Sarah Ansbacher's Blog

28 August 1940 – Bratislava, Slovkia
Hannah took one last look around the dilapidated warehouse that had been their sleeping quarters. Empty of its former occupants, all that remained were the wooden bunks and clumps of musty straw scattered about the concrete floor.
Erika came up behind her. ‘Don’t tell me you’re feeling sentimental about leaving the Patronka.’
‘No, it isn’t that. It was awful. But I also found my greatest happiness here.’
-Excerpt from Wave After Wave

Next Sunday evening, 19 May, I’m honoured to be taking part in Literary Modiin’s May Author Event with Julie Zuckerman Gila Green and Sheryl Abbey. I’ll be speaking about the writing, research and historical background of my new novel, Wave After Wave.
The event is taking place in Modiin but will be both in-person and on Zoom, so whether near or far, I’d love to invite you to join us.
To register, please visit this link: https://bit.ly/4aVWuhU

I wrote a piece for Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Memorial Day, in Times of Israel. It tells the story of an old, historical warehouse in Bratislava, Slovakia, with a dark past. I learned about it while I was doing research for my latest novel, Wave After Wave. And then I discovered that my own family had a connection to that eerie place. Read the full article here: Secrets of an Old Warehouse in Bratislava.

From the author of Ayuni and Passage from Aden comes Sarah Ansbacher’s new historical novel, based on a true story, Wave After Wave.

Uncovering a forgotten piece of history, Wave After Wave recounts the journey of the largest convoy of Jewish refugees to travel down the Danube during WWII in an attempt to escape Nazi-occupied Europe. It is a story that encompasses devastating loss, remarkable resilience, and a glimmer of hope.

The story opens in 1938 in Vienna where newlywed Lilly is looking forward to the future with her husband until the Nazi annexation of Austria throws everything into uncertainty. Suddenly, their Jewish heritage turns them into outcasts, facing persecution and daily humiliation. Despite their tireless efforts to emigrate, no country will grant them the visas they desperately need. Then Kristallnacht, the Night of Broken Glass, shatters Lilly’s world.

With the outbreak of war, Lilly remains trapped in Vienna, fearful of what lies ahead. Her cousin discovers a possible escape: joining a group of Jewish refugees on a daring journey down the Danube River and across the Black Sea to British-controlled Mandatory Palestine. Leaving comes at a price, and will test their resilience to the limit. With danger and difficulties at every turn, can Lilly and all the other refugees survive the journey and reach the Promised Land?

Under the title A museum comes to life, the Jerusalem Post Magazine of 28 August published a glowing full-page book review of Passage From Aden.

‘Some of Ansbacher’s essays are quirky and humorous; others have a more serious tone. All are interesting and enjoyable, and Ansbacher wields a deft pen, artfully relating the humorous, the mundane and the sad.’

The piece concluded by saying: ‘Passage from Aden – Stories from a Little Museum in Tel Aviv is an enjoyable book that one can pick up, browse and read in any order that one wishes. It provides an authentic flavor, not only of the lives of the Jews of Aden but also of the visitors drawn to the museum in Tel Aviv. The museum may be “little,” but its impact is far more significant.’

You can read the full review here.

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