NOTE: This multi-award-winning, TRUE family saga was first published in France in 2021. I was given early access to the English version (translated by Tina Kover) in exchange for writing an impartial review. The English publication date is May 16, 2023. Thank you edelweis+ and Europa.
This is one of the most emotionally powerful books I’ve ever read. It is horrifying, brutally honest, and painful to read — but also a story you won’t be able to put down. Awarded FIVE stars on Goodreads but that does not do it justice. It’s genuinely brilliant!
THE POSTCARD begins in 2003 when author Anne Berest’s family receives a postcard from an unknown sender. On it are listed four names — names of four relatives who perished during the Holocaust. What does it mean? Is it some sort of message? Is someone still alive? Could it be a warning of some kind?
The book then recounts the diligent, forensic-like research involved in trying to find out who sent the postcard. And through this research, like the author’s family, we slowly come to learn the story of the author’s ancestors, and the lasting devastation the Holocaust inflicted across generations of this family. For me, reading the book felt like I was living through different aspects of World War II — alongside those who fought, those who hid, some who spied, and others who got caught.
Berest is the central researcher, relying heavily on her mother Lelia’s often painful memories. Both work to flesh out details from Lelia’s mother’s (Myriam) life during the war. The book moves back and forth in time and does not follow the structure of a traditional novel. Many sections read like a novel but another section might be an exchange of letters between family members. Yet another could recount a trip to find old friends whose memories might shed light on the mystery. For me, some of the unpredictability of the book’s construction helped me experience the process of genealogy research — where one small bit of information is found at a time. And only when enough bits accumulate, are you able to put together a picture of someone’s life.
The story of the Rabinovitch family begins when they are forced to leave Russia and then follows members of the family as they move around — to Poland, Palestine, Spain, England, and France. Their story mirrors the story of thousands (perhaps millions) of Jewish families caught up in the virulent antisemitism pervasive throughout Europe in the 20th century, culminating in Nazi Germany’s systematic genocide. Antisemitism that lingers today.
Photo from Wikipedia
What makes the story so emotional and so powerful is how deeply the reader becomes immersed in the family. Following four generations, both children and adults, we witness their quarrels, their dreams and disappointments, their loves, and their unpredictable fates.
Out of the dozens of books I’ve read about World War II and the Holocaust (so many of which end with the end of the war), none has illustrated the aftermath, the lasting guilt and devastation experienced by survivors as well as THE POSTCARD. I felt what it was like to be in Paris after the war ended. I saw the condition of concentration camp survivors returning home. I accompanied members of this family as they tried to track down missing family members. All of this is part of what made it such a hard book to read.
If you read Suite Francais by Irène Némirovsky you have some sense of how powerfully a gifted writer can make real the truth of a wretched episode of history. For all lovers of historical fiction, for those interested in World War II, and for those who share my fascination with the Holocaust — this is a book NOT to be missed.
More about the author, Anne Berest.
If you read Suite Francais by Irene Nemirovsky you have some sense of how powerfully a gifted writer can make real the truth of a wretched episode of history. For all lovers of historical fiction, for those interested in World War II, and for those who share my fascination with the Holocaust story — this is a book NOT to be missed.
Toby A. Smith 