I was delighted to receive a proof of “House of Glass”. I love Hadley Freeman’s writing (read her column in the Guardian every week) and I have always been fascinated by Jewish history. Why this should be I don’t know, but I do read a lot of books on this subject area.

Until her grandmother died, Hadley Freeman didn’t know much about her. Finding a shoebox filled with mementoes sent her on a search to discover the truth about this very private woman. Sala Glahs was moved from Poland, to Paris, and finally to America. What comes through in the memoir is a desperately unhappy woman trying to make the best of the situation she found herself in. The book is also the story of Sala’s three brothers – Alex, Henri and Jacques, and how they survived (or in Jacques’ case didn’t)

The book explores themes of identity and assimilation, and what it is like to be a “stranger in a strange land”. It is an engrossing read, and I highly recommend it, not just to readers who are interested in the period, but to anyone who is interested in people and what make them keep going.

Thanks to Netgalley and 4th Estate/Harpercollins for the proof.