This beautifully written memoir by Jeanette Katzir is a must read for anyone. I found myself affected in many ways by the emotions of the people in the story as they suffered, and triumphed during the holocaust. I also found myself engaged in the story as the characters moved to America and tried to rebuild their lives and start a new family.
Reviewed by Teresa Aguilar
Broken Birds, The Story of My Momila
by Jeannette Katzir
Paperback: 340 pages, ISBN-13: 978-0615274836
Broken Birds The Story Of My Momila is an amazing story based on true events from the author‘s own life. This beautifully written memoir by Jeanette Katzir is a must read for anyone. I found myself affected in many ways by the emotions of the people in the story as they suffered, and triumphed during the holocaust. I also found myself engaged in the story as the characters moved to America and tried to rebuild their lives and start a new family. I can sympathize with the author in her feelings of betrayal by her family over the years yet still trying to remain loyal. This book has so many feelings and thoughts over family and loyalty that anyone can relate to it whether they are Jewish or not.
The Tale begins in a courtroom with the five grown Poltzer Children on opposing sides. It then moves on to the story of Channa, retelling her family’s life in a small rural town in Poland. As World War II begins, Germans begin coming into Channa’s home town putting restrictions on all the Jewish people. They were not allowed in certain areas, and were required to wear a Star of David on their clothing. As the war rages on the Jewish people have more and more rights taken from them until they lose their homes and are taken to ghettos to live with very little food allowed them. Channa’s older brother Isaac takes her and runs away to the forest to live with the Partisan for a few years until the Germans were forced out of Poland. From there Channa and Isaac leave for New York to begin a new life.
Nathan’s Story picks up in Czechoslovakia, born into a large family in a small single story home. The hardships of his mother trying to raise the family in any way she can. The children work as well to help support the family. After the family is forced to move to a brick factory with no plumbing and very little food for days on end the Nazis come and separate the families. Packing the men into train cars and sending them to war camps. From there it goes on to tell Nathan’s experiences in various war camps leading up to his eventual escape. Nathan and two others try to keep hidden at various farms so they are not captured. The American’s eventually arrive and they are saved and Nathan moves to America.
We are then in New York with Channa and Nathan and find out how they eventually meet, get married and start having children. The hardships they go through just starting out and the family troubles they have. Until they eventually move to California with promises of a job and a better financial situation.
The middle of the book follows the Poltzer children their stories beginning with Jaclyn recalling the move and the births of the younger children. Growing up in California in the 1960’s, and the growing problems within her family. Channa constantly stressing that family is first and not to trust anyone else putting her insecurities into her children. Following the lives of the children as they grow up and marry, starting their own families. The resulting problem between the siblings as they start their own businesses and the loyalties of the family is tested.
Lastly, the book returns back to the courtroom with the Poltzer children fighting over Channa’s estate when she passes on. Some of the Poltzers think they should get more than the others, while others just want their rightful inheritance. The Poltzers return to Nathan’s home and understand his history and what he suffered through. Even today the German people try to hide the truth of what really happened during the holocaust. The loyalties are broken between some of the family members during the court process and some of the truths are finally revealed about the nature of the Poltzer children.
About the reviewer: Teresa Aguilar is a stay-at-home mom who lives near Lake Fork in Emory, Texas. Married for over 17 years with three children, the whole family shares a interest in books of all genres. She aspires to own a book shop of her own one day. Her time is spent raising her children and her miniature dachshunds and one orange tabby cat. She also tries to grow trees in clay, and finally having some success, maybe to have some shade in the future to read under. She would also like to say thank you to her cousin Jeanneta who read “The Hobbit” to her when she was a small child and started her love affair with books.
|
|
|
|
