This novel, which is based on the lives of relatives of the author, tells the story of four generations of the Kohler family, following their lives in Germany, England, Israel, and the U.S. — before, during, and after the Nazi destruction. Klare Kohler is a strong, passionate, and capable woman married to Jacob, a difficult man who suffers from the aftereffects of mustard gas poisoning in World War I. Klare’s long life leads her from a comfortable lifestyle in a German-Jewish family to the tumultuous war years, when she must send her children far away; to incarceration in Thereisendstadt, to a return to her devastated hometown. Klare’s identity as a Jew evolves through her experiences, even as she develops relationships with German non-Jews. This beautifully written story gives the reader insight into a woman who followed an unusual path, and a different angle on post-World War II life.
Miriam Bradman Abrahams, mom, grandmom, avid reader, sometime writer, born in Havana, raised in Brooklyn, residing in Long Beach on Long Island. Longtime former One Region One Book chair and JBC liaison for Nassau Hadassah, currently presenting Incident at San Miguel with author AJ Sidransky who wrote the historical fiction based on her Cuban Jewish refugee family’s experiences during the revolution. Fluent in Spanish and Hebrew, certified hatha yoga instructor.
