Beyond the Chestnut Trees

by Maria Bauer

This absorbing and evocative memoir received warm praise from readers and reviewers alike upon its hardcover publication. It is impossible not to be moved and transported back in time by this masterfully written reminiscence of a woman who returns to Prague, the city of her youth, after a forty year absence.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Biography Memoir

224 pages, Hardcover

First published April 30, 1984

Reviews

[Giovanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very glad to have reread this especially while visiting Prague and also 30 years further along in life—

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finally got around to reading this and it really pulled me in. I loved the framing, the way the whole book was built around a week-long trip to Prague, the author's first (and only?) return to the city. Each day she went out and around town, and each day she encountered something - a person, a building, a meal - that took her back, down memory lane, and brought us along with her.

The story was not an uncommon one for the time and the place, but an illustrative one. I got a much better sense of what life looked like in Prague between the wars (for the rich) than any other book I've read about Prague at that time. But she doesn't dwell on the past. There are stories of lavish balls and parties, but there are also real observations on life under communism, of life as a war refugee at the onset of WWII, and more.

One thing I didn't expect was to be so touched by the Bauer's description of her and her husband's experience of McCarthyism. Reading that now, as we watch Trump wreak havoc on the United States, was in a way comforting. Comforting to be reminded that there have been times when we have lost faith in our government, when we have been reduced to witch hunts and blind accusations and little to no regard for the burden of proof. But it was also a different type of account than I have been used to seeing, and it was enlightening for that.

Overall, a lovely book, and quite well-written. I hope to come back to this one further down the line.

[Susan Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A compelling memoir.

[Karla Larson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good read about living in Prague before WWII and how it affected lives. Older book but captivating.

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A memoir from a delightfully non-professional writer. Has the flavor of older memoirs, before the advent of ghost writers. The book skips about a bit, as she fits in her fascinating experiences. The memories of the flight from Prague before the Nazis took over, from the perspective of a sheltered but steady young woman is particularly worth reading. Written as reminiscence, after her return in the eighties for a week.

[Adrienne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book years ago and have been searching for it for years. I remembered that the title contained the word "chestnut" but thought it was "Under the Chestnut Tree" which it was not. Amazon and library searching revealed nothing until the other day when I tried once again to find it. Success! I now want to read it again (if I can find a library copy).

I did manage to find a copy of this book - it's next up on my list.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this memoir of the author's childhood in Prague. She describes her life as the daughter of a wealthy businessman and what it was like to flee as the Germans occupied the city. The author very effectively weaves in the details of her present life and those of her sisters' as she tells how she felt when visiting places she knew in her childhood,.

[Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some very interesting descriptions of the attempt to flee France as the Nazis took over as well as her husband's ordeal during the Mccarthy hearings aimed at theVOA and the Foreign Service. Her schoolgirl crushes and other memories dilute the effect at least as far as I am concerned.

[melissa1lbr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really excellent - review on my blog soon!

[Karen Kirsten · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting memoir on a former life in Prague. It would have been drawn this reader in more had the author selected the more interesting moments of their life in the US, and perhaps left out others.