Broken Birds (The Story of My Momila) by Jeannette Katzir

4.5 out of 5 Stars

 

Jeannette Katzir’s memoir of her family takes one on a journey that, just as life, brings one an array of emotions.  The story unfolds after telling the reader that this family of five siblings, and their father is in a heated battle for money and property.  The Poltzer’s matriarch, wife, and mother, Channa has passed on. She has left memories and proof that although each of them five children and her husband were loved she controlled their happiness. From their eldest child to the youngest each individually devoted to Momila inherited her traits.  These traits as they matured into adulthood brought destruction to their family relationships.  No one confronted the other without Channa’s input and it was her word that finalized arguments20and decisions.  Even after marriage her offspring felt they owed her their loyalty.  This loyalty to family did not always extend to the new spouse, after all they were not blood.  The father, Nathan, though the provider was also held under Channa’s spell.  Her fears of his leaving her for another, left little room for him to express anything other than his love for her.  He worked endlessly providing for his family and though indirectly mentioned the reader is told the arguments between them were often physical. 

 

Channa’s strength or weakness, depending on one’s interpretation, was developed after her Holocaust survival.  She escaped, as did Nathan the hands of the Germans.  Both parents held onto their memories and the author gives descriptive details of their journey to the “free” world.  I found myself wanting to hear more during the early chapters as Channa and Nathan’s courage and sacrifices were described.  I found myself wanting to skip through pages as it seemed the journey was longer than I hoped.  I found all of it necessary to understand what th e Poltzer children, now a dults faced after their mother’s death.

 

The Poltzer family, Channa and Nathan, after escaping the possibility of being executed by the Germans, lived holding on and cherishing the thought of family.  After weeping and crying about the lives of those they loved, (Nathan even returned to visit the camps), both parents destroyed, their own.  Unconditional love and support was used as a ploy, whenever there was an obvious gain.  Each sibling walked on the eggshells of love hoping not to crack any egg filled with yoke.  The eggs began to crack with each line during the reading of their mother’s will.  The yoke of their father’s love spilled when he was left to beg his children for support and shelter.  The Poltzer family, headed by Holocaust survivors lost the substance of family after Momila passed on. 

 

Jeanette Katzir, in an effort to clean the yoke for h erself has written her memoirs.  The emotions that this novel will touch would depend on the reader.  Though it is slow in unraveling the core it kept me curious.  How does one repair the Broken Bird when the shell is cracked?