I really loved this book. Many thanks to @netgalley and @europaeditionsfor the advance copy in return for my honest review.

The Postcard tells the story of a Jewish family destroyed by the holocaust and a modern day pursuit to find out the truth. A mysterious postcard arrives in the Berest family home, with the names of family members written on the back who all died in Auschwitz. So begins a quest by Anne Berest to find out the story behind her ancestors, the Rabinovitch family, who sent the postcard and why.

You can never read enough books about the Holocaust. They serve to continually remind us of the evil mankind has done and continues to do today, in Gaza, in Ukraine. What makes this book so incredible, is that it’s a true story, which the author has carefully crafted into a novel.
I really enjoyed this short read and would highly recommend. 4 stars from me.

I‘m reading at least 5 other books at the same time, but they were all immediately forgotten once I started this, and I read it in only a few hours.

It‘s not an easy read, particularly the first third of the book, but I loved the writing style. The links between ‘then‘ and now were incredibly compelling, and very worrying.

I‘m sure this will be up there with my favourite books of 2024.

Thank you for the opportunity to review this new novel.

I really, really wanted to love this but I just couldn't find the interest in the story. I know I'm an outlier here and that a lot of people love it and can't stop reading. I'm sorry to say that I was bored :(

The Postcard tells the story of the Rabinovitch family, in particular we learn the story of Myriam, Noemie, Jacques, Emma and Ephraim. We meet them in the years leading up to WW2, as the Nazi party's lethal grip on Europe tightened leading, eventually, to the horrors of the Holocaust.

The book is told in 4 parts. The first part was by far my favourite. Even though I knew how that part of the book would end, reading the fate of Noemie, Jacques, Emma and Ephraim was devastating. The remainder of the book is focused on solving the mystery of a postcard sent to Leila, the author's mother, in 2003. Written on the postcard are simply the names Noemie, Jacques, Emma and Ephraim with nothing to identify the sender or to explain why the postcard was sent.

17 years after that postcard landed in Leila's mailbox, Anne will discover who sent it and why but for me that was not the most important part of the story. What will stay with me will be how Anne explored the theme of trauma, how it passes down the bloodline and causes generations to experience unexplained anxiety and fear stemming from an unspeakable pain they dare not interrogate for fear of what may be uncovered.

This work of autofiction - based on Anne Berest's real family history - is a wonderful work and I am so glad I read it. The only reason this wasn't quite 5 stars for me was because I would have preferred for Book 1 to have been extended and to have formed the bulk of the novel. I was not as interested in Myriam's story and the mystery of the postcard but the love Anne has for her characters - who are in fact her family - shone through and her simple yet beautiful prose propelled me through the book's pages.

My thanks to Europa and Netgalley for the opportunity be an early reader of this impactful and important story.

A remarkable yet profoundly poignant familial narrative unfolds in Anne Berest's exploration of her Jewish heritage. Delving into the history of her family, the journey begins when Anne's mother receives a postcard in 2003, bearing just four names—no additional details. Those names represent the family of Anne's grandmother: her father, mother, sister, and brother—all victims of the war.

The mysterious postcard, arriving six decades after the tragic events, becomes a catalyst for Anne's quest to unravel the mysteries of her family's past. While her mother provides invaluable assistance, there are aspects she hesitates to confront. The narrative unfolds as a gripping page-turner, particularly in its vivid depictions of the family's Russian origins, their migration to France, and the ominous perils of the impending war.

This compelling work has garnered well-deserved acclaim, and its numerous accolades underscore its significance. It seamlessly blends accessibility with profound reflection, making it a compelling read that holds particular resonance for younger audiences. Although recognized for its literary merits, I perceive it as a work of non-fiction, deserving of attention for its historical and contemplative contributions rather than fitting neatly into the realm of literary fiction prizes.

A postcard arrives in the mail, during the Christmas season of 2003, with the names of Anne's maternal grandparents and two of their children. These people all died in Auschwitz. There's no explanation, nothing. This leads to learning about her family history and what happened to them, and it's based on the author's own family. I'm absolutely surprised by the negative reviews of this book on Goodreads. I can't believe we've read the same book.

“How can you tell when you’re alive, when there is no one to witness your existence?”

This is an autobiographical novel of Berest’s own family and is beautifully translated from the original French. In 2003, the Berest family receive a postcard with the names of the relatives who were killed in Auschwitz: Ephraïm, Emma, Noémie and Jacques. Anne the great-granddaughter of Emma and Ephraïm, decides to find out who sent the postcard so long after the family members were killed and the story of her ancestors is pieced together, from their flight from Russia during the revolution, to temporary stays in Latvia and Palestine to their eventual settling in Paris. As WWII breaks out and France is occupied, the family moves out of the city and Myriam, in a lucky moment, is the only family member to escape being rounded up and sent to the concentration camps. We witness Myriam’s subsequent actions during the war and her coming to terms with the effects of the Holocaust. I’ve read many books that feature life in the camps, but never one that documents the days after liberation and repatriation in such detail as this book. This section of the story was heartbreaking- the uncertainty and chaos around survivors trying to find out about lost loved ones and those who were repatriated trying to make sense of life. There were several passages that I read through tears particularly with what is happening in the world at the moment.
Told in a dual timeline, we learn about the lives of Myriam’s descendants and how one moves on from the trauma of the past, if that is ever really possible.
I learnt a lot about France during the war and attitudes to those of the Jewish faith. It left me thinking about how many others’ stories there are to be told.
Highly recommended read.

I loved the first part of this story and was fully invested in what seemed like a Holocaust memoir so was slightly jolted out of the book when it became more obviously a novel - I overcame this quickly and really liked the modern story juxtaposed on and in the end really enjoyed what I've seen classed as auto-fiction.

Author Anne grew up in France but knew little about her grandmother Miriam's past and had always assumed she was French. When an anonymous postcard is delivered to her Mum Lelia's adress in the early 2000s, Anne is intrigued, who are the four names listed on it?

It is not until years later, that her Mum reveals that the names on the postcard were Miriam's Jewish family, who originally came from Russia. Together, Anne and Lelia decide to find out more about Miriam's history and by searching the archives and speaking to friends and neighbours the truth is finally revealed.

This is a compelling, but equally harrowing true story. It is quite a hefty novel but still easy to read. There must be so many family stories that have been lost from this era and it is a privilige to get a glimpse into Miriam's.

This isn't my usual genre but the description drew me in to give it a go. I am so glad I did - this book swirls historical trauma with a family mystery that brings the characters to life. I recall a fascination with the Holocaust in my teenage years and some of this book was so emotional - it takes a lot to bring me to tears but it did.

A harrowing, important, memorable read.

Very naive narrator, perhaps that is why the novel has a simple style and offers yet another example of a Jewish family history before and during WWII. I would recommend this to YA audience who want to learn about the Holocaust. For more sophisticated readers and people who have read a lot on the subject I would recommend, for example, Hanna Krall.

The Postcard by Anne Berest is a story of past and present perfectly sewn together with the delivery of a mysterious postcard in the centre of it.
This book grew on me so much throughout its nearly 500 pages, spanning nearly a hundred years of family history, starting in 1919 Moscow, via Riga and Palestine and eventually taking the reader to Paris where most of the story takes place.
This is an ‘auto fictional’ novel based on Anne (the author and protagonist) her search for answers as to what happened to her Jewish great-grandparents and two of their children during WW2. Their names; Ephraim, Emma, Noémie and Jacques are written on the postcard, but nothing else.
Who wrote it? What does it mean?
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Anne starts digging with the help of her mother, Leíla whose mother, Myriam, was the only surviving member of the Rabinovitch family during the holocaust.
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A deep silence has clouded family relationships, identity and belonging through generations. Every page is gripping with the narrative like a detective story taking the reader on a complex journey. With the desire to give voice to the people who can no longer share, linking up events and actions - it’s an angle to the atrocities during the war I have never been exposed to. And it is so well researched and incredibly fascinating.
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Yes, the descriptions of what happened in the camps are awful. Anne does not linger on these details for too long. But the way the author writes about the aftermath; the survivors as they arrive back into Paris on trains, it left me speechless. The writing was so raw and matter of fact in its horrifying details.
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Anne’s grandmother Myriam was there waiting for news every single day and would not stop searching for her family. So overwhelming was the need for answers she left her own daughter Leila behind looked after by friends or distant relatives. This story really is about generational trauma and how the past lingers in our lives, forming parts of our identity.
And what is it like to be descendants of Jews who were persecuted, deported and killed. It is a very personal story, yet it is universal and sadly still so relevant today.
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I had goosebumps all over towards the end as the mystery of the postcard was solved. It was painful.
Stay with the story even though there are lots of names and places mentioned in the start which might put you off due to its complexity. You will get to know the family Rabinovitch and it is absolutely worth it.
Five stars. 5/5
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Thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy - honest review given.

Thanks to #netgalley and #europaeditions for the ARC.
I really enjoyed this book. Its part memoir and part fiction based on the author's family history. The authors grandmother was the only survivor in her family of the holocaust. Despite being non-secular and considering themselves French the author, her mother and her daughter all experience antisemitism at some stage. The book explores the family history and also how the research is carried out. It is a very clear and dignified piece of work which gives respect to those who died.

This is one of the best books I’ve ever read. This story is completely gripping, despite how heavy the material is. The multiple generations of the Rabinovitch family were brought to life so vividly, it was harrowing reading their stories knowing what lay in store. Such an important book, I learned so much and will cherish it.

Published today, this extraordinary “true novel” is a must-read.

A bestseller in France and a finalist for the Prix Goncourt, The Postcard is the story of a Jewish family spanning a century. A heartbreaking tale wrapped around the mystery of an anonymous postcard, this was one of my favourite books this year.

The Postcard is written as a novel but uniquely, all of the characters are real - Anne Berest used novelistic techniques to propel the narrative and bring the story of her family to life.

The impending birth of her daughter gives rise to a deep curiosity in Anne to delve into and understand her family history.

Many years previously, Anne’s mother Lélia received an anonymous postcard in the mail with four names on it: Ephraïm, Emma, Noémie, Jacques. These were Lélia’s grandparents and aunt and uncle, all of whom perished in Auschwitz. Only Lélia’s mother Myriam survived.

Anne sets out to solve the mystery of the anonymous postcard, and answer questions she asks herself about her own identity as a Jewish person. She asks, can a person separate themselves from their Jewishness or is it an inherent part of one’s identity?

In these times we live in, where anti-Semitism is still a big issue, and Holocaust denial is big business on right-wing platforms, it is more important than ever that books like The Postcard are read and discussed.

There are two very short chapters in this book - if you’ve read it, you’ll know the ones I’m talking about - where I cried my eyes out and had to pause for a few minutes. No matter how many books you read on the Holocaust - and I have read many over the years - it is impossible not to feel deeply, deeply affected by the stories of those who died and those who survived.

Ephaïm, Emma, Noémie and Jacques are remembered here with the dignity and respect they deserved. A powerful, memorable, devastating read. 5/5 ⭐️

*Many thanks to @europaeditions for the advance copy of The Postcard, published today and available in all good bookshops. As always, this is an honest review.*

This was a well written mix up between fiction and memoir. The authors mother receives a postcard with the names of family killed at Auschwitz, which then results in a bid to find out who sent the postcard as well as more about the family members. A truly emotional read that will pull you through all the emotions.

In The Postcard, Anne Berest, a French writer, has recorded a fictional account of the experiences of her Jewish family during the Second World War and the legacy that these traumas have left for her present generation. One day, the family receive an anonymous postcard with only four words written on it - the names of four relatives murdered during the Holocaust. Drawn to the enigmatic postcard and its ambiguous meaning, Anne the narrator records the life of her ancestors constructed through paper trails, documents, and other texts.

This book was unflinching in its criticism of the many silent figures that allowed the atrocities of the past to occur and it does a brilliant job at pointing out the 'signs' that lay quietly on the path towards such atrocities. It is difficult to read the account of the Rabinovitch's lives and see all the opportunities to flee Europe that were not taken because no one could imagine the horror that awaited them. Berest does not shy away from facing the bare facts of this period and the experiences of Jewish people, even long before WWII. Anti-Semitism is rife wherever they go and the 'casual' moments of prejudice are truly horrifying, especially when the book jumps to the present day.

What I appreciated about The Postcard was the description of Anne's own struggle with her Jewish identity and what that truly means to her having grown up outside of traditional practices of the faith. I think this is the first book I've read where the traumatic events of WWII lead to a movement away from the Jewish faith for a time - although I'm sure that this might actually be a common reaction. I found it really interesting to witness this journey of healing, acknowledgement and active remembrance. While many surviving Jewish people were all the more adamant to uphold and practice their faith following WWII, The Postcard allows an insight into how this may not have been the reality for people, especially when finding themselves the sole survivor. Anne's exploration of her own Jewishness and the impact of this recent past on her own life was really fascinating, especially through her interactions with other Jewish people and her uncertainty as to how to explain her daughter's Jewish identity to her. What was difficult to read were the passages that highlighted the casual Anti-Semitism that still remained in France - the quiet survival of people who had collaborated during the war and profited off the expulsion and extermination of the Jewish population as well as the callous dismissal of the Head Teacher at Anne's daughter's school, who raises no fuss at the knowledge that young children have expressed Anti-Semitic sentiments.

I think this is a very important book and I am very glad I read it - especially as it links the past so clearly to the present day - Anti-Semitism has not disappeared and it is important to hold out against it, to recognise the signs from our knowledge of the past. If I were to raise a few criticisms I would say that the structure of the book felt a bit off at times. The reader is thrown into the past quite rapidly in the beginning and then yanked back into the present to finally become better acquainted with the protagonist, Anne. At times, I also felt the pacing was unpredictable, there were moments where the plot seemed to move rapidly and I would have appreciated a bit more detail. However, as I pointed out earlier, this book was not produced purely for entertainment value but to act as a record of real lives reconstructed so it is understandable that there are places where fiction cannot stretch too far. I can see why this novel has been so widely acclaimed and I would really encourage others to read it.

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
The Postcard
by Anne Berest
Translated from the French by Tina Kover
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Had I known going in that this is another WWII story, I probably wouldn't have picked it up, but luckily I followed the hype train and did. How easily I could have missed this entirely unique telling, jaded as I am from reading the same old tropes. While a significant portion (40%) is a straight up historical account of this family's exodus from Russia, via Latvia, Palestine into France in time to be caught up in the emerging intolerance of the Jewish people throughout Europe, it is tempered with contemporary reactions and analysis to trends and attitudes that could not have been understood at the time, by way of conversational interludes between the daughter and grand daughter of a survivor.

'Indifference is universal. Who are you indifferent towards today, right now? Ask yourself that. '

As children, on learning about the holocaust, our overriding concerns were 'but how did people let this happen?' Berest, through her own family's real-life history, demonstrates how attitudes are formed and hatred is stoked, but how through indifference, so much evil could be perpetuated. By extention, how safe does one feel, knowing another group is the current target in today's political climate with a sharp swing towards the right wing and the rise of nationalist and xenophobic loud mouthing.

Wrapped up in the mystery of who sent an apparently inflammatory postcard to a family who's secrets were so well hidden, the next generation had their work cut out for them trying to get to the bottom of it, this story examines the layers upon layers of trauma that have been inflicted on, not only the generation that were stripped of their freedoms, their property, their lives and their legacies, but the inherited trauma that is carried by their descendants, and the communal guilt of those that turned a blind eye.

The mystery is a clever device, it adds narrative drive to the story, but what I take away from this is the evolved look at cause and effect, the parallels drawn with intolerance today and a tentative hope that we have learned to not let history repeat itself.

Publication date: 5th October 2023
Thanks to #netgalley and #europaeditions for the ARC

An anonymous postcard pushes the protagonist to investigate family history during WW2 and her identity as a Jew. Well researched and heartbreaking, the novel deals with memory, loss, survivor guilt and antisemitism. A must read for everyone.

Do we learn from history ? How much do we forget? What are the lessons from tragedy and overcoming adversity?

In an increasingly polarised world, The Postcard is a powerful ‘factional ‘ novel that shines a light upon one of the darkest times in the last century- drawing us in to observe the horror inflicted upon one Jewish family - The Rabinovitch Family and forces us to reflect upon where and how the human race has evolved since these dark time,
In 2003 a postcard is sent to the Berest family with the names of the four members of the Rabinovitch Family who are murdered in Auschwitz… but sent the unsigned postcard and why . So begins the journey of Anne, granddaughter of the surviving member of the family - Myriam- into what truly happened to the family.

Was this postcard an acknowledgment of betrayal- an antisemitic message from the present day ? Anne with the support of her mother Lelia begin an investigation/ exploration of the family history uncovering the horrors and tragedies - but also shining a light on the complicity of many in France to work alongside / collaborate with the Nazis.

At times this is not a comfortable read - uncovering human greed and inhumanity but this is also a story of bravery, courage, resilience.
Anne Berest has written a powerful novel that deserves all the plaudits it has received and now translated into English by Tina Kover it will hopefully become an even bigger international success.

This story of one family could be multiplied by thousands and sadly repeated since the 1940s by other families and groups from different religious backgrounds but it is the highly personal nature of this story that makes us deeply reflect upon all our infallibilities in a world that never seems content

Highly recommended