Review by Booklist Review
The memories of these 41 Holocaust survivors range in time from the early 1930s through the 1940s, from Jewish life before World War II to liberation and beyond, and from shtetls to large cities. Most of the survivors recorded their experiences at a writing workshop at the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh and some contributed stories previously written on their own. These firsthand accounts graphically depict peoples' sufferings--hunger, thirst, cold, exhaustion; helplessness, despair, and terror at the constant threat of death--as well as their grief over the loss of their families, homes, and even their culture. An addendum contains recollections by six American liberators of the concentration camps. --George Cohen
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Ranging from snapshots of pre-Holocaust life to survival in disguise and portraits of "the virtuous and the vicious," 92 vignettes by Holocaust survivors who participated in writing workshops at the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh are gathered in Flares of Memory: Stories of Childhood During the Holocaust, edited by Anita Brostoff, a retired Carnegie-Mellon University professor, with Sheila Chamovitz, a filmmaker. In "The Last Hiding Place," Libby Stern recounts watching from her home as German troops surrendered to the Russian Army. Hermine Markovitz tells of being saved by nuns in "The Convent in Marseille." A final section collects stories by American liberators. (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
The result of a series of writing workshops at the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh, this work is a record of pivotal moments during World War II as experienced by over 40 Jews from throughout Europe, with additional recollections by American liberators. The 92 vignettes gathered here focus on specific events, situations, places, or people that stand out in the memories of these survivors, who were children or teens during the war; their stories are "flares of memory" from a time when their lives were devastated by the Nazis. This is an impressive mix of poetry, short-short stories, and longer accounts. By homing in on specific memories, the writers avoid the rambling, vagueness, and repetitions typical of many collections of Holocaust memoirs and oral histories. The vast number of participants also yields enough material to give insight on events all over Europe at this time. Highly recommended for all libraries and essential for Holocaust collections. Jill Jaracz, MLIS, Chicago (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Booklist Review
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Review by Library Journal Review
