Book Review: To Love Another Day: A Novel by Elizabeth Rosenberg
One family's story of what came after the Holocaust
There are many books that describe the horrors of the Holocaust, but few explore how those horrors influence families throughout the generations.
Dr. Elizabeth Rosenberg invites readers to meet a fictional family inspired by her life as a child of a Holocaust survivor, and her research about intergenerational trauma. In her first novel, To Live Another Day: A Novel (New Jewish Fiction), you'll meet three girls who decide to become lifelong best friends because their names rhyme. Who needs any other reason?
Fay, May, and Ray come from different types of Jewish families, but all of them are shaped by culture and family expectations. As different as these girls are, their dedication to each other throughout their lives is inspirational despite the hardships they endure.
Fay's grandmother, Ava, survived the Holocaust with two of her sisters and each of their offspring is molded by their experiences in different ways that trickle down to Fay's generation. When trauma changes one person, that person changes those who come after through emotional disconnection, unrealistic expectations, and discordant family relationships.
To Live Another Day inspires laughter, tears, curiosity, and compassion as these three precious friends navigate their lives. This novel also inspires questions about what happened to Ava to make her the way she is.
The second novel, To Love Another Day: A Novel, answers those questions. We get to know Ava Kertesz through the eyes of her daughters, Magda, Suzi, and Judy. Although not the oldest of the three sisters who survived the Holocaust, Ava is the emotional center and matriarch for her extended family.
Ava's daughters are first-generation Americans growing up in a cultural tug of war between honoring their family's history and creating their own story; wanting to please their mother and get away from her. Each daughter responds to these tensions in a different way, thus influencing their daughters. Although fraught with tragedy, this novel follows a trajectory of healing and hope.
I’m thrilled to recommend these books to you now that Ava’s story is coming out. The first novel gripped my heart and waiting to hear more about Ava was a test of patience. I found myself crying for these women one minute and cheering for them the next. The second novel is more powerful than the first.
Aside from the gripping drama of what happens to all these women, I learned a lot about Jewish culture. I confess that I had always assumed Jewish was Jewish, but there is far more diversity within Jewish culture. Dr. Rosenberg introduces that tapestry beautifully with relatable characters from different Jewish backgrounds who navigate the hardships these families went through after the Holocaust. Historic struggles, experiences of war, country of origin, and religious adherence impact the daily decisions of each family member all while they strive to succeed and assimilate into American culture without losing their own. These novels show the delicate balance of remembering the horrors of the war and healing from trauma as well as honoring historical tradition and fitting into a new country.
These stories are not about the Holocaust, nor are they about World War II. It's about what happens after. Readers get an inside view into how individuals, families, and communities are impacted by intergenerational trauma and not just by focusing on the problems that arise, but by showing how to heal from it.
These books are ideal for teen and adult readers, without bad language or graphic scenes of violence. There is plenty of inspiration for discussion on themes such as the consequences of war, the history of various Jewish communities, immigration patterns following World War II, the consequences of war on people, families, and communities, lifelong friendships, sibling relationships, mother-daughter relationships, cross-cultural relationships, and empathy for those affected by war.
To Live Another Day is available now on Amazon and To Love Another Day is available for pre-order to be released May 5. Read them, listen to them, and share your thoughts in the comments section.
I read so you don’t have to. If you have a book you’d like me to read and review, send me a message through Substack or via email at scribe@reviveshine.com.