Ghost Waltz: A Family Memoir

I read Ghost Waltz: A Family Memoir by Ingeborg Day on recommendation from a patron. She assured me that I would love it and that it was right up my alley as it was a nonfiction book that covered events from WWII. What hooked me into reading it was that it was covering the events of WWII from the perspective of someone who was on the 'other side' aka the Nazi perspective (as opposed to the 3rd person nonfiction narrative or survivor memoir). Ingeborg wanted to uncover the secrets of her father's past and hopefully work out exactly what his role was as a member of the Nazi Party and SS. She revisited old memories of times spent living in shared accommodation with other families, rationing, and the charged silence around the dinner table. show more She continually reiterated that she had no memories of her parents ever saying anything about Jewish people or showing any violence whatsoever toward anyone...and yet the undertones of the book were very anti-Semitic. I honestly found this a very uncomfortable book to read especially considering that she seemed to vacillate on her own beliefs and feelings towards those who were slaughtered en masse while her father served as a member of the Nazi party. (Her conflicting beliefs made this a very disjointed read.) For those interested in knowing just what his role was and his innermost beliefs, you will be sorely disappointed. There is no clear cut conclusion to be found among the pages of Ghost Waltz. The author herself couldn't seem to work out her own feelings much less those of a man who she had no contact with as an adult (there was an event after she left home which led to a rift). This wasn't my favorite read of the year for multiple reasons but mostly for those stated above: anti-Semitic sentiment and unsatisfactory conclusion. It's a 2/10 for me. :-/ show less

Ghost Waltz: A Family Memoir by Ingeborg Day is a difficult book to review for more than one reason. This book is a search to find out the truth about what her father did in World War II as a Nazi. Her father never talked about the war. He also never talked about Jews so she wanted to know if her father could have been a monster as depicted in American movies. She grew up in a small town in Austria.

In 1956. when she was sixteen, she went to United States as an exchange student. She was very surprised at how different the two countries were. She became enamored with snack foods like Lorna Doones, and saw late night movie after movie about the horrible Nazis. Back home, there was total silence about them. The main things that she learned show more in Austria was a strong work ethic and keep to yourself. She had not heard of the Holocaust in her school or her home. So it was all a shock. She stated read everything that she could about it.

When she returned home, her parents easily talked about how they felt about blacks but not Jews. She could not get them to talk. She wanted to escape so when she received a proposal from an American she snapped it up. After being married, having two kids and some major events in her life she starts reading everything that she can find about Nazis and Hilter. Her bed is a sea of red and black books. She had to know what happened and did her father have a role in. She examines her own prejudices and tries to figure how she came to have them. Why did this happen? She offers economic and cultural reasons. How do the Austrians feel about Russia and why. How do they feel about Germany?

This is a very introspective memoir with the author honestly exposing her feelings whether she like them or not, and whether the reader liked them or not. It is a difficult book to read because it makes you think about prejudice, and what your own feelings are.

I do recommend this book for readers who want to know what it is like to be daughters and sons of Nazis, however it is a difficult book to read because of the consequences of prejudices.

I received this advance reading copy from FirstReads as a win but that in no way influenced the thoughts and feelings in my review. show less