Lorri M. Review: Where She Came From

Where She Came From: A Daughter’s Search for Her Mother’s History, by Helen Epstein is an extremely compelling memoir. We journey with Helen Epstein as she searches for her familial past, and searches for answers regarding her family members who were murdered during the Holocaust.

The book is difficult to put down, once you start to read it. I was engrossed in this book from the first page…although it was a slow read for me, because I wanted to grasp the intensity of the generational saga, and grasp the historical facts, correctly.

Epstein has more than proved herself as a writer in this dramatic memoir of family generations, identity, and history. We journey with her through time, through the positive and negative aspects, through the good and not so good, through the hardships and adversity. The reader is given remnants of life in a familial tapestry, through history, through the horrors of war, and how it affects all the generations, from past to present, and also how it can and will affect future generations.

From assimilating into society and racial and religious identity, to how one views themselves and what they identify with, Where She Came From is written with insight, often brutal in Epstein’s vivid descriptions. She writes with love, with yearning and the emotions of loss, she writes with clarity. Where She Came From is an extremely inspiring book.

How does one start over after enduring such atrocities and horrors? Is there laughter in your life, once again? How does the past affect the present? Does God exist? These are just a few of the questions Where She Came From leaves the reader to ponder, and Epstein pondered those issues and questions, and many more. She manages to weave a tapestry of her family, each moment in time adds to the fabric of her own identity, as she comes closer to some of her ancestral answers. We laugh with her, and cry with her, and we are inspired by Where She Came From.

Successive generations live with the past every day of their lives…it seems inevitable, and Epstein reinforces that theory through her writing. Epstein’s writing draws us in, and her memoir is intriguing, insightful and concise, but mainly it is extremely inspiring. In my opinion it is a must read for everyone, as its educational value is priceless.

Where She Came From is both compelling as a memoir and as a historical book. It is an incredible resource for schools, colleges, universities, and anyone who wants to gain a better understanding of life before, during and after the Holocaust.

I applaud Helen Epstein for such an exceptional read!

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Sea and Sky

“Our memories of the ocean will linger on,
long after our footprints in the sand are gone“.
-Unknown

“The Sea, Once it casts its spell holds one in its net of wonder forever.”
-Jacques Cousteau

Sea and sky
treasured memories
gone by.
-Unknown

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Lorri M. Review: The Innocents

The Innocents, by Francesca Segal, is a novel that explores relationships wrapped in subtleties that entice one to another. I have heard that the book is inspired by Edith Wharton’s “Age of Innocence”, and if true, did not find exacting similarities within the pages, other than the subtleties of temptation.

There are two main characters that are relevant to the story line: Adam Newman, Rachel Gibson. A third character, Ellie Schneider is intrusive, but a necessary part of the story line. Adam and Rachel live in Jewish London, engaged to be married, and will be married within a year. They are high school sweethearts. He adores her, loves her mannerisms, her face and the way he feels when he is around her. He would prefer getting married immediately. Rachel is a cute type, somewhat immature for a person in her twenties. She is the epitome of a pampered princess. She wrapped up in wedding plans, and the entire scenario of a social affair, complete with all the trimmings. She does not want that hindered in any aspect, and is obsessed with organizing it. .

Adam lives with a constant sense of grief within him, since his father died when he was a young boy. His soon-to-be father-in-law showers him with fatherly kindness, and found Adam a job in his company, but it isn’t enough. The sense of loss is a constant that follows him like a shadow.

Ellie Schneider arrives from New York, and the fireworks begin. Nuances arise, especially from Ellie. She is Jewish, also, Rachel’s cousin, yet the extreme opposite of Rachel. She is outgoing, aggressive, a porn film star (art house film according to the family) a drug user, and a blonde explosion of sexuality, even in synagogue, where one is expected to dress in a proper manner. Adam falls for her, and their supposedly subtle interactions foster his sense of yearning and desire for her. Temptation is strong, and Adam is torn between his commitment to Rachel, and his desire for Ellie.

Adam and Rachel have been protected throughout their lives by their families. They are both naive, and their naivety shows in their interactions, not only with each other, but others. They have been together for twelve years. Is their relationship founded more on habit than love? Do they really have the bond that their family members are so protective of? Is Adam and Rachel’s foundation built on substance and love? And, what of the family, do they see through the frailties and delicateness?

I found the story line to be enjoyable, and the writing to be vivid. Francesca Segal has written a first novel that is written with a sense of family dynamics that bind members together in a protective and loving fashion. The past is very much in the present within the family attitude, as stability, family priorities, and a sense of place is extremely important. Having come from a place of loss, older family members treasure the family fold and will do anything to protect its environment.

I recommend The Innocents, by Francesca Segal to those looking for insight on Jewish family life, family dynamics and the issues of requited love.

May 7, 2013 27 Iyyar, 5773

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Seasonal Awareness and Recommendations

Use caution, be aware and alert, it is the season for West Nile Virus and for Lyme Disease flare-ups. Also in this catergory is Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. Use caution in your outdoor activities, but also use caution in how you prepare yourself for the outdoors. Simple recommendations do not work for everyone.

Those who have an immune system disorder, such as Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) must use care when out doors. Covering up would be a good idea for some, but not others, as SLE is an inflammatory disease, in other words, the hotter the temperature or body heat, the more the likelihood of exacerbation, and the likelihood of the face, arms, legs, etc., going into an inflammatory situation. Long sleeves in hot temperatures can be a trigger. Using even a mild repellant can be destructive for those with SLE (not all, but some), as the body will try to fight it off, and could cause a flare up of the disorder. The immune system fights off new chemicals or anything it thinks will harm the body, even if it is a positive application, like medication an/or even some foods. What is good for one, is not necessarily good for another, depending on disorders and body makeup. Be cognizant of your body.

Asthma, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Addison Disease, Pemphigus, Scleroderma, and many more are other immune system disorders. Each one has its own treatment, and each one reacts to mosquitoes, ticks and bacteria differently. Never try to force your own standards on anyone else. We are all different, and just because it might work for you, doesn’t mean it will for another person.

Be cognizant of your surroundings, this time of year, especially around woods, ponds, streams, lakes, swamps, and areas that encourage mosquitoes and ticks. Which is not to say, don’t have a good time in woods or watery types of environments. Just be attentive and prepared.

I, myself, will not stop going to the lake and its surrounding sanctuaries and reserve. I take care wherever I go.

Lupus Foundation of America

Alliance for Lupus Research

West Nile Virus and Dallas

West Nile Survivor

West Nile Virus Books

West Nile Virus

West Nile Virus Toolkit

The West Nile Virus

The CDC and West Nile

The National Science Foundation

Waterborne Illnesses

West Nile Virus Information

I love Amy Tan’s books, from The Joy Luck Club, The Kitchen God’s Wife and others, to The Opposite of Fate, I have read them all.

In her memoir, The Opposite of Fate, Amy Tan speaks about her battle with Lyme disease.

Amy Tan’s Personal Story on Lyme Disease

SLyme Disease by Amy Tan

Lyme Disease-Related Books:

Beginner’s Guide to Lyme Disease

Healing Lyme Disease Coinfections

Cure Unknown: Inside the Lyme Epidemic

Websites:

Lyme Disease

American Lyme Disease Foundation

May 6, 2013 – 26 Iyyar, 5773

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Sunday Scenes – May 5, 2013

“Change: A bend in the road is not the end of the road…Unless you fail to make the turn. ”
-Helen Keller

“When you arrive at a fork in the road, take it”.
-Yogi Berra

“If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there“.
-Lewis Carroll

El Ghriba, Africa’s oldest synagogue receives Jews on pilgrimage.

May 5, 2013 – 25 Iyyar

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Friday News and Links

Hannah’s Nook has a fascinating post on “The Social Palace“.

Visit Leora at Sketching Out and read about Notes on Newark and Declining Cities.

Zivah has a fascinating tale, read Behar Bechukota – silver shekels all around.

George, at Senior Moments, has some beautiful photographs of waterfalls and of flowers.

Laura Hegfield has stunning photographs for your viewing pleasure.

“Bystanders, Not So Innocent“, a New York Times Review of “Some Were Neighbors” an exhibit at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington.

“How the Jews Changed Los Angeles“

Want to learn Yiddish? Yiddish Book Center has several free downloads for learning.

Here is a review of Alexander Stille’s memoir, The Force of Things: A Marriage in War and Peace. I finished this book today, and will be reviewing it shortly.

Shabbat Shalom!

May 3, 2013 – 23 Iyyar, 5773

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Lorri M. Book Review: Bearing the Body

Bearing the Body, by Ehud Havazelet, is an intense look at family dynamics and the after-effects of the Holocaust in relation to the silence of the survivors, survivors trying to quietly assimilate in a new environment. Often times the events of the past are so horrific and traumatic, that they are difficult for one to bear. Havazelet has an deep comprehension of this.

Dysfunction reigns, and rains, heavily, through the clouds of family dynamics. Silence resounds loudly, echoing fragments of the past, of the Holocaust. Assimilation and trying to forget one’s past affects the children of survivors, in more ways than one can imagine. This novel depicts that dilemma. It is a story of survivors passing their burdens to the next generation to bear, within their bodies, both emotionally and mentally, not to mention the physical consequences of that decision. Secrets are kept, yet those very secrets are what has caused family rift, family anger, family emotional separation and lack of unity.

Sol, the father, is a Holocaust survivor, and a man who is silently carrying the burdens of the past. Due to his silence he is subject to strange behavior. Daniel, the eldest son, has unexpectedly died. Nathan, the youngest son, is a boy in a man’s body. Nathan is stuck in time, and can’t seem to evolve from his childhood. He has hang-ups, including use of marijuana, alcohol, and has sexually obsessive issues. He is a womanizer, and his life revolves around his sexual urges and impulses, and his desire for immediate gratification, no matter the cost. One despicable act, in the first few pages of the book, cost him his relationship with his girlfriend. He doesn’t seem to get the reasoning, though, and keeps phoning her to try to win her back. He is in denial, and won’t face the truth of the situation, and the resulting consequences of his actions.

Sol writes to strangers, family members of those murdered in the Holocaust, in order to express to them some form of sympathy and condolence. Yet, he bore the burden of silence, choosing not to reveal to his sons the facts of his surviving the Holocaust. He keeps a constant foot in his old world, while simultaneously keeping his other foot rooted in Queens. He is a man constricted and restricted, emotionally and verbally. He is unable to tell his sons that he loves them, much to the chagrin of his wife. His silence has kept him from moving forward, causing disharmony within the family unit.

Sol and Nathan have traveled to San Francisco to find out what caused Daniel’s death. While there, Sol becomes hospitalized. Nathan resorts to alcohol, denying and pushing his father’s illness to the background of his mind. Sol eventually leaves the hospital, alone, due to Nathan’s drinking binge.

During one scene in the novel, Sol carries Daniel’s ashes up the steep and hilly streets of San Francisco. Bearing the body of his son, bearing the bodies of his family members who were Holocaust victims, bearing the bodies of so many souls, bearing his own body with its aging medical problems, bearing the burden of loss, bearing the lack of verbalizing his love for his sons. So much to bear in one human body.

There are no right answers to the questions that the Havazelet’s writing evokes. He writes with sensitivity, ever aware of the frailty of humans, ever conscious of the Holocaust and of the repercussions and consequences of the survivors’ choices. Havazelet has written a novel of family dynamics, a sobering and serious-toned novel, and one not to be taken lightly. Many readers might not like the tone, like the realistic portrayal of a family on the verge of disassociation, not only from each other, but from life in general. It is a difficult story to become involved in, and the content might be misconstrued by some readers. It is a dreary book, a book that is burdensome. In my opinion, that is what Havazelet is trying to convey…the burdens of the body, carried by not only Holocaust survivors, but the generations to follow. History has colored the lenses and emotions of the Nathan and his brother, filtered by the lack of communication from the parents. Havazelet dramatically makes the reader aware that the cycle continues, and will continue, unless it is somehow broken.

Havazelet is definite in the fact that one should not be silent. Yet he isn’t judging those who are. He is aware of man’s faults, and of man’s weaknesses, and it is apparent in his writing. He is emphasizing that one must bear witness, because it is extremely necessary for family members to realize their familial history. It is necessary for them to try to come to terms with the past, in order for them to move forward. Grandparents and parents must find a way to tell their grandchildren and children about the Holocaust. Their experiences must be carried down through the generations. Their stories shouldn’t be left in the caves within the mind and soul to fester, causing unhealthy and extreme emotional outlets. In my opinion, that is Ahud Havazelet’s message, and he delivers it through intense word images, and through masterful writing, in the pages of Bearing the Body.

May 2, 2013 – 22 Iyyar, 5773

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