Motherland: Beyond the Holocaust: A Mother-Daughter Journey to Reclaim the Past

I have been wanting to read this book for a while, mainly because I wanted to live vicariously through it. My grandmother too was an "escapee" (to Britain at the time, not America), and I had always hoped that I could share a trip to Germany with her. But my grandmother was adamant that she would never step foot again on German soil, and now that Alzheimer's has taken most of her memories, I will never have the opportunity to see if she'd ever change her mind.

I saw a lot of my grandmother in these pages - the stunted emotional growth, the fears that never go away, even the "mental breakdown" - and I did find some sort of closure by reading the book. It was interesting to see things from Fern's perspective, especially the deep scars on show more her own childhood from her mother's experiences in Germany. And the German people themselves are scarred, as well, by the events of the past, although many of them are too young to have played much of a part in the Holocaust.

And, still, and perhaps surprisingly, there are deep-rooted issues concerning Jews in Germany. Many people seem to want to welcome us back with open arms, while others are uncomfortable or downright hostile. I learned this during my own trip to Germany. In Edith's example, only about two-thirds of her former classmates came to see her; the others simply "couldn't make it." And when their self-appointed tour guide, Hans, tried to introduce Edith to her sister's best friend during childhood, the "friend" wouldn't even look at Edith.

And then there are those who stood up against the wrongs, those who refused to "howl with the wolves," and yet their lives were never the same after the war. The Nazis, for the most part, went unpunished (the mayor of the small town that tormented the Westerfeld family, for example, was found not guilty after the war and only spent a few days in jail), while Mina, the woman who refused to turn her back on her Jewish friends, was still being discriminated against by potential employers and neighbors after the war. The unjustness of it all is nausea-inducing, at least to me. Yes, there was Nuremberg, but overwhelmingly, the murderers got away with their crimes, and there simply wasn't enough of the victims left in Europe to try to get justice.

The Germans in the book complaining about their inability to express pride in their nation irks me, as does the people who protest that they were just as much victims of the Nazis as was Edith. I don't see how someone who willingly became a soldier and swaggered in his uniform (his words) is on the same par as someone whose family was brutally murdered.

And that is perhaps why I didn't enjoy the book as much as I could have; the entire story felt incredibly passive. There is little opinion to be found here; the facts are reported, a little of her mother's past is related, and yet the story felt to me like it was lacking an emotional depth. There is little fire or passion or anger in these pages. show less

I read this book straight through without stopping for over 10 hours except for a few small breaks for snacks. I couldn't put this book down. It's been a long time since I have read a book that held my interest as much as this one did throughout. I cried through much of this book and emotions I didn't even know existed surfaced repeatedly. I can't even express how it touched me so deeply. Not only is the topic fascinating and engrossing but the author is a talented writer.
I will leave the rest for you to find out.

4.5*
I loved reading Motherland, but must admit i am a bit prejudiced when it comes to this author, having read her other books. The title takes on new meaning when it comes to the mother and daughter, Edith and Fern.
Motherland meaning Germany....... motherland meaning the turf surrounding and shared with ones mom, both physical and emotional.
Edith was sent to the U.S. during the Holocaust for safety, and grew up with questions and angst. HER daughter grew up with a mother who kept herself and her past zipped up, emotionally stunted? So Fern digs.....relentlessly. And Fern comes to understand.
"Mothers ...absent or present...leave an imprint.." Which is more often than not passed on in some form over generations...

This book explores the ripple effects of trauma on a family. Motherland is Chapman's exploration of her mother's past and their trip together to Germany to revisit her mother's early years before being sent to Chicago. Her parents sent her away as a way to try to save her from the increasing hardships on Jews in Hitler's Germany. Finding her mother closed off emotionally, Chapman seeks to gain new insight into her mother through learning more about her history.

A touching memoir of a woman who reluctantly returns to her hometown in Germany years after her escape. She is accompanied by her daughter, and as they begin their trip both women have their reservations, fears and worries.
This is an amazing story of an ordinary girl who has to survive extraordinary circumstances, and how the Holocaust affected her and her family. I was touched by how welcoming the entire town was towards her, despite the fact that she hadn't been back since the war. One poignant part is when the reader realizes that the people in her town who were not Jewish felt trapped and horrified by the Nazi occupation as much as the Jews did.
Don't miss this tender and sensitive book.