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The Writing on the Wall: How One Boy, My Father, Survived the Holocaust
In 1939, as Hitler's troops march on Prague, a Jewish couple makes a heartbreaking decision that will save their eight-year-old son's life but change their family forever. Australian journalist Juliet Rieden grew up in England in the 1960s and 70s always sensing that her family was different in some way. She longed to have relatives and knew precious little about her Czech father's childhood as a refugee. On the night before Juliet's father died, in 2006, Juliet's father suddenly looked up and "The plane is in the hangar." In the years after his death, Juliet comes to truly understand the significance of these words. On a trip to Prague she is shocked to see the Rieden name written many times over on the walls of the Pinkas Synagogue memorial. These names become the catalyst for a life-changing journey that uncovers a personal Holocaust tragedy of epic proportions. Juliet traces the grim fate of her father's cousins, aunts and uncles on visits to Auschwitz and Theresienstadt concentration camps and learns about the extremes of cruelty, courage and kindness. Then in a locked box in Britain's National Archives, she discovers a stash of documents including letters from her father that reveal intimate details of his struggle. Meticulously researched and beautifully told, this is the moving story of a woman's quest to piece together the hidden parts of her father's life and the unimaginable losses he was determined to protect his children from.
288 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2019
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October 1, 2019
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With a touching forward from Magda Szubanski, The Writing on the Wall by Juliet Rieden is a moving memoir of family, history, tragedy and the Holocaust.
‘Many of Juliet’s family did not survive. This deeply moving account reminds us that even those who did not perish in the flames were severely burned by their cruel heat.’
The Writing on the Wall is Juliet Rieden’s penetrative investigation into the life of her father and his extended family. John Rieden was a young boy who was ‘saved’ by the tyranny of the Nazi regime. However, he found further despair and displacement as a refugee in England in the years that followed. This memoir is also a raw account of the lives and scope of Rieden family tree. The descendants of Juliet’s father all faced the flames of the Holocaust. Compassionate, informative, emotional and factual, The Writing on the Wall is a trail into a past we never want to bear witness to again.
The Writing on the Wall is penned by Australian journalist Juliet Rieden. Rieden is a woman who lived in the shadow of her father’s haunted past. As a young boy, John Rieden was transported to live in the UK, and he had to leave his parents behind in order to preserve his young life. Juliet’s father was rarely forthcoming with information about his past, or his family. However, on the night he passes away, his last words send Juliet on a mission to uncover meaning of the phrase, ‘The Plane is in the hangar.’ An expansive and exhaustive investigation that takes place over an eighteenth month period begins. It will send Juliet far and wide. It will also see the determined journalist travel to lands afar physically and send her through the ringer emotionally. The process of compiling The Writing on the Wall involves Juliet visiting Prague, Auschwitz, and the UK. During this investigation, Juliet learns of the tragic fate of her relatives and their mark on the world. Many of her family’s final moments will leave a deep impression on this woman’s mind. Although Juliet traces an incredibly dark chapter in her family’s history, she is surprised to encounter acts of kindness, compassion and bravery. Along this journey, Juliet learns more about her father than she ever would have thought possible. Juliet sees John Rieden in a whole new light, following the conclusion of her investigative efforts.
Juliet Rieden, the author of The Writing on the Wall, is a veteran journalist with over thirty years of experience in the field. Rieden has also worked as an editor, a royal correspondent and she has released the book, The Royals in Australia. However, nothing could prepare her for the emotional undertaking of The Writing on the Wall, which is a memoir exposing the story behind her father’s roots and the huge loss of his family during the Holocaust. Delicately told and backed up with a heavy amount of first hand research, The Writing on the Wall is a must read.
It is hard to imagine just how Juliet Rieden would have felt when her father uttered those final, but puzzling last words that sent on her such a journey of self-discovery. John Rieden’s parting words were so affecting that his daughter knew she had to uncover the meaning behind what he had revealed. What followed was an eighteen month quest, involving archival research, first hand visits to key European locales, plenty of dead ends, surprises and much more. In the process, Juliet is overcome by moments of great sadness, anger, shock and understanding.
Juliet Rieden’s strong journalistic background compliments this memoir, providing the ideal framework for this Holocaust and family based account. Juliet Rieden’s approach to this book is measured and informed. She is able to balance the awful horrors of what happened to her descendants, with informed fact and emotion. However, I felt every blow for Juliet, as the stories of relative after relative all ended in cruel loss. It reminds us of the true horrors and inhumanity of the Nazi mindset. The Writing on the Wall acts as a permanent warning that we should never walk in the dark footsteps of this horrific regime.
Interspersed between Juliet Rieden’s investigations into her father’s past are letters, family trees, magazine extracts, inscriptions, documentary notes, statements, reports and testimonies. Supporting these supplementary articles is an informative resources page. The acknowledgements section also provides further insight into the hard work and dedication that the author has put into this memoir. Finally, a sixteen page photo spread located in the centre of the book, provides a strong visual record of this incredible family history investigation.
As always with memoirs of this nature, it is hard to say that The Writing on the Wall was enjoyable. I will say that Juliet Rieden’s account is a meaningful and essential undertaking, that has being lovingly compiled by the author as a way of better understanding her father’s tragic lineage.
*I wish to thank Pan Macmillan for providing me with a free copy of this book for review purposes.
The Writing on the Wall is book #122 of the 2019 Australian Women Writers Challenge
With a touching forward from Magda Szubanski, The Writing on the Wall by Juliet Rieden is a moving memoir of family, history, tragedy and the Holocaust.
‘Many of Juliet’s family did not survive. This deeply moving account reminds us that even those who did not perish in the flames were severely burned by their cruel heat.’
The Writing on the Wall is Juliet Rieden’s penetrative investigation into the life of her father and his extended family. John Rieden was a young boy who was ‘saved’ by the tyranny of the Nazi regime. However, he found further despair and displacement as a refugee in England in the years that followed. This memoir is also a raw account of the lives and scope of Rieden family tree. The descendants of Juliet’s father all faced the flames of the Holocaust. Compassionate, informative, emotional and factual, The Writing on the Wall is a trail into a past we never want to bear witness to again.
The Writing on the Wall is penned by Australian journalist Juliet Rieden. Rieden is a woman who lived in the shadow of her father’s haunted past. As a young boy, John Rieden was transported to live in the UK, and he had to leave his parents behind in order to preserve his young life. Juliet’s father was rarely forthcoming with information about his past, or his family. However, on the night he passes away, his last words send Juliet on a mission to uncover meaning of the phrase, ‘The Plane is in the hangar.’ An expansive and exhaustive investigation that takes place over an eighteenth month period begins. It will send Juliet far and wide. It will also see the determined journalist travel to lands afar physically and send her through the ringer emotionally. The process of compiling The Writing on the Wall involves Juliet visiting Prague, Auschwitz, and the UK. During this investigation, Juliet learns of the tragic fate of her relatives and their mark on the world. Many of her family’s final moments will leave a deep impression on this woman’s mind. Although Juliet traces an incredibly dark chapter in her family’s history, she is surprised to encounter acts of kindness, compassion and bravery. Along this journey, Juliet learns more about her father than she ever would have thought possible. Juliet sees John Rieden in a whole new light, following the conclusion of her investigative efforts.
Juliet Rieden, the author of The Writing on the Wall, is a veteran journalist with over thirty years of experience in the field. Rieden has also worked as an editor, a royal correspondent and she has released the book, The Royals in Australia. However, nothing could prepare her for the emotional undertaking of The Writing on the Wall, which is a memoir exposing the story behind her father’s roots and the huge loss of his family during the Holocaust. Delicately told and backed up with a heavy amount of first hand research, The Writing on the Wall is a must read.
It is hard to imagine just how Juliet Rieden would have felt when her father uttered those final, but puzzling last words that sent on her such a journey of self-discovery. John Rieden’s parting words were so affecting that his daughter knew she had to uncover the meaning behind what he had revealed. What followed was an eighteen month quest, involving archival research, first hand visits to key European locales, plenty of dead ends, surprises and much more. In the process, Juliet is overcome by moments of great sadness, anger, shock and understanding.
Juliet Rieden’s strong journalistic background compliments this memoir, providing the ideal framework for this Holocaust and family based account. Juliet Rieden’s approach to this book is measured and informed. She is able to balance the awful horrors of what happened to her descendants, with informed fact and emotion. However, I felt every blow for Juliet, as the stories of relative after relative all ended in cruel loss. It reminds us of the true horrors and inhumanity of the Nazi mindset. The Writing on the Wall acts as a permanent warning that we should never walk in the dark footsteps of this horrific regime.
Interspersed between Juliet Rieden’s investigations into her father’s past are letters, family trees, magazine extracts, inscriptions, documentary notes, statements, reports and testimonies. Supporting these supplementary articles is an informative resources page. The acknowledgements section also provides further insight into the hard work and dedication that the author has put into this memoir. Finally, a sixteen page photo spread located in the centre of the book, provides a strong visual record of this incredible family history investigation.
As always with memoirs of this nature, it is hard to say that The Writing on the Wall was enjoyable. I will say that Juliet Rieden’s account is a meaningful and essential undertaking, that has being lovingly compiled by the author as a way of better understanding her father’s tragic lineage.
*I wish to thank Pan Macmillan for providing me with a free copy of this book for review purposes.
The Writing on the Wall is book #122 of the 2019 Australian Women Writers Challenge
October 28, 2019
‘When I started the research for this book I had no idea what, if anything, I would uncover.’
Juliet Rieden grew up in England during the 1960s and 1970s, knowing very little about her Czech father’s life. He had come to England as a refugee in 1939 and spoke little about his family. After he died in 2006, Juliet embarked on a quest to find out more about his family history. On a trip to Prague, she found the Rieden name written many times on the walls of the Pinkas Synagogue memorial.
How did her father escape the fate of so many of his relatives? I read of the decision taken by Ms Rieden’s Jewish grandparents which saved their 8-year-old son’s life. Ms Rieden travelled to the Auschwitz and Theresienstadt concentration camps and I read, through tears, of the fate of his cousins, aunts and uncles.
‘The first thing I learn is that Rieden is not actually our family name at all.’
And there is the history behind the name change, of Jewish persecution, of what happened during the war years. This is a memoir about one family, almost annihilated. It is also a tribute to Ms Rieden’s grandparents and father, to the heart-breaking decisions and sacrifices they made.
It is uncomfortable to read this account, to be reminded of the horrors. But we must not forget.
‘This deeply moving account reminds us that even those who did not perish in the flames were severely burned by their cruel heat.’ (Magda Szubanski)
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Juliet Rieden grew up in England during the 1960s and 1970s, knowing very little about her Czech father’s life. He had come to England as a refugee in 1939 and spoke little about his family. After he died in 2006, Juliet embarked on a quest to find out more about his family history. On a trip to Prague, she found the Rieden name written many times on the walls of the Pinkas Synagogue memorial.
How did her father escape the fate of so many of his relatives? I read of the decision taken by Ms Rieden’s Jewish grandparents which saved their 8-year-old son’s life. Ms Rieden travelled to the Auschwitz and Theresienstadt concentration camps and I read, through tears, of the fate of his cousins, aunts and uncles.
‘The first thing I learn is that Rieden is not actually our family name at all.’
And there is the history behind the name change, of Jewish persecution, of what happened during the war years. This is a memoir about one family, almost annihilated. It is also a tribute to Ms Rieden’s grandparents and father, to the heart-breaking decisions and sacrifices they made.
It is uncomfortable to read this account, to be reminded of the horrors. But we must not forget.
‘This deeply moving account reminds us that even those who did not perish in the flames were severely burned by their cruel heat.’ (Magda Szubanski)
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
September 2, 2019
This beautiful poignant memoir is a reminder of why we need to take refugees into our countries with open arms...
Juliet's father survived the Holocaust, his parents escaped with their lives, but they lost their homes, their livelihoods, their families, their dignity and the country they knew and loved. Nothing was the same. They were plagued with horrors for the rest of their days.
Juliet traces how her father managed to escape, how he was "saved" by Christian missionaries, how England and the rest of the world did very little to protect Czech people after handing it over to the Nazis. How the world knew about the Holocaust and did nothing. She sees first hand the horrors of Auschwitz.
Juliet uncovers family secrets hidden for decades and shouts loudly to us all - THIS MUST NEVER BE FORGOTTEN!
Her memoir is wonderfully written, and a triumph of work. It made me laugh, it shook me to my core, and implored me to find out more.
In this modern world of new-age hate, terrorism and accepted pseudo-fascism it is all the more important to remember the mistakes of the past.
A triumph of a book and highly recommended.
Juliet's father survived the Holocaust, his parents escaped with their lives, but they lost their homes, their livelihoods, their families, their dignity and the country they knew and loved. Nothing was the same. They were plagued with horrors for the rest of their days.
Juliet traces how her father managed to escape, how he was "saved" by Christian missionaries, how England and the rest of the world did very little to protect Czech people after handing it over to the Nazis. How the world knew about the Holocaust and did nothing. She sees first hand the horrors of Auschwitz.
Juliet uncovers family secrets hidden for decades and shouts loudly to us all - THIS MUST NEVER BE FORGOTTEN!
Her memoir is wonderfully written, and a triumph of work. It made me laugh, it shook me to my core, and implored me to find out more.
In this modern world of new-age hate, terrorism and accepted pseudo-fascism it is all the more important to remember the mistakes of the past.
A triumph of a book and highly recommended.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 3, 2020
One of the best books about the Holocaust I have read in a long time.
Juliet deals with the difficult topics of identity, religion, secrecy, and shame by uncovering her Father and his family's Holocaust story. There was certainly an element of "survivors guilt".
It was so poignant, sad and the unfolding discoveries about her family's life was very interesting. I wanted to know more.
Some parts of the book were truly shocking, especially when you consider that the world did very little to help the Jews, and acted like they knew nothing until afterwards.
This book was absolutely amazing, and I would recommend to anyone who wanted a different perspective on the Holocaust.
A very beautiful and well researched book.
Juliet deals with the difficult topics of identity, religion, secrecy, and shame by uncovering her Father and his family's Holocaust story. There was certainly an element of "survivors guilt".
It was so poignant, sad and the unfolding discoveries about her family's life was very interesting. I wanted to know more.
Some parts of the book were truly shocking, especially when you consider that the world did very little to help the Jews, and acted like they knew nothing until afterwards.
This book was absolutely amazing, and I would recommend to anyone who wanted a different perspective on the Holocaust.
A very beautiful and well researched book.
March 12, 2020
Exceptionally well written. Some of these memoirs can get a bit much so it's nice to do it from Juliets starting point and she keeps the reader along with her, changing up the narrative as we follow her path discovering so much about her father and relatives.
January 4, 2020
Thank you Juliet Rieden for all the wonderful courage & commitment that you showed in researching your father’s flight from Prague as a young boy & the heartbreaking stories of the deaths of his extended family in the Nazi extermination camps. I read your book so carefully as I wanted to honour the people that you brought to us as happy, respected, much loved members of society who were systematically dehumanised through the evil machinations of the Nazi regime & then killed.
I have stood at walls of the Pinkas Synagogue & have been so heartbroken to read the thousands of names& I wept reading the children’s letters and their drawings.I was haunted by the photo of young Hanus with his parents as they boarded the bus to the airport. His father would never see his son again. I could not understand why his parents, after surviving the horrors of Theresienstadt did not move heaven & earth to be reunited with their little boy. I can see the money and visa issues and their wish to leave him in England but his mother did not see him until 26 years later! He must have been the most amazing person to not let this abandonment affect his relationships with his own children. And don’t start me on the Barbican Mission. Of course a Jewish parent would agree to their child’s conversion to the Christian faith if it meant they would live. Plus the heartless bureaucracy of the Czech Trust Fund in their responses to the very polite and reasonable requests for financial assistance. I found those final letters just made my blood boil.
I have been deeply moved by this book & it will stay with me forever. You have honoured your father, your darling mother, grandparents & all your lost relatives in the most respectful and beautiful way.
I have stood at walls of the Pinkas Synagogue & have been so heartbroken to read the thousands of names& I wept reading the children’s letters and their drawings.I was haunted by the photo of young Hanus with his parents as they boarded the bus to the airport. His father would never see his son again. I could not understand why his parents, after surviving the horrors of Theresienstadt did not move heaven & earth to be reunited with their little boy. I can see the money and visa issues and their wish to leave him in England but his mother did not see him until 26 years later! He must have been the most amazing person to not let this abandonment affect his relationships with his own children. And don’t start me on the Barbican Mission. Of course a Jewish parent would agree to their child’s conversion to the Christian faith if it meant they would live. Plus the heartless bureaucracy of the Czech Trust Fund in their responses to the very polite and reasonable requests for financial assistance. I found those final letters just made my blood boil.
I have been deeply moved by this book & it will stay with me forever. You have honoured your father, your darling mother, grandparents & all your lost relatives in the most respectful and beautiful way.
October 22, 2019
Juliet Rieden has written a very powerful book taking us through her experience of researching the Rieden family history. Juliet’s family were Jewish and many of them sent to Hitler’s concentration camps. However, one fateful decision of her grandparents managed to save the life of their son, Juliet’s father, and in doing so, Juliet is here now to tell the story of her family’s plight, of the heartbreaking decisions made to separate her father from his parents and the harrowing tale of indignity and suffering suffered by her family.
This is a very important memoir of Juliet’s family but also vastly important as a documented history of what went on during the war years. There will be no more deceit, cover-ups and lies; the truth is here to be witnessed and never forgotten.
I found this book very interesting but also deeply distressing. I skipped over the paragraphs describing the gas chambers, I just can’t bring myself to read about this yet. No doubt the tales of folklore are vastly different to the truth that Juliet has discovered and just the thought of the gas chambers is too distressing for me. I will read these paragraphs one day, but not at this time.
I commend Juliet on her efforts to research her family history and to share this to us all. I am very grateful, as I’m sure are many others, that the truth of the concentration camps is known and will never be forgotten.
Thank you to Juliet Rieden, Pan Macmillan Australia and Beauty & Lace Book Club for the privilege of reading this book.
To the souls who suffered, you will never be forgotten. Rest in Peace.
This is a very important memoir of Juliet’s family but also vastly important as a documented history of what went on during the war years. There will be no more deceit, cover-ups and lies; the truth is here to be witnessed and never forgotten.
I found this book very interesting but also deeply distressing. I skipped over the paragraphs describing the gas chambers, I just can’t bring myself to read about this yet. No doubt the tales of folklore are vastly different to the truth that Juliet has discovered and just the thought of the gas chambers is too distressing for me. I will read these paragraphs one day, but not at this time.
I commend Juliet on her efforts to research her family history and to share this to us all. I am very grateful, as I’m sure are many others, that the truth of the concentration camps is known and will never be forgotten.
Thank you to Juliet Rieden, Pan Macmillan Australia and Beauty & Lace Book Club for the privilege of reading this book.
To the souls who suffered, you will never be forgotten. Rest in Peace.
October 15, 2019
I found “The Writing On The Wall” a challenging read. It was all a little too real. Ironically it is this rawness that makes the book the beautiful written story it is.
Juliet Rieden tells the story of her father and his family: a story that was never told; a story of horrors that no-one should have to endure. She never knew her father’s history and only stumbled upon it. This brings up many questions and the author sets off to find the answers.
I cannot imagineine what it was like to discover the atrocities she did. It was hard enough to read of them. However they were a part of her father and his parents and therefore a part of her
The one thing that kept coming through for me is that we must learn from history and this should never ever be allowed to happen again
This is a beautifully written book and as much as I struggled with it, I enjoyed it. Thank you to Beauty and Lace and Pan Macmillan for the opportunity to read and review a book that I probably would not have chosen myself. Sometimes it is a good thing to step outside your comfort zone. This was one of those times.
Juliet Rieden tells the story of her father and his family: a story that was never told; a story of horrors that no-one should have to endure. She never knew her father’s history and only stumbled upon it. This brings up many questions and the author sets off to find the answers.
I cannot imagineine what it was like to discover the atrocities she did. It was hard enough to read of them. However they were a part of her father and his parents and therefore a part of her
The one thing that kept coming through for me is that we must learn from history and this should never ever be allowed to happen again
This is a beautifully written book and as much as I struggled with it, I enjoyed it. Thank you to Beauty and Lace and Pan Macmillan for the opportunity to read and review a book that I probably would not have chosen myself. Sometimes it is a good thing to step outside your comfort zone. This was one of those times.
October 15, 2019
Thank you to Dymocks of Morley, Western Australia and Pan Macmillan for my uncorrected proof.
This book is very well written, thoroughly researched and the writing style is very easy to follow and understand.
The story is so heartwrenching and the author describes the situations so well that I could feel the fear, hopelessness and despair of the characters. The author goes on a very personal journey discovering what happened to her father, grandparents and the rest of her Czechoslovakian family during the reign of Hitler.
Highly recommend to anyone that wants to read or learn about the Holocaust.
This book is very well written, thoroughly researched and the writing style is very easy to follow and understand.
The story is so heartwrenching and the author describes the situations so well that I could feel the fear, hopelessness and despair of the characters. The author goes on a very personal journey discovering what happened to her father, grandparents and the rest of her Czechoslovakian family during the reign of Hitler.
Highly recommend to anyone that wants to read or learn about the Holocaust.
November 24, 2019
Well researched and clearly told, this memoir tells a story that is at once unique and all too common. Anyone who is descended from survivors of the holocaust will be familiar with the fact that those who escaped Nazi Germany basically did not talk about their experiences.
In this book, Juliet traces her family history and in doing so manages to tell a wider story that involves antisemitism, courage and resilience. Parts of the narrative were harrowing, distressing and deeply sad yet throughout there is a sense of hope.
'The Writing on the Wall' makes the story of Holocaust survival accessible to a modern audience and helps keep the memory of that time period alive.
In this book, Juliet traces her family history and in doing so manages to tell a wider story that involves antisemitism, courage and resilience. Parts of the narrative were harrowing, distressing and deeply sad yet throughout there is a sense of hope.
'The Writing on the Wall' makes the story of Holocaust survival accessible to a modern audience and helps keep the memory of that time period alive.
August 13, 2020
Similarly to Arianne Neumann in "When Time Stopped" and to many adult children of Holocaust survivors, Juliet Rieden found part of her grief at the death of her father included the mystery of what he had experienced during the Holocaust and chose never to discuss. Her devotion to his memory and her respect for his story framed this most personal and well-researched account of her journey to discover the tragedy of Hanus (John) Rieden's early life and young adulthood and that of his extended family. At the same time, it is a journey that cemented her love and respect for his courage and resilience in rebuilding his life.
Rieden wrote of her "pilgrimage" back to her father's roots in Czechoslovakia; to England, where he was sent alone as a young boy by his parents to escape Hitler's rage; to the ghettos and camps where most of his extended family were incarcerated and perished; and to the museums, resource facilities, and government agencies which provided her with the information she so desperately sought. Thankfully, she did not remain objective or restrained throughout this journey, as perhaps an historian would have been compelled to be. Thus, for those readers like Rieden herself, for whom much of this discovery about the horror and barbarity of the Holocaust was new, each piece of the puzzle she framed was startling.
Two particular revelations stirred her with their moral conflicts: 1) that the British Christian rescue agency that had "saved her father's life" by bringing him to England, did so with the agreement of his parents that he would be baptised in the Christian faith when he reached 16; and 2) that Britain and so many other countries had closed their doors to the doomed Jews of Europe. Throughout the book, the impact of her family's fate was a human tragedy because Rieden shared her most personal sadness and horror with the reader. She honoured her father with her growing commitment "never to forget".
Rieden wrote of her "pilgrimage" back to her father's roots in Czechoslovakia; to England, where he was sent alone as a young boy by his parents to escape Hitler's rage; to the ghettos and camps where most of his extended family were incarcerated and perished; and to the museums, resource facilities, and government agencies which provided her with the information she so desperately sought. Thankfully, she did not remain objective or restrained throughout this journey, as perhaps an historian would have been compelled to be. Thus, for those readers like Rieden herself, for whom much of this discovery about the horror and barbarity of the Holocaust was new, each piece of the puzzle she framed was startling.
Two particular revelations stirred her with their moral conflicts: 1) that the British Christian rescue agency that had "saved her father's life" by bringing him to England, did so with the agreement of his parents that he would be baptised in the Christian faith when he reached 16; and 2) that Britain and so many other countries had closed their doors to the doomed Jews of Europe. Throughout the book, the impact of her family's fate was a human tragedy because Rieden shared her most personal sadness and horror with the reader. She honoured her father with her growing commitment "never to forget".
December 18, 2019
Really enjoyed the intertwined story telling- the book was as much about the writer’s journey of research and discovery as it was about her father and family’s history. As a keen genealogist I resonated with the writer’s struggle to discover facts and figures and enjoyed the references to the strength of a gut feeling or instinct. The only reason I have not given it 5 stars is because in a market saturated with historical narratives, it does not stand out. On it’s own though, an excellent read.
February 20, 2021
Loved this book, so so interesting even if so sad! Fascinating to read about Juliet's search into her family background. Gosh what an amazing man to hide all that away to protect his own children. That in itself makes me so sad as I am sure they would have been super supportive and surely he would have felt so much happier and healthier for not hiding his demons .... really do hope Juliet manages to solve the final piece of the puzzle.
October 17, 2019
Worth reading
This story in many ways parallels my own efforts to understand my family’s history. You are compelled to keep reading as more of the story unfolds. The author demonstrates what a wonderfully determined woman she is. I did struggle with a few awkward sentences that I felt the editor should have addressed but overall a good read.
This story in many ways parallels my own efforts to understand my family’s history. You are compelled to keep reading as more of the story unfolds. The author demonstrates what a wonderfully determined woman she is. I did struggle with a few awkward sentences that I felt the editor should have addressed but overall a good read.
September 3, 2020
This was interesting and at times harrowing personal story of a Jewish family almost completely destroyed in the holocaust.
January 18, 2022
Audiobook 🔉
I think I may have enjoyed this better reading the print edition because as much as I was invested in the beginning of the audiobook, 3/4 of the way through, I just couldn't wait for it to be over. As much as my heart broker for this young boy and the subsequent impact his childhood experience has upon him as an adult, I guess I just wasn't that keen on this narrator & author. It's a tad too long and there were some repetitiveness which may or may not made my mind wander off a bit.
I think I may have enjoyed this better reading the print edition because as much as I was invested in the beginning of the audiobook, 3/4 of the way through, I just couldn't wait for it to be over. As much as my heart broker for this young boy and the subsequent impact his childhood experience has upon him as an adult, I guess I just wasn't that keen on this narrator & author. It's a tad too long and there were some repetitiveness which may or may not made my mind wander off a bit.
July 7, 2020
Interesting insight/information into a different aspect of the holocaust, however not especially well written or particularly captivating as a piece of literature.
August 17, 2019
2.5 stars
August 28, 2019
This is simply a journey of self discovery. Juliet began this investigation on behalf of her father after he passed and found herself deeply connected to her family ties she didn’t know existed. Her emotional journey takes her back to her father’s home land and with the help of local guides, archivists and sheer determination, she uncovers the tragic history of her family. For myself, I love how much of herself that Juliet invested into this. I think it’s incredibly important to know about your family history, to live life for those who came before and honour their lives by learning about them. This book is a well investigated, detailed history of a family which is unfortunately so similar to others in that time period.
December 16, 2021
Loved this book.
June 27, 2020
This was an alright read, I found myself tuning in and out and not picking it back up for a while which I found frustrating considering the subject matter. May have been to do with the fact that it was all about Juliet discovering her family history whereas I know mine so I didn't feel the need to get too invested. Grateful to have learned about the CWI and their rather skewed and misled ideology. There is a moment where Juliet describes finding out that her surname is not one that has been shared with generations of her family and rips out the proverbial 'carpet' from beneath her feet, alluding to how her relatives felt when they were simply numbers on a list. She questions if this is how you wipe out a race. For me, and possibly others, this is unfortunately the word to have used as it has been proved and endlessly debated on many occasions that those of Jewish heritage are not part of a race. Someone of Jewish heritage can come from literally any part of the world - Ethiopia, Argentina, South Africa, Poland, Australia etc.
An unfortunate error on the publisher's or proofreaders' end.
An unfortunate error on the publisher's or proofreaders' end.
October 12, 2019
Juliet Rieden is an Australian journalist, who only after her fathers death discovers his story and the fate of his family members in Czechoslovakia during the Second World War. While on a trip to Prague Juliet visits the local Synagogue and notices several names listed on a memorial that share her same last name. Realizing that they be related to her, she searches for the history of the Rieden family, a family that her father barely mentioned.
It makes me sad that we now have reached a period in time when most of the survivors of the war are now gone, and for most that their stories are lost also. For many, they didn't want to speak about their experiences and so for the next generation they know little of what their families went through. I just felt sad reading this book, that the authors father didn't share stories about his grandparents and aunties and uncles that he grew up with.
It makes me sad that we now have reached a period in time when most of the survivors of the war are now gone, and for most that their stories are lost also. For many, they didn't want to speak about their experiences and so for the next generation they know little of what their families went through. I just felt sad reading this book, that the authors father didn't share stories about his grandparents and aunties and uncles that he grew up with.
January 22, 2020
I had high hopes for this. Very interesting book but the style it was written in I struggled with. At times it felt a little tabloidy to me and I found myself having to step away to reset my focus. Still worth a read
March 28, 2020
3.5 stars
November 1, 2020
Did not finish
July 18, 2021
I imagine this book was very cathartic for the author.
October 20, 2020
A powerful read.
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