many times and how many countries Jews had to flee from.
The second half circles back to 2018 and tackles Anne’s daughter getting bullied at school for being a Jew. We then go on a journey with Anne and her mother Leila as her mother shares all the research she’s already done about her mother (Anne’s grandmother) Myrian. Myrian by chance was no longer at the families countryside home after marrying a Parisian and was the only family member to survive. As you can imagine that was both heartbreaking and a huge weight to carry.
I did think the second half drug on a little more, but I do love very much and think it’s so important to learn about your heritage. Good and bad it should pass on to every generation so it’s never lost.
I liked how letters were included in the story too.
4.5 ⭐️ Must read! It is available on hoopla, but a little warning it’s messed up a little, every so often the font gets super teeny and there are huge gaps between pages. I also see it’s on there now in audio. (It wasn’t when I read it in late December)
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