“The Postcard” is deeply intimate and personal…..
……historical….and autobiographical….
…..investigating an anonymous unsigned postcard….[Leila Picabia, Anne Berest’s mother, received a mysterious postcard in 2003 at her Paris home with four first names of her ancestors, Ephraim, Emma, Noemie, and Jacques—all of whom died at Auschwitz in 1942: on the front of the postcard was a photo of the Opera Garnier in Paris]…..
…..But it also chronicles everything that makes us human. It’s a portrait of society, history, (traumas from the Holocaust), geography, (Russia, Poland, France, United States, Nazi-occupied Europe, pre-state Israel),
injustice, (anti-Semitism),identity, life and death…..and it’s love in all the forms.

The first book that left a sizable awakening for me about the role France played in ‘rounding-up’ Jews in German-occupied Paris in 1942 ….and the participation of bureaucracy in Vichy France ….
was “Sarah’s Key”, by Tatiana de Rosnay….
I don’t recall reading ‘another’ book that so clearly exhibits evidence of crimes against humanity—the French Police rallied with the Nazi German military rounding up Jews to be delivered to the death camps. ….
until now: after reading “The Postcard”.

Anne Berest is a remarkable writer….. she did a marvelous job putting us, the reader, smack into the story itself; we get emotionally close to the characters, the pure brutality of the history of war, and the fascination about the mystery of that postcard…. secrets are revealed…..(revelations that made me cry), and a serious look at antisemitism from in the past and how antisemitism still was relevant in Anne’s present life…..
MAKING THIS STORY VERY PERSONAL for Anne.
……NOTE…..unfortunately — Anti-Semitism is on the rise today. MAKING THIS STORY VERY PERSONAL TO ME TOO.
…..and honest to God …..page turning storytelling with whodunnit perplexities.

After it was clear that the Rabinovitch family needed to leave Russia — following the revolution — Nachman and his wife Esther Rabinovitch moved to Palestine…..and became Zionist.
They bought a piece of land near Haifa where they planned to grow oranges. He offered to buy land for all of his adult kids and grandchildren to have them all live close by. ……
First born son, Ephraim and his wife Emma (expecting their first baby) were not happy ‘living-off-the-land’ in Palestine—desert- dust living just wasn’t what Ephraim — or Esther wanted. (Five years was enough. They missed the city life in Europe).
So Ephraim, Esther and their children left for Paris. Ephraim would arrive in Paris with this new bread baking machine invention…and his big dreams of business success. Esther planned to teach piano lessons. By this time they had three children: Myriam, Noemie, and Jacques.
Ephriam’s brother, Emmanuel was already living in France having some success with acting.
Ephriam’s bread business didn’t manifest — but he got a job working for an engineering firm…a promising start for a man who wanted to establish himself in the business world of France.
Emma did teach piano — and their kids (Myriam and Noemie went to a prestigious school where they had to commute on the metro each day) Jacques, the youngest wasn’t in school - yet.
But months and years passed — everyone was getting older —
By the time Jacques was ten years of age — now definitely in school — he came home crying one day because of something one of his classmates had said to him in the yard. “Pull the ear of one Jew, and they all have trouble hearing”….

This disturbing classmate type comment won’t be the last —
years later, Anne’s six year old daughter, had a similar type school-yard experience.
Concerns of anti-semitism were an issue.

We will learn why Anne had a strong pull to learn more about the postcard that her mother, Leila had received years ago - tucking it way. We will learn more about the string that ties three generations of mothers together: Anne (whom this story most belongs to), her chain-smoking mother, Leila…and her grandmother, Myriam.
Anne’s determination to find out who the hell sent that postcard is tied to herself: her own identity….and the need to understand her family history.
Leila’s mother, Myriam (Anne’s grandmother), died in Moscow on August 7, 1919…. according to the papers issued by the refugee office in Paris.

There is sooo much pack in this book — based on a true story with some fiction added. It’s easy to read - easy to follow — simply outstanding….
Emotions ARE INVOLVED.

We follow Anne through her childhood- her teen years - clearly not an observant Jew - to a dire need to come to terms with her past - a need to know more about her ancestors and how she was very deeply psychologically connected.

Being Jewish —born Jewish — brings up many thoughts between being non-observant and observant Jews: shame, righteousness, feelings of being left out, wanting to belong, but religiously apprehensive….
There is a dinner scene (Pesach) that will make readers stomach ache….about what a ‘good’ Jew should be. I wanted to throw spitballs a one of the ladies.

As a Jew myself — I can clearly relate to comments from other more orthodox Jews about me being a reform Jew (I’m not very active in synagogue life today as years ago, but I’m still a member and participate occasionally)—I have felt a range of judgments throughout the years —am I Jewish enough? Why do any of us need to justify who we are - our beliefs- our education- or lack of - our lifestyle choices, etc. to anyone? …..
Anne did an excellent job examining these Jewish - enough - issues.

Frankly …. ha…. most of my Jewish friends happen to be a little like me —none of us are super religious — we just happen to be Jewish and feel a bond together…
Maybe it’s because of our common family histories—through the trauma from the Holocaust….
Maybe because we have felt antisemitism in our lives at one time or another…
Maybe it’s the Jewish foods — comforting matzo ball soup—crispy - potato latkes … or the recognizable stereotypes….and or the in-house jokes ….
I have no idea!!!!!!…..
…..but I will admit to absolutely loving my Jewish friends. As far as I know none of ‘my’ Jewish friends (observant or not) is testing anyone on how much Hebrew is remembered from our Bar and Bat Mitzvah’s, — or had one at all — or care one way or another if we take part in Halftarah readings…early morning Shabbat services or any Jewish festivals.
Although — most Jews I know — most non Jews I know —- NONE OF US ARE A FANS OF ANTI-SEMITISM.

THIS BOOK …. the stories, the history, the memories, the themes, the characters, the mystery, the diligent investigation….it’s a magnificent reading experience.

In two days, Jan 27th, is the International Holocaust Remembrance Day….an annual day of commemoration…. in honor of the six million Jewish victims.
It’s no accident I read this book — this month. I’m thankful — I loved it. Anne Berest deserved - deserves - every award for this book — its a wonderful-powerful book “A favorite to remember”.

One last comment — sometime around last year and the year before I thought I was done, or a little burnt out from reading any book related to the Holocaust. As I’ve read hundreds. But this book is ‘really-really’ special (not a boring aspect about it) —and in fact — it only makes me want to read Holocaust-family stories - more again.

The publishing date for “The Postcard” is May 16, 2003. Highly recommended!

Thank you Europa Editions and Netgalley for an early copy.

P.S.
I already left several excerpts on Goodreads - while reading this — but here is one more:

“But Maman, don’t forget that you suffer, because of those silences of hers. And not just her silences—the feeling that she was shutting you out of a story that didn’t involve you”.
“I understand that what I’m finding out it’s overwhelming for you”.
“But Maman, this is my story too. And sometimes, almost like Myriam, you treat me like a foreigner in the land of your past. You were born into a world of silences. It’s only natural that your children would be thirsty for words”.

It took me a long time to begin my review of this book, because it felt so very close to me. I grew up in an agnostic household, with one parent who had been raised Southern Baptist, and one who had come from a Jewish family that sent its children to the Unitarians, in part to help them avoid antisemitism. When I began school in North Carolina, my mother tole me not to tell people that her family was Jewish, that I had a Jewish godmother who sent dreidels and gelt every year. So reading The Postcard, I felt for Berest's mother and herself, Jews who weren't raised Jewish but nevertheless felt a pull towards their Jewish ancestors and culture. The book is simply phenomenal: Berest is a sure and confident writer, of course, already much-lauded for her other work; here she is confessional and emotional and painstaking in getting the stories of her family's work in the Resistance "right," and the end result is completely compelling. Having read it once, and now knowing the heart-rending truth of the postcard--whose origins also mirror events in my family history--I will read it again, to savor the words even more, to weep for those lost, to make the trip again with Berest and her mother.

Unbelievably moving, beautifully written. Very sad at times but as an avid reader of this specific genre, this book was extremely well done. Highly recommended

I wanted SO MUCH MORE out of this - the cover is just amazing. Overall I found it a little scattered and the ending felt stunted to me. I wanted something that would blow my mind and it really just fizzled.

*3.5

Truly could have been a 4 star. It was well-written, and tugged on my heartstrings; read some parts with a lump in my throat. I thought I wouldn’t like this as much as I did because of the dual timeline, but I thought it was handled well here that I didn’t mind. I’m not sure how much or which parts of the book are autofiction or which were filled in by the author. Either way, despite the number of WWII books out there, those aspects played a part in its uniqueness. My favorite parts are the letters/writings from the past, and the more recent emails between mother, daughter, and sister.

What made me knock my rating down a notch was the ending. I expected to be surprised, but wasn’t (I mean, I was able to guess) so I felt a little underwhelmed. For some reason, I thought this would have an open ending although the closure, the finality of it all, was really satisfying. Overall, a really good read and a page-turner, too.

i truly cannot begin to describe how stunning this book is. it is beautifully crafted, and a deeply thought-provoking holocaust story — i loved the way berest wove non-fiction into a text that reads very much like a novel, with fantastic characters and a truly devastating story at its core. powerful stuff.

I really liked this book, and the mystery that unfolds with the uncovering of where the mysterious postcard originated from.

"The Postcard" has been by far one of my favourite reads of 2022.

I am not sure how much of this auto-fiction is invented, how much is the truth, but I would guess that most of the main elements are real - which make it even more moving. The author, Anne Berest, digs into her family's history to investigate why her family received a postcard 20 years ago with the name of her mother's grandparents, uncle and ant.

Anne manages to retrace the incredible story of her grandparents, the Rabinovitch, from Russia and Lettonia to Palestine and France, as they search for a new life, one where their children would be safe and welcome. I was intrigued by the intergenerational trauma. I was amazed at the perseverance and resilience of the Rabinovitch family - Ephraïm, Emma, Myriam, Noémie, and Jacques. I was a tiny bit less fond of the part that tells of Myriam and her husband's life during the war.

Having read many WWII books, I was surprised by the originality of this one and by the new details I discovered - notably about French collaboration, escaping to the "zone libre", hiding in plain sight, etc.

Overall, an extraordinary book, remarkably well written, incredibly deep, with such suspense... It captivated me from the first page to the surprising conclusion! There is no doubt as to why it is an international best-seller. I couldn't recommend it more, and I will immediately go buy other books from Anne Berest!

P.S. I only wish this version's cover would include the postcard, as the original French editions do.

*I received an e-ARC and this is my honest opinion*