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Lunch with Charlotte
The true saga of a woman . . .. . . who witnessed the tanks roll into Vienna.Are you ready to be inspired?Charlotte Urban, born Liselotte Goldberger, was the daughter of Jewish parents. They lived a middle-class life in Austria. Neither parent was especially religious, but that didn’t matter to the Third Reich.This is her story . . .. . . but it is not one of endless atrocities.She never allowed herself to feel like a victim.Leon got to know Charlotte at their weekly lunches over 25 years. She recalled her life and he listened to her story. A life with emotional scars and missed opportunities that will break your heart, but also a life of dignity.Just before her death at 91 . . .. . . she told Leon her secret.It was then that he finally understood.You’ll be riveted by this look through one woman’s eyes, because it’s a story of the war, great depression, and the political turmoil that shaped a generation.Get it now.
447 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 29, 2012
174 people are currently reading
901 people want to read
About the author
Leon Berger
29 books17 followersLEON BERGER: Award-winning, bestselling author of 11 books, including DEATH BY HARMONY, LUNCH WITH CHARLOTTE, THE KENNEDY TRILOGY
"Berger is immensely engaging." Time.
http://www.lberger.ca
"Berger is immensely engaging." Time.
http://www.lberger.ca
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews
July 22, 2015
SURVIVING WITH DIGNITY
When I first started reading this book I thought it would be merely another version of the infamous Holocaust story, but I was wrong. Actually, it focuses around the eponymous heroine, Charlotte--her life before, during, and after the Holocaust.
The narrator is a man who had become her friend and with whom she had lunch every Friday. She relates bits and pieces of her life at each meeting--events and thoughts she had never shared with anyone else. The author gradually builds upon her life story by calling upon her memories and mementos of her past during these lunches.
Although pathos prevails throughout the story, it is unlike other Holocaust stories in that constant, vivid images of violence do not assail the reader on every page. Instead, the author delves into the psychological effects of an earlier, profound trauma that Charlotte had experienced and which "had affected her for the rest of her existence."
Bravo to Leon Berger for giving the heroine the opportunity to unburden herself of all her unfortunate memories, which must have provided catharsis for her, and for always allowing her to maintain the dignity she so rightfully deserved.
Splendid book.
Phyllis Eisenstadt
When I first started reading this book I thought it would be merely another version of the infamous Holocaust story, but I was wrong. Actually, it focuses around the eponymous heroine, Charlotte--her life before, during, and after the Holocaust.
The narrator is a man who had become her friend and with whom she had lunch every Friday. She relates bits and pieces of her life at each meeting--events and thoughts she had never shared with anyone else. The author gradually builds upon her life story by calling upon her memories and mementos of her past during these lunches.
Although pathos prevails throughout the story, it is unlike other Holocaust stories in that constant, vivid images of violence do not assail the reader on every page. Instead, the author delves into the psychological effects of an earlier, profound trauma that Charlotte had experienced and which "had affected her for the rest of her existence."
Bravo to Leon Berger for giving the heroine the opportunity to unburden herself of all her unfortunate memories, which must have provided catharsis for her, and for always allowing her to maintain the dignity she so rightfully deserved.
Splendid book.
Phyllis Eisenstadt
December 27, 2021
Review to follow. In the meantime, check out the comments under Reader activity.
December 10, 2015
Charlotte Urban, born Lisolette Goldberger in Vienna in 1919, faced her adolescence as a Jew in Austria as Hitler and the Nazi party gained influence. She was an only child and her father traveled a great deal because of work requirements leaving her mother to care for her.
As the war closed in, her father tried to get her mother to leave, but her mother, not wanting to leave her parents, friends, and the only home she had ever known, refused.. Eventually the borders closed and her father was caught on one side, she and her mother on the other.
Leon Berger met Charlotte in Montreal and lunched with her every Friday. During those visits, she told him about her parents, their life in Austria, the Nazi take over, and what happened to her and her family before, during and after the war. While she was never arrested and taken to a concentration camp, she told him about what happened to the people who were transported there.
Eventually she told him about a major event involving her mother that influenced her own life and how she viewed her relationship with her mother from that point onward. She had never told anyone else about that event but telling it helped her understand more about herself and her parents.
At the end of each chapter, Berger analyzes the particular visit.
The story of one woman, it book was well-written. However, there were a couple discrepancies: Why would someone named “Hugo Kohn” be identified as not being Jewish.
The book refers to “Jeannette Altwegg, the reigning British and world champion” without stating in what sport she was the champion.
It mentions that “she now had sufficient funds to obtain the health care she needed.” She was living in Canada which has universal health care. What was the problem?
Interesting observations:
“Her father told her that running away like a rabbit was an acceptable strategy and that the huge rabbit population was a testimony to how well it worked.”
Lisolette’s family was not religious. Regarding his religious practices (“Why should I join a synagogue if I can talk to [God] in my kitchen if I want?” a rebbe told her father, “It’s the synagogues and yeshivas which maintain the faith, which keep us together as a community.” “No,...,it’s the rest of the world that does that. The persecute all Jews whatever our personal beliefs and that’s why we stick together.” “All the prayer and devotion in the universe hadn’t saved the Hasidim, who were being sent to the camps just like everyone else.”
This book was a free Amazon download.
As the war closed in, her father tried to get her mother to leave, but her mother, not wanting to leave her parents, friends, and the only home she had ever known, refused.. Eventually the borders closed and her father was caught on one side, she and her mother on the other.
Leon Berger met Charlotte in Montreal and lunched with her every Friday. During those visits, she told him about her parents, their life in Austria, the Nazi take over, and what happened to her and her family before, during and after the war. While she was never arrested and taken to a concentration camp, she told him about what happened to the people who were transported there.
Eventually she told him about a major event involving her mother that influenced her own life and how she viewed her relationship with her mother from that point onward. She had never told anyone else about that event but telling it helped her understand more about herself and her parents.
At the end of each chapter, Berger analyzes the particular visit.
The story of one woman, it book was well-written. However, there were a couple discrepancies: Why would someone named “Hugo Kohn” be identified as not being Jewish.
The book refers to “Jeannette Altwegg, the reigning British and world champion” without stating in what sport she was the champion.
It mentions that “she now had sufficient funds to obtain the health care she needed.” She was living in Canada which has universal health care. What was the problem?
Interesting observations:
“Her father told her that running away like a rabbit was an acceptable strategy and that the huge rabbit population was a testimony to how well it worked.”
Lisolette’s family was not religious. Regarding his religious practices (“Why should I join a synagogue if I can talk to [God] in my kitchen if I want?” a rebbe told her father, “It’s the synagogues and yeshivas which maintain the faith, which keep us together as a community.” “No,...,it’s the rest of the world that does that. The persecute all Jews whatever our personal beliefs and that’s why we stick together.” “All the prayer and devotion in the universe hadn’t saved the Hasidim, who were being sent to the camps just like everyone else.”
This book was a free Amazon download.
April 1, 2016
“A good spirit helps generate a good fortune.”
I have always been interested in my past. Where did I come from? I, as I’m sure many of you have a list of names that trace my roots back generations. These, however, are just names and maybe when they were born, christened, married, and eventually died. These facts say little if nothing about who they were. What did they do, and what did they think and believe? The humanization of these ancestors is sorely lacking. To see and experience the mundane and frenetic activities of your early ancestors would give you another perspective of your own life and existence.
Charlotte Urban, nee Liselotte Goldberger, was born in Vienna in 1919 of middle-class Jewish parents. Neither one of the parents, or indeed their parents was particularly religious but did follow many of the customs. Her father served, as millions of others, served in the Great War and thankfully came home, relatively unscathed when Charlotte was born. The aftermath of the war, great depression and the political turmoil in an increasingly volatile Germany, were all part of her early life.
This is a true story. Years later the author, Leon Berger, was blessed with the friendship and trust of a remarkable woman; with an even more remarkable story. In this book, he has humanized her story and given a personal glance into the past. I found myself not only liking but loving most of the characters. Although from another generation, I could empathize and well sympathize with her and all of those close to her. You are not what you think, or what you believe. You are not what you do or where you live. You are a product of your ancestors and in many ways, they influence what you now are; even if you have no idea who they were. This is a saga spanning three generations through a century of political and economical turmoil, religious and social upheaval, and personal and family grief. Everyone met and with every goodbye, the people add and form a part of everyone they touch. I really liked this glimpse into the lives of since hitherto strangers that I now regard as friends. The vagaries of their lives are sure to interest many readers,
I have always been interested in my past. Where did I come from? I, as I’m sure many of you have a list of names that trace my roots back generations. These, however, are just names and maybe when they were born, christened, married, and eventually died. These facts say little if nothing about who they were. What did they do, and what did they think and believe? The humanization of these ancestors is sorely lacking. To see and experience the mundane and frenetic activities of your early ancestors would give you another perspective of your own life and existence.
Charlotte Urban, nee Liselotte Goldberger, was born in Vienna in 1919 of middle-class Jewish parents. Neither one of the parents, or indeed their parents was particularly religious but did follow many of the customs. Her father served, as millions of others, served in the Great War and thankfully came home, relatively unscathed when Charlotte was born. The aftermath of the war, great depression and the political turmoil in an increasingly volatile Germany, were all part of her early life.
This is a true story. Years later the author, Leon Berger, was blessed with the friendship and trust of a remarkable woman; with an even more remarkable story. In this book, he has humanized her story and given a personal glance into the past. I found myself not only liking but loving most of the characters. Although from another generation, I could empathize and well sympathize with her and all of those close to her. You are not what you think, or what you believe. You are not what you do or where you live. You are a product of your ancestors and in many ways, they influence what you now are; even if you have no idea who they were. This is a saga spanning three generations through a century of political and economical turmoil, religious and social upheaval, and personal and family grief. Everyone met and with every goodbye, the people add and form a part of everyone they touch. I really liked this glimpse into the lives of since hitherto strangers that I now regard as friends. The vagaries of their lives are sure to interest many readers,
December 15, 2018
This is a beautiful and sweet memoir of a lady who persevered through WW II in occupied Austria. The author, who was s friend of Charlotte, shares her heartbreaks and triumphs because he believes her story must be told. I agree with him.
September 17, 2020
This story is told by a Holocaust survivor to a dear friend over the span of 25 years . While it does speak of the Holocaust , it is a very deep look at her entire life . Well written and truly touching .
November 30, 2015
I wavered between three and four stars for this book, but, in the end, three won out. I enjoyed the book: however, for me, it was missing something. Perhaps, it felt too "third person". I'm not sure I can pinpoint exactly what I felt was missing. I realize that Charlotte would never have written the same memoir, particularly because she would have left out her most traumatic experience, which affected the rest of her life. For this reason, I'm glad the author told her story. The book had a different twist to the Holocaust survival story, and parts, particularly the scene at Vienna's train station were gut-wrenching. While this wasn't my favorite Holocaust-related book, I recommend it to others on the belief that those who died or were forever changed as a result of the Holocaust should not be forgotten.
October 8, 2013
Although not as tragic and harrowing as other Holocaust stories, it's still touching and sad nonetheless. It's the true story of a young girl who experienced sad and confusing events in the prime of her girlhood. She managed to mask her pain throughout her life, but her tender feelings of heartache rested constantly beneath the surface. Every time I read a WWII story, I continue to be amazed at the far-reaching effects that one evil person has had, and continues to have, over decades of time. My heart is always touched, my gratitude deepens, and my resolve strengthens to never complain about what I think is hard in my life. I know nothing of hard. Loved this book - it's definitely worth reading.
October 28, 2015
I read this book after hearing and reading raving reviews so I may have expected something more and therefore, I was a little disappointed. Every survivor's story is amazing and inspiring. However, some parts of this book just did not seem "real" to me. In particular, why did Charlotte come to Montreal in 1954? The book makes it seem that her father wanted her, at 30 years of age, to get on with her own life but I do not understand why she could not get on with her independent life in London. London has a large Jewish community and Charlotte could have been part of that and still been close to her father. I feel that something was left out of the book. Anyhow, all in all, I did enjoy reading it.
July 10, 2016
This wonderfully well written memoir reads like a novel. Berger immediately drew me into the story. His work is a great tribute to his dear friend. Her life will ever be remembered, her fierce independence and determination inspires others. The turbulent history and horrific events of WWII are a stark warning of humankind's basest evils as well as our ability to rise above and not only survive, but thrive. Charlotte was an "ordinary" woman who lived an extraordinary life and I am glad I read her story.
February 1, 2025
I have had the pleasure of listening to the audio edition of Lunch with Charlotte written and read by the late Leon Berger. It is the true life story of the eponymous Charlotte revealed across innumerable lunchtime conversations with her friend, the author.
She was born to Jewish parents in Austria in 1919, fled to England during the war and died in Canada in 2010. It should be straightforward therefore to think of it as a holocaust survival story. However, perhaps it would be more fully encompassing to say that the second world war was, yes, a crucial and traumatic event in her life, but by no means its only event of significance. Nor is its core message that the Nazis were, and fascism is, deplorable.
Indeed, the event that most formed Charlotte's fascinating and contradictory character, while it may have been facilitated by the war, was much closer to home. And it is the formation of Charlotte's personality during her turbulent and ever-changing life that, in my view, is the true subject of the story.
The novel is written with simple realism, with few elaborate turns of phrase. However, it is in this uncomplicated language that the compassion and wisdom of the novel reside. All its many characters are drawn as people living within the confines of their limitations, as humans who must breathe, eat and love. Even the Brownshirts and Nazi bureaucrats are humans first, for all their flaws.
I wept considerably while listening to this novel, out of fear for its characters' safety as well as the wretched inability to do anything to help them. Indeed, some may be wary of reading a novel that covers such a dark period.
Therefore, allow me to reassure you. The novel is composed of a warmth, humour and humility that raise it well above the reach of the ravages of hatred. By the time you come to the end of the novel, though death and despair will have paid their visits, it is the mutual affection of a friendship lived to its fullest that will remain.
She was born to Jewish parents in Austria in 1919, fled to England during the war and died in Canada in 2010. It should be straightforward therefore to think of it as a holocaust survival story. However, perhaps it would be more fully encompassing to say that the second world war was, yes, a crucial and traumatic event in her life, but by no means its only event of significance. Nor is its core message that the Nazis were, and fascism is, deplorable.
Indeed, the event that most formed Charlotte's fascinating and contradictory character, while it may have been facilitated by the war, was much closer to home. And it is the formation of Charlotte's personality during her turbulent and ever-changing life that, in my view, is the true subject of the story.
The novel is written with simple realism, with few elaborate turns of phrase. However, it is in this uncomplicated language that the compassion and wisdom of the novel reside. All its many characters are drawn as people living within the confines of their limitations, as humans who must breathe, eat and love. Even the Brownshirts and Nazi bureaucrats are humans first, for all their flaws.
I wept considerably while listening to this novel, out of fear for its characters' safety as well as the wretched inability to do anything to help them. Indeed, some may be wary of reading a novel that covers such a dark period.
Therefore, allow me to reassure you. The novel is composed of a warmth, humour and humility that raise it well above the reach of the ravages of hatred. By the time you come to the end of the novel, though death and despair will have paid their visits, it is the mutual affection of a friendship lived to its fullest that will remain.
June 15, 2017
My several days with Charlotte and Leon
The description of this book from Amazon appealed to me because as the daughter of an immigrant mother with whom I frequently discussed her experiences. Fortunately my grandfather left Russia at the time of the Russian Revolution (1905), went to Austria where he met and married my grandmother and where my mother was born, decided to come alone to the United States to make enough to bring his wife and daughter here. Unfortunately for Charlotte, her parents stayed.
This book is so moving because it is so real. There was no sugar-coating to any of the events, and the reader enters the story with the author. Without any question, "Lunch with Charlotte" was one of the best books I've read this year, and I thank Leon Berger and Grey Gecko Press for sharing Charlotte's story. Please keep writing Mr. Berger!
The description of this book from Amazon appealed to me because as the daughter of an immigrant mother with whom I frequently discussed her experiences. Fortunately my grandfather left Russia at the time of the Russian Revolution (1905), went to Austria where he met and married my grandmother and where my mother was born, decided to come alone to the United States to make enough to bring his wife and daughter here. Unfortunately for Charlotte, her parents stayed.
This book is so moving because it is so real. There was no sugar-coating to any of the events, and the reader enters the story with the author. Without any question, "Lunch with Charlotte" was one of the best books I've read this year, and I thank Leon Berger and Grey Gecko Press for sharing Charlotte's story. Please keep writing Mr. Berger!
August 16, 2017
A feast set before your eyes
A true story that reads like fiction. As I read I couldn't tell if it was true or just a good story became Leon Burger did such an exceptional job odds bringing Charlotte's story to life. Her life went from being an innocent child to a dutiful daughter to an immigrant to a loving wife. How can one woman live through all this history. It's an amazing read.
A true story that reads like fiction. As I read I couldn't tell if it was true or just a good story became Leon Burger did such an exceptional job odds bringing Charlotte's story to life. Her life went from being an innocent child to a dutiful daughter to an immigrant to a loving wife. How can one woman live through all this history. It's an amazing read.
February 26, 2020
What a Grand Lady!
I truly enjoyed reading this beautiful story of a courageous woman. Charlotte' life had been up and down since the age of 19, but by the grace of God , she held on tight through the storms until she was called home. I don't know how anyone could say this hell never happened. I am in awe of her courage, bravery, and her ability to press on. A true pleasure to read. Thank you Miss Charlotte.
I truly enjoyed reading this beautiful story of a courageous woman. Charlotte' life had been up and down since the age of 19, but by the grace of God , she held on tight through the storms until she was called home. I don't know how anyone could say this hell never happened. I am in awe of her courage, bravery, and her ability to press on. A true pleasure to read. Thank you Miss Charlotte.
October 12, 2019
Excellent read
I loved this book. It was touching, heartfelt and the timeline was easy to follow. Stories like this make me so appreciative of my life and my many blessings. Charlotte certainly had a lot of life changes to deal with but she stayed strong and resilient throughout it all.
I loved this book. It was touching, heartfelt and the timeline was easy to follow. Stories like this make me so appreciative of my life and my many blessings. Charlotte certainly had a lot of life changes to deal with but she stayed strong and resilient throughout it all.
September 18, 2020
I felt her heart
Thank you to the author for sharing Charlotte’s story. She was such a strong person. She endured so much. Her personal struggles especially with her mother were strongly felt as her story was told. She was an amazing woman. I would highly recommend this book to anyone that likes to read true stories of personal stories that happened around WWII.
Thank you to the author for sharing Charlotte’s story. She was such a strong person. She endured so much. Her personal struggles especially with her mother were strongly felt as her story was told. She was an amazing woman. I would highly recommend this book to anyone that likes to read true stories of personal stories that happened around WWII.
October 13, 2017
Well done! He is able to remove the mask and lay open the heart with compassion and trust. A well earned trust.
October 29, 2018
did not like Charlotte.
November 9, 2018
Poignant and beautiful.
February 13, 2021
I was hooked from page 1 until the last page. A remarkable girl grew into a remarkable woman, yet was always vulnerable on the inside. Aren't we all that way, really? I highly recommend this book.
December 26, 2014
Reviewed on behalf of Readers' Favorite
Lunch with Charlotte by Leon Berger is the biographical memoir of Charlotte Urban, born Liselotte Goldberger. Miss Goldberger was born in Vienna at the end of World War One to parents Jakob and Franzi Goldberger. Jakob had met Franzi when she was only fifteen and fell completely in love with the auburn-haired beauty. They married when she was only eighteen, Franzi finding herself pregnant with Charlotte shortly thereafter. Struggling in post-war Austria, Jakob traveled for a living, selling various goods. Franzi very often was left alone with Charlotte. After the Anschless, the annexation of Austria by Germany, Jakob finds himself trapped outside the country as the borders close. Desperate to get his family out, Jakob flees Europe for England and his brother’s home. In the end, he is only able to get Charlotte out via the kindertransport, lying about his daughter’s age. Charlotte finds herself uprooted to a strange country, struggling with the customs and coping with the war-torn world.
Mr. Berger transcribes a very emotional interpretation of the events of Mrs. Urban’s life. Unlike most memoirs of the time, Berger gives us the view of the rest of the world looking in on Nazi Germany. I was moved by Mrs. Urban’s ability to adapt to every situation thrown her way. Her life was not easy and continued to be a challenge throughout her life. I shed tears at the end, my heart going out to the woman who merely wanted to find a place of belonging. With so much taken from her, Charlotte persevered. Lunch with Charlotte is an inspiring tale and very well worth a read for anyone interested in memoirs from the World War Two time period.
Lunch with Charlotte by Leon Berger is the biographical memoir of Charlotte Urban, born Liselotte Goldberger. Miss Goldberger was born in Vienna at the end of World War One to parents Jakob and Franzi Goldberger. Jakob had met Franzi when she was only fifteen and fell completely in love with the auburn-haired beauty. They married when she was only eighteen, Franzi finding herself pregnant with Charlotte shortly thereafter. Struggling in post-war Austria, Jakob traveled for a living, selling various goods. Franzi very often was left alone with Charlotte. After the Anschless, the annexation of Austria by Germany, Jakob finds himself trapped outside the country as the borders close. Desperate to get his family out, Jakob flees Europe for England and his brother’s home. In the end, he is only able to get Charlotte out via the kindertransport, lying about his daughter’s age. Charlotte finds herself uprooted to a strange country, struggling with the customs and coping with the war-torn world.
Mr. Berger transcribes a very emotional interpretation of the events of Mrs. Urban’s life. Unlike most memoirs of the time, Berger gives us the view of the rest of the world looking in on Nazi Germany. I was moved by Mrs. Urban’s ability to adapt to every situation thrown her way. Her life was not easy and continued to be a challenge throughout her life. I shed tears at the end, my heart going out to the woman who merely wanted to find a place of belonging. With so much taken from her, Charlotte persevered. Lunch with Charlotte is an inspiring tale and very well worth a read for anyone interested in memoirs from the World War Two time period.
February 6, 2016
What I liked about this book was that it focuses on what is really a pretty normal life of a Jew who grew up in Vienna, escaped the Holocaust herself but lost a parent to it, learned to live and love around a disfunctional family - pretty normal stuff, that's told in a pretty compelling way. The author collected Charlotte's life story over decades, and did an amazing job of weaving it into a narrative that makes you really understand how life in Europe was during the WWII era, and perhaps more disturbingly - how the rise of Hitler resulted in a slow infection of hate that made you perhaps understand a little better why all the Jews didn't just get up and leave immediately.
What I didn't really like about the book is that the big drama in her life that took her a lifetime to divulge to her trusted confidant and author, really isn't THAT big of a deal. I don't want to provide any spoilers, but I think many kids who have seen their parents go through divorce probably have similar scars. That's not to diminish the trauma Charlotte encountered, as I'm sure it was amplified 100x by the events surrounding her (Kristallnacht, German occupation of Vienna), and I was pleasantly surprised that the book wasn't just a Holocaust survivor's tale of the concentration camps. But as a read more books in my elder years (many of which I choose because they are 4+ star rated by people like me) I get pickier.
Bottom line: this is a good book, and an important one to read for anyone wanting to immerse themselves in how life in mid-20th century Europe was. Charlotte was clearly a strong and impressive woman, and it's great her story was told. But what makes this book an interesting read is more in the fact that she's more normal than exceptional.
What I didn't really like about the book is that the big drama in her life that took her a lifetime to divulge to her trusted confidant and author, really isn't THAT big of a deal. I don't want to provide any spoilers, but I think many kids who have seen their parents go through divorce probably have similar scars. That's not to diminish the trauma Charlotte encountered, as I'm sure it was amplified 100x by the events surrounding her (Kristallnacht, German occupation of Vienna), and I was pleasantly surprised that the book wasn't just a Holocaust survivor's tale of the concentration camps. But as a read more books in my elder years (many of which I choose because they are 4+ star rated by people like me) I get pickier.
Bottom line: this is a good book, and an important one to read for anyone wanting to immerse themselves in how life in mid-20th century Europe was. Charlotte was clearly a strong and impressive woman, and it's great her story was told. But what makes this book an interesting read is more in the fact that she's more normal than exceptional.
February 21, 2017
It's beautifully written. This is the book that made me wonder of what happens during WWII. Charlotte is a very strong and tough character, inspiring!
February 12, 2017
I really enjoyed this book, made up of lunchtime conversations of the writer with Charlotte. It's not a typical Holocaust book in the sense that Charlotte manages to escape Vienna on the Kindertransport, but it still gives you a sense of what it was like living under those circumstances and the long lasting trauma they lived with. Leaving that aside, it also gives an understanding in general how the actions of parents can influence their children long into adulthood.
October 16, 2012
Haven't received the book yet, just received notice I had won. 10/16/12
Don't remember when I finished this, as I am way behind on my reviews.
Leon was introduced to Charlotte by a relative. He started having Friday lunches with her and became her trusted friend. For the last 25 years of her life, during these lunches, Charlotte told Leon stories of her past. Growing up with an often absent father and a strained relationship with her mother. After a personal trauma, she escaped Vienna on the Kindertransport to England, where her father lived. Her mother unable to join them, due to the Nazi occupation.
Leon has done a wonderful job piecing together the life of Charlotte. I am sure she is like most older people reminiscing, and the order of the stories were nowhere near the order she told them in. He admits she repeated herself sometimes and added details others. The story is different than most you hear from this time period. She was never incarcerated at a camp. She lived in fear, but really didn't suffer the abuse that most of the stories out there show. All in all a great read.
Don't remember when I finished this, as I am way behind on my reviews.
Leon was introduced to Charlotte by a relative. He started having Friday lunches with her and became her trusted friend. For the last 25 years of her life, during these lunches, Charlotte told Leon stories of her past. Growing up with an often absent father and a strained relationship with her mother. After a personal trauma, she escaped Vienna on the Kindertransport to England, where her father lived. Her mother unable to join them, due to the Nazi occupation.
Leon has done a wonderful job piecing together the life of Charlotte. I am sure she is like most older people reminiscing, and the order of the stories were nowhere near the order she told them in. He admits she repeated herself sometimes and added details others. The story is different than most you hear from this time period. She was never incarcerated at a camp. She lived in fear, but really didn't suffer the abuse that most of the stories out there show. All in all a great read.
July 14, 2015
The author has lunch with his subject every Friday for the last 25 years of her life, and gradually she reveals her innermost secrets and fears to him. Charlotte was an Austrian Jew who at age 19 was put on the "children's train" to England by her mother (who lied about her daughter's age in order to get her to safety). There she joined her father, who had been on a business trip out of the country and thus was able to escape when Hitler took over Austria. Having had an emotional conflict with her mother right before Austria was occupied, she spent the rest of her life wondering if her mother (who died in a concentration camp) ever really loved her. Despite (or perhaps because of) her difficult youth, Charlotte developed into a strong and charming woman who only shared her tortured past with the author.Her account of her time in occupied Austria is very real and frightening.
January 18, 2016
I really enjoyed the story of Charlotte's life during WWII and the Holocaust, as well as her life in the years following. Without giving too much away, I will say this book tells a different story than the typical Holocaust books do. Why is it different? Well, you learn on page one that Charlotte is alive and well in the 2000's, living in Montreal--- it's a relief to know that Charlotte survives and that makes the story more enjoyable. My only wish for this book is that the author could have provided more photographs- he has a couple of Charlotte but I wish there were some of Charlotte's family as well (such as the photo of Charlotte's mom that the author mentions Charlotte keeps in a scrapbook). Other than that, this was a great story and I'm glad I "got to know" Charlotte just like the author did.
June 2, 2013
I'm deeply moved and with a great thankfulness that I could read this wonderful book which I would call a Heritage of Mankind. This book is telling the story of a strong lady who had to experience the most dreadful time in the first half of the 20th century and only later was able to receive security even though for a short time. It isn't a story of the well-known events of WWII. The story is telling the most private feelings, failures and faith within a family which was trying to be honest to each other and on the other hand was protecting each other from the true feelings. I've a great respect for Charlotte that she could entrust her life story to Leon Berger and equally that he could write it down not only with an absolutely correctness but also with a deep love.
December 19, 2015
This book tells the story of Charlotte and her family, starting before World War II. It tells how the Jewish people were treated and hated leading up to the war. The Jews slowly had their rights taken away from them. Charlotte was a friend of the author's for many years, and finally Charlotte started to open up to him, about her past. Charlotte's father was living in England, while his wife and daughter remained in Vienna. He learned there was going to be a train of Jewish children, taken out of Vienna, but Charlotte was too old. Her mother was told to lie about her daughter's age, and Charlotte was able to escape to England. I had a hard time getting into this book, but the second half went by quickly.
December 2, 2015
I started reading this thinking it was another memoir of a concentration camp survivor. This wasn't what I expected at all. It was beautifully written from authors' perspective of the stories that Charlotte told him. 3 of 4 of my grandparents were born in 1919, and throughout the book I kept thinking of my one grandmother and what she had been doing at that point in time in Pennsylvania. I looked up Charlotte's date of birth, and it runs out she was a day older than my maternal grandfather. I could feel how she lived in Vienna, London and Quebec from the stories she told, and the imagery Berger wrote. This is a story of family, sacrifice, betrayal and survival. I am so happy I read it.
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