Authors Announcing Their Work

[Bonnie]

I am please to announce that I have published my first book. Broken Promises is about my husband's German Jewish family. Here is a brief description of the book:

My father-in-law, who emigrated to America from Nazi Germany in 1937, shared very little with his family about his former life in Germany. So it came as quite a surprise to discover long after his death that he had lost a grandmother and two aunts, as well as other relatives, in the Holocaust. This discovery led me on a quest to understand why he had remained silent about these losses, even to his wife, and my research led me to write “Broken Promises.” This book tells the story of the Heppenheimer family, who came to Germany from Poland in the late seventeenth century and ultimately became wealthy scrap metal dealers. When the Nazis rose to power, many family members were reluctant to leave their successful lives. Most of the family members were able to escape (although many left just before the borders were closed), but some waited too long and were murdered in the Holocaust. This book tells the story of the rise of the family’s fortunes and the fates of individual family members after the Nazis came to power. This book also serves to remind us about the importance of telling the stories of all who were murdered in the Holocaust, especially as we see a world-wide resurgence in anti-Semitism.

[Stacey B]

Bonnie, congrats on this book.
I was on the computer and saw your book.
Wishing you much success.

[Mel]

Dear fellow GoodReaders

My investigative memoir, What They Didn't Burn: Uncovering My Father's Holocaust Secrets is officially launched and, finally, on sale. Available in paperback, ebook and audiobook formats.

REVIEWS & EARLY PRAISE

Asher Syed for Readers’ Favorite
Tightly written and compelling on every page, the progression of Dolek’s “luck” proves to be a terrifying endurance test. This is most certainly not luck. It is the grit and rapid intelligence of a man who can read a situation quickly to maximize the odds of survival.”

Ann Kirschner, author of Sala’s Gift
What a thrilling story of wartime survival!... Chasing after hidden diamonds and digging up damning Nazi documents, Laytner weaves a tale of courage and luck that brings to life an unforgettable cast of characters. A great detective story — and an important work of history.

D. Donovan, Sr. Reviewer, Midwest Book Review
As he seeks corroboration and truth, readers become immersed in a journey that combines a family probe, a memoir, and a historical review under one cover….What They Didn't Burn: Uncovering My Father's Holocaust Secrets is essential for any collection that seeks a different perspective on Holocaust events. More so than most books on the subject, it juxtaposes the personal with the political, psychological, social, and moral and ethical issues facing survivors and Nazi executioners alike.

Robert Jan van Pelt, author of The Case For Auschwitz, Evidence from the Irving Trial
Mel Laytner’s What they Didn’t Burn is a remarkable historiographical achievement that blends the narrative pleasures of a detective story with the intellectual fireworks of a micro-history.”

Kenneth S. Stern, director, Bard Center for the Study of Hate
...A compelling blend of memoir and historical research, beautifully written. Laytner’s deeply personal story is an important addition to Holocaust literature, but will also resonate with a general audience as a historical detective story.

Scott Miller, author of Refuge Denied, The St. Louis Passengers and the Holocaust
I know of no other work that so eloquently succeeds in combining a dogged search for a Nazi paper trail of evidence and a son’s reconciliation with his family's Holocaust legacy. What They Didn't Burn is not only an engaging piece of rigorous research, but also a harrowing and heartwarming personal saga of discovery as well.

Gabrielle Robinson, Author of Api’s Berlin Diaries
“… a gripping detective story of a savvy journalist uncovering “what they didn’t burn.” This beautifully written and deeply felt book, a powerful tribute to his father’s fortitude, also serves as a reminder that the long shadow of the Nazi past stretches over generations.

Mort Laitner, Times of Israel
“A master writer who paints pictures in your head that make you think you’re in the ghetto, in the camp and on the death march standing next to his father. A writer who paints masterpieces in your mind that cause your lacrimal glands to secret tears and make you realize it’s time to visit the graves of your parents.

[Jan]

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