Homecoming

by Joseph Wechsberg

Joseph Wechsberg, of Czechoslovakia but an American soldier, comes back to his home town in Moravia, now in the Russian zone of occupation. His account of his trip and of what he found...his family home and the synagogue he had worshipped in as a child were gone when he got back. But to his happy surprise, he found members of his wife's family living among the rubble. They could tell him very little about his own family. Taken away...no records...blankness.

Genres: History

118 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1946

Reviews

[Giovanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

A shorter version of this book appeared earlier in the New Yorker. Wechsberg came to the U.S. just before WWII; though he spoke no English, he decided he'd like to write for the New Yorker. As I recall, the story goes that he was writing for them a year later--he also wrote regularly for Gourmet magazine...

This book, about his return to Czechoslovakia after teh war, is one of those great reporter-stories, but with a personal touch.

[Sam Karkkia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is quite short and easy to read. The book is autobiographical and it takes place over a few days when the author, after the end of World War II, returns after many years to his homeland and hometown. You get to follow the author from the moment he approaches the Czech Republic until he arrives in Prague, and then the incredibly long and complex train journey to his hometown, Ostrava.

I have heard a couple of testimonies about WW2 and the Holocaust. But I have heard very little about how the world looked right at the end of the war. It is educational and very interesting, but also very sad, to read about the atmosphere and the feelings of the people who survived. Wechsberg manages to describe all this in a good way.

I have read a couple of books from Joseph Wechsberg before and I am a devoted fan of him. Therefore his life story and the story of his family touch me on an even deeper level. And I shed a tear when I learned how few people were actually left during his homecoming.