We a good story
Quick delivery in the UK

Letters to My Father

About Letters to My Father

Kathleen A. Balgley's memoir begins with her childhood discovery of her father's hidden Jewish identity and the prohibition of speaking of it in or outside the family. Disturbed by this uncharacteristic attitude of her otherwise unprejudiced parents, the author seeks to learn more about her own Jewish identity. Immersing herself in the historically terrorized heart of wartime Europe and the epicenter of Jewish suffering, she accepts a Fulbright to communist Poland just before the fall of the Berlin Wall (1987-1989). There she witnesses the ongoing controversy about Polish anti-Semitism, Poland's collusion and heroism during WWII, and the history of its treatment of its Jews pre and post-war. In the state archives of Poland and Belarus, Balgley uncovers the lives (and deaths) of her relatives in her father's birthplace in Brest, Belarus (formerly Brześc or Brest-Litovsk, Poland). Throughout the journey, bashert, (the Yiddish term for "destiny") uncannily guides the author to uncover deeply hidden stories. Her father, who had said he would not travel to Poland to visit her, changes his mind after reading letters from his daughter about her discoveries. Touring the country together, father and daughter find a way to heal the rift between them.

Show more
  • Language:
  • English
  • ISBN:
  • 9798986232119
  • Binding:
  • Paperback
  • Pages:
  • 468
  • Published:
  • July 31, 2022
  • Dimensions:
  • 152x26x229 mm.
  • Weight:
  • 680 g.
Delivery: 1-2 weeks
Expected delivery: November 20, 2024

Description of Letters to My Father

Kathleen A. Balgley's memoir begins with her childhood discovery of her father's hidden Jewish identity and the prohibition of speaking of it in or outside the family. Disturbed by this uncharacteristic attitude of her otherwise unprejudiced parents, the author seeks to learn more about her own Jewish identity. Immersing herself in the historically terrorized heart of wartime Europe and the epicenter of Jewish suffering, she accepts a Fulbright to communist Poland just before the fall of the Berlin Wall (1987-1989). There she witnesses the ongoing controversy about Polish anti-Semitism, Poland's collusion and heroism during WWII, and the history of its treatment of its Jews pre and post-war. In the state archives of Poland and Belarus, Balgley uncovers the lives (and deaths) of her relatives in her father's birthplace in Brest, Belarus (formerly Brześc or Brest-Litovsk, Poland). Throughout the journey, bashert, (the Yiddish term for "destiny") uncannily guides the author to uncover deeply hidden stories. Her father, who had said he would not travel to Poland to visit her, changes his mind after reading letters from his daughter about her discoveries. Touring the country together, father and daughter find a way to heal the rift between them.

User ratings of Letters to My Father



Find similar books
The book Letters to My Father can be found in the following categories:

Join thousands of book lovers

Sign up to our newsletter and receive discounts and inspiration for your next reading experience.