wp-1595967352059.jpgWelcome to my stop on the The Takeaway Men blog tour sponsored by Suzy Approved Book Tours! Thank you to Suzy for the invitation!

About the Book:

With the cloud of the Holocaust still looming over them, twin sisters Bronka and Johanna Lubinski and their parents arrive in the US from a Displaced Persons Camp. In the years after World War II, they experience the difficulties of adjusting to American culture as well as the burgeoning fear of the Cold War. Years later, the discovery of a former Nazi hiding in their community brings the Holocaust out of the shadows. As the girls get older, they start to wonder about their parents’ pasts, and they begin to demand answers. But it soon becomes clear that those memories will be more difficult and painful to uncover than they could have anticipated. Poignant and haunting, The Takeaway Men explores the impact of immigration, identity, prejudice, secrets, and lies on parents and children in mid-twentieth-century America.

My Thoughts:

Bronka and Johanna are twin sisters who have arrived in the US from a Displaced Persons Camp after the Holocaust.

The adjustment to the US is hard for the family because of the fear of the Cold War and all the cultural differences.

Several years later, a former Nazi is found to be hiding in their local community, and it brings back all their fears.

The Takeaway Men is a story of immigration and the prejudice that often comes along with it. It’s also a story of secrets and family.

Overall, I was impressed with Meryl Ain’s storytelling. The Takeaway Men was so much more than I expected it to be. As a reader, I felt like I was completely inside the thoughts and fears of this family. I learned a great deal, and I cared about each of the characters.

If you are looking for a unique take on the aftermath of the Holocaust and its lasting impact on a family, please give this one a second look.

I received a gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

About the Author:

Meryl’s articles and essays have appeared in Huffington Post, The New York Jewish Week, The New York Times, Newsday and other publications. The Takeaway Men (August 2020) is her debut novel. In 2014, she co-authored the award-winning book, The Living Memories Project: Legacies That Last, and in 2016, wrote a companion workbook, My Living Memories Project Journal. She is a sought-after speaker and has been interviewed on television, radio, and podcasts. She is a career educator and is proud to be both a teacher and student of history. She has also worked as a school administrator.

The Takeaway Men is the result of her life-long quest to learn more about the Holocaust, a thirst that was first triggered by reading The Diary of Anne Frank in the sixth grade. While teaching high school history, she introduced her students to the study of the Holocaust. At the same time, she also developed an enduring fascination with teaching about and researching the Julius and Ethel Rosenberg case. An interview with Robert Meeropol, the younger son of the Rosenbergs, is featured in her book, The Living Memories Project. The book also includes an interview with Holocaust survivor, Boris Chartan, the founder of the Holocaust Museum and Tolerance Center of Nassau County, New York.

Meryl holds a BA from Queens College, an MA from Teachers College, Columbia University, and an Ed.D. from Hofstra University. She is a lifetime member of Hadassah and an active supporter of UJA-Federation of New York. She lives in New York with her husband, Stewart. They have three married sons and six grandchildren.

Have you read The Takeaway Men, or is it on your TBR? Happy Reading! ~ Jennifer THR