Muriel's War: An American Heiress in the Nazi Resistance

by Sheila Isenberg

Traces the life of an American heiress turned resistance hero, from Chicago's high society to a Viennese medical school, from Sigmund Freud's inner circle to the Austrian underground.

Genres: Holocaust, World War II, Nonfiction, History

519 pages, Library Binding

First published December 7, 2010

Reviews

[Chris Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

A journey into one of the most interesting lives I have read. Muriel's War creates tension, intrigue and fascination in the life of a woman who lived what she valued. Not much of that around today. It was a life Socrates (Know Thyself) would have admired. Muriel knew herself and transcended the things in life that constrict most people. She had a magnificent journey in a time of world strife and suffering. She was a true hero of superlative character. Muriel left the world a better place than when she entered it. A great read. Sometime you can't put the book down.

[Shauna Elias · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an inspiring woman. Muriel Gardiner is an individual that students should be taught about. I wish I had read her story sooner.

[thewanderingjew · Rating 4 out of 5]

The life of Muriel Gardiner Buttinger really began, before her birth, with her grandfathers who developed the meat packing industry in Chicago. Gus Swift and Nelson Morris developed an empire which made them very rich men. It was their fortunes that enabled her to live the life she chose. Although her father was Jewish, she was not raised in the Jewish faith. Religion was not a major issue to either her mother or her father. It was only during the time of Hitler's rise to power and enactment of the Nuremberg Laws against the Jews, that she became aware of and recognized her Jewish background.
At an early age, because of her relationship with her governess and a maid, she learned of the differences between the rich and poor. A sensitive girl, she was bothered by the injustice and she spent her life trying, in some fashion, to correct these circumstances wherever she witnessed them. She grew up to be a Socialist and renouncing her family fortune, she traveled to Europe, eventually settling in Vienna. She had one child, Connie, and two marriages ending in divorce, with the third and final one, being a marriage to the man she thought was the true love of her life, Joe Buttinger. This was no small feat since Muriel seemed to fall in an out of love with great frequency. She was in psychoanalysis, for years, with protégés of Freud and worked tirelessly toward become a psychoanalyst herself, studying medicine at the University of Vienna.
I did not feel the book was riveting but I found it extremely interesting to learn of someone I knew little about who was a true heroine. She was a special woman, a free thinker who marched to the beat of her own drummer and was perhaps a “saint among women”, except for her odd sense of morality, which was uncommon in her day. She was totally unselfish, non judgmental and compassionate. She felt the pain and need of others and provided for them whenever, wherever and however she could. A free spirit, she believed in free love and her life was guided by her enduring capacity to love and embrace others, sympathizing with their plight, empathizing with their suffering and providing for the needs of those less fortunate. I gave the book four stars because it was well written and I think it is important that her story be heard to shed further light on that awful period of history.
I did think, that although for much of her life Muriel gave up a luxurious lifestyle and chose to live as normally as most people, it is important to also note that had she not been an heiress to an enormous fortune, she would not have had the luxury to raise a child alone, be a long time student, study medicine while at the same time becoming an activist in Socialist organizations, or possibly even do the clandestine heroic work she did, undercover, during the Nazi regime. She used her fortune to save lives and put her own life at risk in order to do it, because her capacity to care, share and love was endless. Even at the end of her life, when she learned that she was dying, she did it with dignity. She made sure to provide for the continued needs of those she was helping and made sure that her foundation would continue to work toward world peace, justice, civil rights, etc., the causes she had spent her whole life working towards. Muriel seemed childlike in many ways; i thought she remained an eternal "idealist".

[John Kaufmann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book. Muriel was the independent-minded daughter of one of the Chicago meatpacking families. She is an interesting woman, with a social conscience - she even had a revolutionary streak and supported the socialists. She happened to be in Austria during the time the Nazis came to power there, and because of her privileged status as a wealthy American and her connections among the socialists, including her friend/lover, she was thrust into a position of providing haven and arranging for fake passports for many of them. While she didn't go out of her way to volunteer for such service, she accepted the responsibility and risk that came her way and did what she could to help, while nominally focused on getting her degree in psychoanalysis. The book is very well-written and kept my attention - it kept me wondering what was next. Unfortunately, what was next was not always as heroic as I expected - Muriel was a small and quiet hero, not a large one.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

True story of an American woman, heiress of the Swift (meatpacking) family. She disdained the live of a debutante, and became interested in women's and human rights She was in medical school in Vienna at the time the Nazi's rose to power and took over Austria. She and her husband helped many Socialists and Jews escaped. They were on the last boat from Europe. They helped found International Rescue Committee. Some believe Lillian Hellman's "Julia" was based on her life. She worked as a psychiatrist in New Jersey the rest of her life.

[Anna Carrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Muriel's War is a fabulously written account of an extraordinary woman. Though this book is less of a narrative and more of a well-researched biographical account, it is nonetheless captivating. Isenberg does an amazing job of taking all the many names and nuances of a complex life and period of history and keeping the reader next to her, facilitating this conveyance of a mass amount of information in an understandable way, while using lovely prose. A fascinating read.

[Marianne · Rating 2 out of 5]

A bit tedious, both the life itself and the writing about it. Interesting to read of the Austrian home-grown Nazi movement and how it appears to be at odds with the present-day idea of Austrians that they were victims overwhelmed by the Nazi takeover. Rather than a fascinating account of a fascinating life, it becomes a listing of Muriel's sexual escapades and train trips with cursory descriptions of the help she provided the poor.

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great biography of a woman who lived her life for others and made an impact on many lives through her kindnesses and generosity. I read this book because of the Lillian Hellman/Julia connection, but the story of Muriel's life held my attention.

[Sue Myers · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nonfiction book about an American heiress during WWII. She is the heir of a meat-packing family(Swift)and is in Vienna during the Nazi rise to power. Through her connections and money she saves many Jews and Socialists by getting them out of the country.

[Beky-Mae · Rating 2 out of 5]

Muriel's War reads more like a romantic novel rather then a tale of a heroine who was active in the resistance. It feels like the author was more interested in the love affairs and the dramas of being rich rather then the legitimate good that Muriel was known for.

[Jennifer Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting often inspiring, but slow at times.

[K C · Rating 1 out of 5]

What a terrible way to ruin a compelling life. Dry and boring writing does nothing to bring this woman's story to life.

[Judith Guyot · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is engrossing and very well written. I highly recommend it.

[Chantal · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fascinating story so far. Its fascinating that Muriel became a socialist and part of the WWII resistance movement despite her life of priviledge.

[Kathleen · Rating 2 out of 5]

rec by Martha

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting story. Not my favorite, but a good read.

[Jessi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well-written biography of a FASCINATING woman.