As the child of a survivor, this book talks about many of the things our family kept silent. Just reading that even one other person out there had similar feelings, experiences, and views was so very comforting. It is important that society acknowledges the 2nd Generation's special status. May the memory of all who perished, of all who survived, and all who have come after them be ever for a blessing.

As a daughter of Holocaust Survivors, when I first read this book (over 15 years ago), I was astounded. This author was the first to raise the issue at all: how has the Holocaust affected those whose parents survived it? When I was growing up, not only was the Holocaust itself practically a taboo subject, but no one ever, ever discussed the children of Survivors. This author had the courage, the foresight, and tenacity to do just that - and to do it in the most sensitive and articulate way.

When I first read the first chapter, I was so astounded that I stood up, and read that chapter standing up! She describes exactly, to the letter, how I felt growing up: that the Holocaust was a locked black box in your household, and that its secrets were more secret than sex, or anything else you can possibly imagine. Finally, someone has put on paper what I always felt, but could never describe. Everyone I have ever given this book to, no matter what his or her background, said he couldn't put it down. To anyone interested in the Holocaust - you must read this book!

While there have been many books written detailing the horrors of the Nazi Holocaust, Helen Epstein places its impact in the context of both survivors and their families, specifically their children. Ms. Epstein's briliant narrative conveys her own family's history interweaving it with the histories of many others, both highlighting common ground and preserving the uniqueness of each. For me, as a "Child of the Holocaust", this book showed me that my feelings of alienation and unique perspective on man's potential brutality to his fellow man, both indirect consequences of my parents' wartime experiences, are shared within a community. This change in perspective lead me to the realization while the Children of the Holocaust are a separate and special group, we share common bonds with the descendents all persecuted people, and there are many, far too many, such children in the world. This book profoundly changed my outlook on the world and my view of my place in it. It has also helped others better understand my family and me. There can be no higher praise for literature, and I am very grateful to Helen Epstein for writing Children of the Holocaust, and to those taking the time to read it.

We read Helen Epstein's "Where She Came From" for our book group, and I cannot recommend it highly enough. The book has so many threads: Wonderful characters you wish you could meet in person; A view of the history of eastern Europe that is colorful and compelling; The chilling face of centuries of European anti-Semitism; Helen's personal story of discovery. It reads like a mystery at times and a love letter at others. The writing style is very clear and pleasant to read - the best of personal journalism. Having read the library's copy, I bought one of my own to share with my own family and friends.

Maybe that's not quite right. This isn't necessarily a book about the Holocaust, although it haunts every page. But it is a book which does suggest to me the way the Holocaust shattered people's lives on every level. It slammed a curtain down on people's lives, between the time before the war and after it. Part of its effect was to obliterate the past, perhaps because nothing in the past could have prepared Helen Epstein's parents for what they would experience in the camps.

What I admire about this book is that Epstein manages to piece together a picture of her family's past despite history's best efforts to annihilate it. What's even more cheering is that this story is not all unbearable tragedy; it is a story of gutsy, neurotic women who did the best they could with their lives-- something which transcends their ethnicity, and something which will hopefully transcend time.

Many Americans are curious about their roots but are frustrated that family history died with their ancestors. Helen Epstein has done what so many of us fantasize about: She went back to where she came from and learned her family history. The story of her discovery is fascinating, but not as fascinating as the history itself. She tells of three generations of women who moved from tradition to assimilation to conversion and then to Auschwitz. Perhaps the single most gripping image in the book is the woman in the concentration camp bunk above Ms. Epstein's mother regularly saying her Catholic prayers, although she was where she was because to the Nazis she was a Jew not a Catholic. Ms. Epstein writes simply and effectively. Her book is very readable and very moving.

Picked this book up at a used bookstore well off the beaten path and had finished it in 48 hours. Its author does not belittle her audience, but also focuses on making the fairly complex world of theatre readable for anyone with an interest. Thoroughly enjoyed it from beginning to end. A great book to read on the train or in rehearsal downtime. Not the most complex book in the world, but definitely worth the read.