Publication Date: April 17, 2012
Print Length: 512 pages
SYNOPSIS
As she was growing up, Leslie Maitland was captivated by her mother’s story about the French fiancée her mother left behind when she and her Jewish family escaped from German-occupied France. Relying on family documents, wartime records, and her investigation skills, Maitland researched her family’s origins in the German town of Freiburg and documented their harrowing efforts to escape from the Nazi’s extermination policies. She also retraced her mother’s life in war-torn Europe and was able to track down her mother’s lost love.
REVIEWS AND AUTHOR INFORMATION
Gendler, Annette, “Interview with Leslie Maitland,” Washington Independent Review of Books,” March 14, 2013. https://www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com/index.php/features/interview-with-leslie-maitland
Maitland, Leslie, “Crossing the Borders of Time,” The University of Chicago Magazine, Spring/22, Volume 114, Number 3. https://mag.uchicago.edu/arts-humanities/crossing-borders-time
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Was it luck, determination or a combination of both that enabled Maitland’s mother’s family to finally find refuge in the United States?
How many different identities did Maitland’s mother need to adopt each time she was forced to leave parts of her past behind?
During her trip to Europe, what did Maitland learn about her mother and herself as she uncovered her family history?
In what ways do stories about our family origins have the power to haunt and captivate us?
Can I simply say what a relief to uncover someone who really understands what they are discussing on the internet. You certainly know how to bring an issue to light and make it important. More people ought to look at this and understand this side of the story. I cant believe you arent more popular since you certainly have the gift.