The Postcard

An outstanding but deeply tragic family memoir in which Anne Berest researches the history of her Jewish family.

In 2003, Anne's mother received a postcard on which just four names were written, nothing else. They are the names of the family of Anne's grandmother: her father, mother, sister and brother. All four were killed in the war.

Who would write such a postcard, 60 years after the facts? The card triggers an interest in Anne to know more about her family. Her mother is a great help, but there are places she doesn't want to go.

It is an absolute pageturner of a book, especially the descriptions the family's Russian origins, how they came to France and the confusing dangers of the looming war.

I can see why it has won so many prizes. It is an important, thoughtful but accessible book that hopefully many young people will read. I do see it as non-fiction though, not something for a literary fiction prize.

Thoroughly researched autobiographical fiction of Anne Berest’s family - starting from Russia before WWII and moving through to today, where Anne and her mum are looking for answers. They receive a postcard including 4 names with no return address (truly happened) - and this is where the story begins.

The book moved very quickly and jumping timelines, which worked for me. Anne’s mother has decades of notes from her family and they go searching for answers the grandmother never gave (only holocaust survivor).

I grew so close with this family, and someone mentioned to the author that they felt her family was theirs. I very much feel it was difficult to let them go I miss them tremendously. A truly impactful book with elements of thriller, epistolary sections, generational trauma and history repeating itself.

This was one of the best books I’ve read in the past year, if not 5 years!




Truly recommend although trigger warnings for antisemitism, genocide, death, torture (please check further on storygraph).

Thank you for my e-ARC Europa Editions.

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

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.

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
The Postcard
by Anne Berest
Translated from the French by Tina Kover
🇫🇷 🇫🇷 🇫🇷 🇫🇷 🇫🇷 🇫🇷 🇫🇷 🇫🇷 🇫🇷 🇫🇷 🇫🇷

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

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 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.

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.

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.

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?
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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
-
Thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy - honest review given.