In this poignant dual memoir, Caroline Heller explores her family's journey from pre-war Czechoslovakia through the Holocaust to postwar America, highlighting moral accountability and the enduring impact of survival. Heller vividly captures the essence of European café culture and the power of literature during challenging times. She paints a rich picture of prewar Prague, where her mother, Liese Florsheim, a young German refugee, is drawn to the intellectual Erich Heller, while his brother Paul, who will become Caroline's father, faces unimaginable horrors in Buchenwald. As Hitler's regime devastates their lives, Liese and Paul are separated but ultimately reunite in the United States, where they marry and raise Caroline. Carrying the weight of her parents' traumatic past, Caroline seeks to reconcile her heritage through her love of literature, a legacy that provided solace during the darkest periods of their lives. Written with sensitivity and grace, this memoir serves as a profound meditation on understanding our pasts and the connections we share with loved ones.
