Anna Goldenberg
Translated by Alta L. Price

“An intimate account of a courageous family whose rich life in Vienna unravels into a struggle for survival. A suspenseful story of bravery, dignity, and the love of a city that withstands its bleakest chapter.”—Anne-Marie O’Connor, author of The Lady in Gold: The Extraordinary Tale of Gustav Klimt’s Masterpiece, Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer

“A must-read for a new understanding of the Holocaust in Vienna and why a Jewish family would not let itself be uprooted despite the city’s dark past.” —Esther Safran Foer, author of I Want You to Know We’re Still Here: A Post-Holocaust Memoir

“Goldenberg presents a vivid picture of life in Vienna under Nazi rule… Thoughtful research and engaging style make this a valuable addition to Holocaust literature.”—Publishers Weekly

A defiant memoir from contemporary Europe: In autumn 1942, Anna Goldenberg’s great-grandparents and one of their sons are deported to the Theresienstadt concentration camp. Hans, their elder son, survives by hiding in an apartment in the middle of Nazi-controlled Vienna. But this is no Anne Frank-like existence; teenage Hans passes time in the municipal library and buys standing room tickets to the Vienna State Opera. He never sees his family again. Goldenberg reconstructs this unique story in magnificent reportage. She also portrays Vienna’s undying allure—although they tried living in the United States after World War Two, both grandparents eventually returned to the Austrian capital. The author, too, has returned to her native Vienna after living in New York herself, and her fierce attachment to her birthplace enlivens her engrossing biographical history. A probing tale of heroism, resilience, identity and belonging, marked by a surprising freshness as a new generation comes to terms with history’s darkest era.

Paperback
207 pages
New Vessel Press, 2020
5.2 x 0.7 x 8 inches
ISBN 9781939931849
Memoir, Viennese History