Edith Hahn Beer (1914–2009)

Edith Hahn Beer’s memoir of her life prior to and during World War II in Austria and Germany. The book starts before the war and covers her decision to remain in Austria as well as events that led to her marriage to a Nazi. As conditions for European Jews worsened, and with assistance from others, she made the decision to “hide in plain sight.” This is a riveting story of identity, fear, courage, guilt, and redemption. It provides another slice of history, depicting the personal impact of the Nazi regime. It shows the lengths to which a person needed to go to survive. At times, it seemed she was almost apologizing for what she decided to do to escape Nazi persecution, but who can blame her? The tone of this book is one of candor. She does not shy away from addressing difficult subjects. I felt like I was sitting down with the author and listening to her tell me her story. Recommended to those interested in the history of World War II, especially personal experiences of that time period.… (lisätietoja)