G1208 Book Review of The Takeaway Men by Meryl Ain
Author: Meryl Ain
ISBN: 978-1-68463-047-9
Publisher: Sparkpress
Type of book: post-Holocaust WWII, Kielce Pogrom 1946. 1942, 1947-1962, American life, McCarthy hearings, secularism, mental illness, New York, Poland, Displaced Persons camp, fraternal twins,
Year it was published: 2020
Summary:
With the cloud of the Holocaust still looming over them, twin sisters Bronka and Johanna Lubinski and their parents arrive in the US from a Displaced Persons Camp. In the years after World War II, they experience the difficulties of adjusting to American culture as well as the burgeoning fear of the Cold War. Years later, the discovery of a former Nazi hiding in their community brings the Holocaust out of the shadows. As the girls get older, they start to wonder about their parents’ pasts, and they begin to demand answers. But it soon becomes clear that those memories will be more difficult and painful to uncover than they could have anticipated. Poignant and haunting, The Takeaway Men explores the impact of immigration, identity, prejudice, secrets, and lies on parents and children in mid-twentieth-century America.
Characters:
Main characters include Edyta (Judy) as well as her husband Aron and their twin daughters Bronka and Johanna. There are a lot of secondary characters that cover the relevant issues within Judaism, namely the infamous McCarthy hearings as well as intermarriage, secularism and even mental illness. Edyta (Judy) is the daughter of a Polish anti-Jewish cop and who has a lot of secrets that she keeps because of her husband's insistence. Aron is extremely pious and tends to be frightened and aloof, especially when it comes to his daughters. Bronka is the sensitive and inquisitive young twin who is dark haired and who desires to please her father, while Johanna desires to fit in with American life.
Theme:
Anti-Judaism never dies
Plot:
The story is in third person narrative, primarily from adults' points of views, although the twins, Bronka and Johanna also become narrators. This tiny novel, about 244 pages, covers a lot of topics, but it does so in a sensitive and quiet manner, like a gently flowing river rather than something coming in at once. I enjoyed a lot of parts about this book, from characters to plot and examination of immediate aftermath of Holocaust as well as how it affected people in different and subtle ways.
(From iRead Book Tours)
Release date: August 4, 2020
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Meet the Author:
Meryl Ain’s articles and essays have appeared in Huffington Post, The New York Jewish Week, The New York Times, Newsday and other publications. The Takeaway Men is her debut novel. In 2014, she co-authored the award-winning book, The Living Memories Project: Legacies That Last, and in 2016, wrote a companion workbook, My Living Memories Project Journal. She is a sought-after speaker and has been interviewed on television, radio, and podcasts. She is a career educator and is proud to be both a teacher and student of history. She has also worked as a school administrator. The Takeaway Men is the result of her life-long quest to learn more about the Holocaust, a thirst that was first triggered by reading The Diary of Anne Frank in the sixth grade. While teaching high school history, she introduced her students to the study of the Holocaust. At the same time, she also developed an enduring fascination with teaching about and researching the Julius and Ethel Rosenberg case. An interview with Robert Meeropol, the younger son of the Rosenbergs, is featured in her book, The Living Memories Project. The book also includes an interview with Holocaust survivor, Boris Chartan, the founder of the Holocaust Museum and Tolerance Center of Nassau County, New York. Meryl holds a BA from Queens College, an MA from Teachers College, Columbia University, and an Ed.D. from Hofstra University. She lives in New York with her husband, Stewart. They have three married sons and six grandchildren.
Connect with the author: Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~Instagram
Its difficult to imagine that in my parents' generation, Holocaust was something hidden and not discussed about. These days, it often feels as if either Holocaust is more an afterthought in a WWII story that is about resistance and bravery of various men and women, rather than a principal player who forever stained Jews and gentiles alike. I was pretty happy in discovering and reading The Takeaway Men by Meryl Ain, who creates a beautiful meditation on how much Holocaust has touched one family post WWII. I also was happy that there was focus on Jews who hid out or escaped the camps because, to be honest, one rarely finds their stories in WWII fiction. I seriously found this a beautiful tale of sisterhood, twins, history and the necessary lies. I also hope that one day to read a sequel to this book as well.
This is for iRead Book Tours
5 out of 5
(0: Stay away unless a masochist 1: Good for insomnia 2: Horrible but readable; 3: Readable and quickly forgettable, 4: Good, enjoyable 5: Buy it, keep it and never let it go.)
Thank you for your insightful review!
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