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Quarantining Hate
Quarantining Hate delves into a grandfather's secret and how the author came to terms with it. Her grandfather was responsible for the murder of thousands of Jews during World War II and was never held accountable for his crimes.
122 pages, Paperback
Published October 18, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
October 22, 2025
This is the second in a sort of themed reading challenge I set for myself. It is written by a woman who found out after her grandfather's death that he had been a Nazi mass murderer and was responsible for the deaths of thousands of Jewish residents in LIthuania. She describes the emotional tension of having to reconcile that knowledge with the doting grandfather she knew. She also examines the psychology of hate and hate groups and the impact on subsequent generations of both perpetrators and victims. It could have used some sentence-level editing, but that flaw did not impact the very interesting and impactful story she told.
November 25, 2024
3.5 stars. This book is part memoir part sociological exploration of how hate thrives in societies.
I was very interested in the authors discussion of her life and her attempts to reconcile her fond memories with the man she eventually learned her grandfather to be. I cannot fathom how difficult it might be. I actually wish more time had been spent there.
The exploration of hate the evolution of its acceptance in society was also very interesting. I especially liked the discussion of what it’s like to be the child of a perpetrator. The Psyc professor in me wishes citations had been included to support some of the statements though I was happy to see references included at the end.
There were some weird formatting errors in the kindle version and they were frequent enough throughout the entirety of the book that they were distracting to my reading.
I only read this because I was looking for a Q book for my alphabet challenge and the author suggested her book. I’m glad she did.
I was very interested in the authors discussion of her life and her attempts to reconcile her fond memories with the man she eventually learned her grandfather to be. I cannot fathom how difficult it might be. I actually wish more time had been spent there.
The exploration of hate the evolution of its acceptance in society was also very interesting. I especially liked the discussion of what it’s like to be the child of a perpetrator. The Psyc professor in me wishes citations had been included to support some of the statements though I was happy to see references included at the end.
There were some weird formatting errors in the kindle version and they were frequent enough throughout the entirety of the book that they were distracting to my reading.
I only read this because I was looking for a Q book for my alphabet challenge and the author suggested her book. I’m glad she did.
January 2, 2024
Kerrie Taber is a university professor and author of “Quarantining Hate.” As a professor, there are certain requirements around publishing work for promotions. Typically, university professors find themselves publishing in journals in line with their disciplines, however, Taber chose to instead write a book for the masses, chronicling her experience and research, on the topic of hate.
One doesn’t need to look too far to see the poison that is hate. From the media, racism, and genocides present, hate is a plague. Taber chose to face her family’s secret head-on, sharing it with the world in an attempt to stop the virus. By not allowing her grandfather’s biggest secret to remain hidden she hopes to open the conversation to showing the need for repercussions when hate is present because if we can’t stop hatred, we are allowing it to grow and spread like a virus.
“Quarantining Hate” is a powerful read. At the heart of this book is Taber’s grandfather. Having known him her whole life, she was told he was a Lithuanian refugee who moved to the United States after WWII. He rarely left his home, a home that he bordered by shrubs, planted as a wall to keep others out. He loved his granddaughter, our author, especially. Set in his ways, as most elders tend to be, with strained relationships as a result. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary growing up with a grandfather like this. However, after his death, and the death of her uncle, Taber began to uncover things that led her to question everything she knew about her grandfather, ultimately discovering the role they played in helping the Nazis to murder tens of thousands of Jews.
Readers are taken through the range of emotions this realization causes. You begin to feel a sense of empathy for Taber as she clinically dissects the feelings she now harbors towards someone she loved. Someone who allowed countless people to be murdered because of a genocide playing out. Written both from a personal perspective and through the lens of a seasoned professor, “Quarantining Hate” provides a unique and thought-provoking view of the spread of hate.
It is convenient and desirable for families to come up with ways to distance themselves from relatives’ hate crimes. Crafting stories and family histories allows them to see their ancestors more as a victim of circumstance while providing a way out of feeling shame or guilt. Taber refuses to allow this, exposing the hate and digging deeper as she quarantines the virus one hateful person at a time, starting with her own grandfather in this powerful penning, “Quarantining Hate.”
Exposing the secrets of her own grandfather’s past, Taber provides a well-researched, well-articulated basis on hate and how to stop the spread. Using past and present instances of hate, and media portrayal, Taber uses her academic background to peel back the layers and stop the virus.
One doesn’t need to look too far to see the poison that is hate. From the media, racism, and genocides present, hate is a plague. Taber chose to face her family’s secret head-on, sharing it with the world in an attempt to stop the virus. By not allowing her grandfather’s biggest secret to remain hidden she hopes to open the conversation to showing the need for repercussions when hate is present because if we can’t stop hatred, we are allowing it to grow and spread like a virus.
“Quarantining Hate” is a powerful read. At the heart of this book is Taber’s grandfather. Having known him her whole life, she was told he was a Lithuanian refugee who moved to the United States after WWII. He rarely left his home, a home that he bordered by shrubs, planted as a wall to keep others out. He loved his granddaughter, our author, especially. Set in his ways, as most elders tend to be, with strained relationships as a result. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary growing up with a grandfather like this. However, after his death, and the death of her uncle, Taber began to uncover things that led her to question everything she knew about her grandfather, ultimately discovering the role they played in helping the Nazis to murder tens of thousands of Jews.
Readers are taken through the range of emotions this realization causes. You begin to feel a sense of empathy for Taber as she clinically dissects the feelings she now harbors towards someone she loved. Someone who allowed countless people to be murdered because of a genocide playing out. Written both from a personal perspective and through the lens of a seasoned professor, “Quarantining Hate” provides a unique and thought-provoking view of the spread of hate.
It is convenient and desirable for families to come up with ways to distance themselves from relatives’ hate crimes. Crafting stories and family histories allows them to see their ancestors more as a victim of circumstance while providing a way out of feeling shame or guilt. Taber refuses to allow this, exposing the hate and digging deeper as she quarantines the virus one hateful person at a time, starting with her own grandfather in this powerful penning, “Quarantining Hate.”
Exposing the secrets of her own grandfather’s past, Taber provides a well-researched, well-articulated basis on hate and how to stop the spread. Using past and present instances of hate, and media portrayal, Taber uses her academic background to peel back the layers and stop the virus.
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January 4, 2024Kerrie Taber is a university professor and author of “Quarantining Hate.” As a professor, there are certain requirements around publishing work for promotions. Typically, university professors find themselves publishing in journals in line with their disciplines, however, Taber chose to instead write a book for the masses, chronicling her experience and research, on the topic of hate.
One doesn’t need to look too far to see the poison that is hate. From the media, racism, and genocides present, hate is a plague. Taber chose to face her family’s secret head-on, sharing it with the world in an attempt to stop the virus. By not allowing her grandfather’s biggest secret to remain hidden she hopes to open the conversation to showing the need for repercussions when hate is present because if we can’t stop hatred, we are allowing it to grow and spread like a virus.
“Quarantining Hate” is a powerful read. At the heart of this book is Taber’s grandfather. Having known him her whole life, she was told he was a Lithuanian refugee who moved to the United States after WWII. He rarely left his home, a home that he bordered by shrubs, planted as a wall to keep others out. He loved his granddaughter, our author, especially. Set in his ways, as most elders tend to be, with strained relationships as a result. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary growing up with a grandfather like this. However, after his death, and the death of her uncle, Taber began to uncover things that led her to question everything she knew about her grandfather, ultimately discovering the role they played in helping the Nazis to murder tens of thousands of Jews.
Readers are taken through the range of emotions this realization causes. You begin to feel a sense of empathy for Taber as she clinically dissects the feelings she now harbors towards someone she loved. Someone who allowed countless people to be murdered because of a genocide playing out. Written both from a personal perspective and through the lens of a seasoned professor, “Quarantining Hate” provides a unique and thought-provoking view of the spread of hate.
It is convenient and desirable for families to come up with ways to distance themselves from relatives’ hate crimes. Crafting stories and family histories allows them to see their ancestors more as a victim of circumstance while providing a way out of feeling shame or guilt. Taber refuses to allow this, exposing the hate and digging deeper as she quarantines the virus one hateful person at a time, starting with her own grandfather in this powerful penning, “Quarantining Hate.”
Exposing the secrets of her own grandfather’s past, Taber provides a well-researched, well-articulated basis on hate and how to stop the spread. Using past and present instances of hate, and media portrayal, Taber uses her academic background to peel back the layers and stop the virus.
One doesn’t need to look too far to see the poison that is hate. From the media, racism, and genocides present, hate is a plague. Taber chose to face her family’s secret head-on, sharing it with the world in an attempt to stop the virus. By not allowing her grandfather’s biggest secret to remain hidden she hopes to open the conversation to showing the need for repercussions when hate is present because if we can’t stop hatred, we are allowing it to grow and spread like a virus.
“Quarantining Hate” is a powerful read. At the heart of this book is Taber’s grandfather. Having known him her whole life, she was told he was a Lithuanian refugee who moved to the United States after WWII. He rarely left his home, a home that he bordered by shrubs, planted as a wall to keep others out. He loved his granddaughter, our author, especially. Set in his ways, as most elders tend to be, with strained relationships as a result. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary growing up with a grandfather like this. However, after his death, and the death of her uncle, Taber began to uncover things that led her to question everything she knew about her grandfather, ultimately discovering the role they played in helping the Nazis to murder tens of thousands of Jews.
Readers are taken through the range of emotions this realization causes. You begin to feel a sense of empathy for Taber as she clinically dissects the feelings she now harbors towards someone she loved. Someone who allowed countless people to be murdered because of a genocide playing out. Written both from a personal perspective and through the lens of a seasoned professor, “Quarantining Hate” provides a unique and thought-provoking view of the spread of hate.
It is convenient and desirable for families to come up with ways to distance themselves from relatives’ hate crimes. Crafting stories and family histories allows them to see their ancestors more as a victim of circumstance while providing a way out of feeling shame or guilt. Taber refuses to allow this, exposing the hate and digging deeper as she quarantines the virus one hateful person at a time, starting with her own grandfather in this powerful penning, “Quarantining Hate.”
Exposing the secrets of her own grandfather’s past, Taber provides a well-researched, well-articulated basis on hate and how to stop the spread. Using past and present instances of hate, and media portrayal, Taber uses her academic background to peel back the layers and stop the virus.
August 30, 2024
I had the opportunity to visit with Kerrie at her book signing at Werner Books in Erie, PA a few weeks ago.
We had a very compelling conversation about her book. I found the book profound in a sense that her family experiences foster a discussion about the topic of hate. A topic people don’t speak of freely anymore. It has become so commonplace in cultures and around the world. We ignore it so we don’t have to figure out a way to stop the hate. I loved her analogy of hate as a virus.
Many of us feel a sense of defeat at the moment. Her last chapter talks about hope which is what many people need. Acceptance can defeat hate. Accountability can defeat hate! Kindness can defeat hate.
Thank you Kerrie for reminding us that we can talk about what we can do to individually to defeat hate. It is a very complex journey!
Best to you and your family!
We had a very compelling conversation about her book. I found the book profound in a sense that her family experiences foster a discussion about the topic of hate. A topic people don’t speak of freely anymore. It has become so commonplace in cultures and around the world. We ignore it so we don’t have to figure out a way to stop the hate. I loved her analogy of hate as a virus.
Many of us feel a sense of defeat at the moment. Her last chapter talks about hope which is what many people need. Acceptance can defeat hate. Accountability can defeat hate! Kindness can defeat hate.
Thank you Kerrie for reminding us that we can talk about what we can do to individually to defeat hate. It is a very complex journey!
Best to you and your family!
April 2, 2024
I liked her comparison and contrast of the South to Post WWII Germany. We can learn a lot from this comparison. She is courageous to reveal this painful and shameful personal history of her Grandfather collaborating with the Nazis in Lithuania. I commend her! I wonder what steps will she take in going forward? Her project would be great for the Maltz Museum here in Ohio! I'd like to even know more about how she perceived, sensed this family secret. How did it work on her family's pschyee? Especially her ch. 1 gives a great general overview of the history of the hate environment in America that allowed and permitted public violence. It was good that she showed prior statements and positions by former American presidents on lynching.
January 22, 2024
The emotional journey author Kerrie Taber embarked on after learning the truth about her grandfather’s past made Quarantining Hate a riveting read. I also found it interesting how she used her academic skills as a college professor to research not only her grandfather’s past, but the origins and dissemination of hate and prejudice to help give context and understanding to the deeply personal struggle she was experiencing. I congratulate author Kerrie Taber and her book, Quarantining Hate, for winning an award from The Authors Zone (TAZ) in 2023. The recognition was well deserved and the book is definitely worth 5 stars.
January 3, 2024
Kerrie Taber has confronted the worst of family skeletons in the closet, by challenging her readers to consider the role hate plays in their own lives. She is open, honest, and focused in her writing. The story is compelling on it's own, but her call to action sets it apart from just a non-fiction story. History is full of lessons we should learn from, Taber has made the most of a gut wrenching, sorrowful, and personal part of her life, for all of us to consider and reflect upon. We need more history like this that answers the "so what" question.
November 30, 2023
Kerrie Taber takes on a difficult subject, and after reading, it is obvious that "hate" has more nuances and complications than most of us think about. This book looks at hate from different perspectives, including the impact of one person's hate on another (or not). Well done. I find myself still thinking about the information provided so well in this book. Thank you!
January 6, 2024
Incredible story of the authors journey as she discovers difficult information about her family tree. I found myself asking “what would I do in this situation?”all through the book. Taber moves forward and backward in time to help with context, and her Vulnerability draws you into the story. Highly recommend!
December 20, 2024
Edit: after speaking with the author, the physical copy does not have the listed issues and she is working to get the kindle edition updated.
I really wanted to give this more stars, but there were very distracting spelling and formatting errors (at least on kindle) that until need to be addressed. I would like to see a 2nd edition released after an editor comb through.
I really wanted to give this more stars, but there were very distracting spelling and formatting errors (at least on kindle) that until need to be addressed. I would like to see a 2nd edition released after an editor comb through.
December 14, 2023
A courageous and important memoir about discovering her grandfather's complicity in the Holocaust. Taber talks about hate thoughout history, how it is spread, and how important it is to resist it.
December 10, 2024
Kindle. So many mistakes made this book impossible to understand or read.
January 31, 2025
Important and informative massage about how hate is spread.
April 5, 2025
Imagine learning after his death that your reclusive grandfather had been hiding all the time you visited him since childhood, because he had committed atrocious war crimes with the Nazis.
The author has struggled to come to terms with this fact, which caused her to explore the cause and effects of all kinds of hatred and how we need to address it. . The book is perfect for book clubs, as it brings about so many issues and questions to discuss.
Dr. Taber is a university professor.
The author has struggled to come to terms with this fact, which caused her to explore the cause and effects of all kinds of hatred and how we need to address it. . The book is perfect for book clubs, as it brings about so many issues and questions to discuss.
Dr. Taber is a university professor.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews