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American Wolf: From Nazi Refugee to American Spy
In the summer of 1941, 11-year-old Wolf is growing up amidst the rubble and antisemitism of war-torn Nazi Berlin. Destitute and facing deportation, he must leave behind his sister and travel with his family across a continent entrenched in war. With nothing in hand but expired visas to the US, Wolf and his family must figure out how to sneak aboard the Spanish freighter the Navemar , a ship that would gain its reputation as the “Hell Ship of Death.” But this is only the beginning of Wolf’s saga.
American Wolf is a heart-stopping true story full of last-minute rescues, near-death encounters, and survival against untold odds. It is also a story about coming of age, family dysfunction and national identity, and is a resounding testament to the triumph of the human spirit.
Using the notes compiled by her father, Audrey Birnbaum vividly retells a poignant account of Wolf’s childhood in Berlin, his riveting escape from Nazi Germany, and the continued challenges he faced even as he reached freedom.
American Wolf is a heart-stopping true story full of last-minute rescues, near-death encounters, and survival against untold odds. It is also a story about coming of age, family dysfunction and national identity, and is a resounding testament to the triumph of the human spirit.
Using the notes compiled by her father, Audrey Birnbaum vividly retells a poignant account of Wolf’s childhood in Berlin, his riveting escape from Nazi Germany, and the continued challenges he faced even as he reached freedom.
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Published October 23, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
March 9, 2024
American Wolf is a memoir/biography in which Audrey Birnbaum tells the story of her father. We follow the fortunes of her father from an infant through a myriad of experiences, which eventually culminated in the family finally being able to leave Germany and make it to Spain for a boat ride to America. Once in America, we also get to see the family struggle to make meet and to make their way in a new culture and environment. Eventually her father becomes a member of the US military and, lo and behold, is assigned to military intelligence and sent to Germany where he is stationed in East Germany during the days of the Cold War. This is a fascinating look at the man as well as the family and the memoir lays both the joys and difficulties that they encountered along the way. It's a fascinating read. 3.5***
October 26, 2023
Any Holocaust survivor story is by definition riveting - this is no exception. I laughed, I cried, I held my breath as they try again and again to escape Germany - and I know how it ends!!
Somehow my telomeres survived. Incredibly proud of my mom (!!!!) for writing and publishing this.
Somehow my telomeres survived. Incredibly proud of my mom (!!!!) for writing and publishing this.
November 9, 2023
Thank you to Amsterdam Publishers for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I always try my best to read ARCs before the publishing date, but I was a bit nervous to start this one with the current state of world events (the Israel-Hamas war, increasing levels of antisemitism around the world). My father was a Holocaust survivor who freely spoke about his experiences at home, and as he got older, he spoke publicly as often as possible to share his story and his message with others. As the child of a survivor, I struggle with intergenerational trauma that presents strongly at times of increased antisemitism, which made me leery about starting this book. But I decided to give it a try, and started a lighthearted audiobook to offset the heavy nature that I knew this book was going to address.
The story is written by Wolf’s daughter from his own notes, and starts out with Wolf’s earliest memories, beginning around age 3. His love for his city of Berlin and all the enjoyable times that he had there with his father is evident is so much of the story. He describes a bit about his parents and their marriage, which was a highly dysfunctional one. There’s a lot of foreshadowing, and I was curious to see how Wolf’s feelings for Berlin and his home country would change when Germany and its people turned on him and the other Jews.
All of the changes were made slowly, but increasingly made it clear that the Jewish people were not welcome in Germany. Some chose to leave, but Wolf’s family, like many others, thought that the situation would pass and couldn’t get much worse. Unlike many other memoirs, this is told through the eyes of a child, and it’s done beautifully. It takes away some of the heavy nature of the story, since Wolf doesn’t understand much of what is happening, particularly the greater consequences of these changes.
After many false starts, his family finally manages to get out of Germany, but that doesn’t mean their struggles end there. The boat isn’t the luxury ones that we imagine, and the trip overseas was a notoriously difficult one. And their life in America isn’t any easier. Going from business owners in Germany to menial laborers in America, a country where they barely speak the language and have no opportunities, Wolf sees his best chance at survival and success as learning to assimilate quickly.
Watching Wolf grow up, and seeing how immensely his experiences impacted his adult life was incredibly interesting. Struggling to find his way in adulthood, not feeling quite at home in America but not feeling welcome in Germany, and still figuring out who he is, Wolf abruptly finds himself drafted and tapped as a spy. His story only gets more interesting as his native fluency in German is utilized as a talent during the Cold War.
I found myself glued to the story, and flew through it faster than I’ve read most books recently. Ultimately, I was so glad that I read this book. Fast-paced, exciting, and full of relatable, real-life people, there is a section of photographs so that we can match a face with the names we are reading about, making this feel even more real than it already does. It’s an incredible story of survival, adaptation, and self-acceptance amidst hatred, persecution, loss, family dysfunction, and ongoing challenges.
I always try my best to read ARCs before the publishing date, but I was a bit nervous to start this one with the current state of world events (the Israel-Hamas war, increasing levels of antisemitism around the world). My father was a Holocaust survivor who freely spoke about his experiences at home, and as he got older, he spoke publicly as often as possible to share his story and his message with others. As the child of a survivor, I struggle with intergenerational trauma that presents strongly at times of increased antisemitism, which made me leery about starting this book. But I decided to give it a try, and started a lighthearted audiobook to offset the heavy nature that I knew this book was going to address.
The story is written by Wolf’s daughter from his own notes, and starts out with Wolf’s earliest memories, beginning around age 3. His love for his city of Berlin and all the enjoyable times that he had there with his father is evident is so much of the story. He describes a bit about his parents and their marriage, which was a highly dysfunctional one. There’s a lot of foreshadowing, and I was curious to see how Wolf’s feelings for Berlin and his home country would change when Germany and its people turned on him and the other Jews.
All of the changes were made slowly, but increasingly made it clear that the Jewish people were not welcome in Germany. Some chose to leave, but Wolf’s family, like many others, thought that the situation would pass and couldn’t get much worse. Unlike many other memoirs, this is told through the eyes of a child, and it’s done beautifully. It takes away some of the heavy nature of the story, since Wolf doesn’t understand much of what is happening, particularly the greater consequences of these changes.
After many false starts, his family finally manages to get out of Germany, but that doesn’t mean their struggles end there. The boat isn’t the luxury ones that we imagine, and the trip overseas was a notoriously difficult one. And their life in America isn’t any easier. Going from business owners in Germany to menial laborers in America, a country where they barely speak the language and have no opportunities, Wolf sees his best chance at survival and success as learning to assimilate quickly.
Watching Wolf grow up, and seeing how immensely his experiences impacted his adult life was incredibly interesting. Struggling to find his way in adulthood, not feeling quite at home in America but not feeling welcome in Germany, and still figuring out who he is, Wolf abruptly finds himself drafted and tapped as a spy. His story only gets more interesting as his native fluency in German is utilized as a talent during the Cold War.
I found myself glued to the story, and flew through it faster than I’ve read most books recently. Ultimately, I was so glad that I read this book. Fast-paced, exciting, and full of relatable, real-life people, there is a section of photographs so that we can match a face with the names we are reading about, making this feel even more real than it already does. It’s an incredible story of survival, adaptation, and self-acceptance amidst hatred, persecution, loss, family dysfunction, and ongoing challenges.
January 10, 2025
What an amazing story of resilience and hope. Quite different from most holocaust survivor stories. It is full of emotion and very well written. This is a story worth reading!
October 24, 2023
I was lucky enough to read an advance copy of this compelling memoir, which the author developed from her father's journals over the years. The book covers Wolf’s extraordinary journey--from his family's harrowing escape from Nazi Germany in 1941, and their arrival and difficult assimilation into New York society, to his eventual return to Germany as an American intelligence officer during the Cold War.
Birnbaum does an outstanding job of placing the reader alongside Wolf as the tension ratchets up all around him, and I especially appreciated her inclusion of the small details that illuminate their daily lives and how much they lost. The later sections covering his coming of age and early adulthood are also excellent.
This book is part of Amsterdam Publishers' "Holocaust Survivor True Stories" series, which specializes in memoirs written by Holocaust survivors and their children. Their work is more important than ever, given the recent rise of fascist elements in the U.S. and elsewhere. Never again.
Birnbaum does an outstanding job of placing the reader alongside Wolf as the tension ratchets up all around him, and I especially appreciated her inclusion of the small details that illuminate their daily lives and how much they lost. The later sections covering his coming of age and early adulthood are also excellent.
This book is part of Amsterdam Publishers' "Holocaust Survivor True Stories" series, which specializes in memoirs written by Holocaust survivors and their children. Their work is more important than ever, given the recent rise of fascist elements in the U.S. and elsewhere. Never again.
April 10, 2025
“He is not here any longer, but if you turn the page I will resurrect him.” Thank you, Audrey, for letting me get to know Jack even if just a bit.
March 31, 2024
This story of one man's harrowing experience trying to survive in and then escape from Nazi Germany was nothing short of astonishing and immensely moving. I cannot fathom how this brave soul was able to persevere through nearly three decades of unrelenting terror, setbacks and tragedy. It is especially poignant because it contains the memories of a child, robbed of a normal childhood, and thrust into carrying the pain and responsibility for his entire family.
I am an inveterate reader of Holocaust stories, but most of the books I have read were written about the experiences of Eastern European Jews. The German Jewish experience is less familiar to me, especially for those who were unable to leave Germany until very late in the war. This is a riveting account of what it felt like to experience the tightening net, growing worse bit by agonizing bit. The book also conveys how German Jews could feel so attached to and proud of their German culture and heritage and how hard it actually was to shake that, even in the face of the growing menace of Nazism.
The book draws a fascinating portrait of the extended family, warts and all, and powerfully conveys how different personalities and character traits contributed to their ability to survive unthinkable catastrophes. Certainly, sheer luck played a crucial role time and again, but it was also the unrelenting perseverance of the mother, the childlike joy and optimism of the father, the self sacrifice of the sister, and the tight knit bonds of family that proved to be their support and salvation.
This was a collective effort between the man, who late in life attempted to write down his memories in all their shocking detail, and his daughter, who found her father's notes years later and labored to create a luminous, comprehensive portrait of his experiences. It is impossible to discern where the father's efforts and writing leave off and where the daughter's deft hand and voice pick up. Together, they have created a memorable and important testimony to one of history's darkest periods.
I am an inveterate reader of Holocaust stories, but most of the books I have read were written about the experiences of Eastern European Jews. The German Jewish experience is less familiar to me, especially for those who were unable to leave Germany until very late in the war. This is a riveting account of what it felt like to experience the tightening net, growing worse bit by agonizing bit. The book also conveys how German Jews could feel so attached to and proud of their German culture and heritage and how hard it actually was to shake that, even in the face of the growing menace of Nazism.
The book draws a fascinating portrait of the extended family, warts and all, and powerfully conveys how different personalities and character traits contributed to their ability to survive unthinkable catastrophes. Certainly, sheer luck played a crucial role time and again, but it was also the unrelenting perseverance of the mother, the childlike joy and optimism of the father, the self sacrifice of the sister, and the tight knit bonds of family that proved to be their support and salvation.
This was a collective effort between the man, who late in life attempted to write down his memories in all their shocking detail, and his daughter, who found her father's notes years later and labored to create a luminous, comprehensive portrait of his experiences. It is impossible to discern where the father's efforts and writing leave off and where the daughter's deft hand and voice pick up. Together, they have created a memorable and important testimony to one of history's darkest periods.
August 18, 2024
I met the earnest author at a book signing; heard her story; bought the book. It is a lovingly edited version of her father's memoir, with explanatory footnotes throughout. First-person narrative is difficult to maintain, but her father's story is itself intriguing, so we keep turning the pages. The unpleasant aspects of his parents' personalities and their bickering marriage ironically add interest to what is more typically a hagiography – that and the looming holocaust, the narrow wartime escapes, make this a worthwhile read, particularly for a young adult as a view into that historical period. Certainly this was a work of filial love, a testimony to her family's struggle to survive and thrive.
September 27, 2024
I first heard about this book from a podcast where I only caught about 5 minutes of the interview but it sounded really good and is by a lesser known author so I bought it wanting to boost my fellow lesser known authors up. When I received it and read the beginning realizing she was writing it from her fathers notes I thought uh oh. But it was great. I really enjoyed learning about Wolf’s life story and it kept me interested throughout. This may be a biography but it reads like a novel. I highly recommended it. Why only 4 stars then. There were a few places where I felt the voice changed (seemed too old for the timeframe, used words the narrator wouldn’t) and it pulled me out of the story, but they were few and far between.
November 7, 2023
"American Wolf: From Nazi Refugee to American Spy" by author Audrey Birnbaum
Publisher: Amsterdam Publishers, The Netherlands.
ISBN 9789493276987 for paperback and ISBN 9789493276994 for hardcover and ISBN 9789493322004 for ebook for the "American Wolf: From Nazi Refugee to American Spy" book by author Audrey Birnbaum.
This is a remarkable book. As a reader I had a hard time being a history buff to suspend my belief, or not just yell get out.
The true story of Germany and its divided history is a hard pill to swallow. Knowing what is coming for the Jewish population of Prussia, Poland and Germany. I found it hard to understand why Wolf's parents did not leave. But Wolf and Audrey show how hard it was for a middle income family to not only see the danger but take the risk of escaping before the war, or even at the beginning of the war. This book details all the subtle and manipulative practices of the Nazi party. How those practices now seen as overt and obvious were not to the people of Germany at the time. Many historical books gloss over this aspect of the rise of Hitler. They miss that people are averse to change, and that sometimes they are caught unaware of what we now know is true.
The remarkable story of his boat ride and immigration to the US. Is something that history tends to gloss over as well. How he did not fit in, because of language barriers, cultural differences, and expectations. Immigration is not an easy process, I see the struggle of many students throughout the school year time and again as they attempt to bridge their old life with their current situation. This book shows how hard it is. Again showing how hard it was for Wolf’s family to move countries. It's not just bureaucracy, or the physical move that is hard, but the lifetime of changes that affects the immigrant over and over again.
Where I had a hard time believing in this story is the latter half, when he becomes a US Military spy. I think it's more, my own lack of knowledge about espionage in Eastern Europe particularly in East Germany rather than what he states. He shows that there were practices of espionage that were not subversive but blunt and obvious. That they had a license plate that stated the car was a spy car. That they had rules of conduct when they were caught, that Russia sometimes did not follow. It is a thrilling time in the book.
I think this book would be a good resource for middle and high school students. It shows the true nature of war, the struggle of immigration, and the humanity in all of us. Like Maus it shows the difficulties leading to world war 2, and the struggle of the Jewish population before, during and after the conflict.
Publisher: Amsterdam Publishers, The Netherlands.
ISBN 9789493276987 for paperback and ISBN 9789493276994 for hardcover and ISBN 9789493322004 for ebook for the "American Wolf: From Nazi Refugee to American Spy" book by author Audrey Birnbaum.
This is a remarkable book. As a reader I had a hard time being a history buff to suspend my belief, or not just yell get out.
The true story of Germany and its divided history is a hard pill to swallow. Knowing what is coming for the Jewish population of Prussia, Poland and Germany. I found it hard to understand why Wolf's parents did not leave. But Wolf and Audrey show how hard it was for a middle income family to not only see the danger but take the risk of escaping before the war, or even at the beginning of the war. This book details all the subtle and manipulative practices of the Nazi party. How those practices now seen as overt and obvious were not to the people of Germany at the time. Many historical books gloss over this aspect of the rise of Hitler. They miss that people are averse to change, and that sometimes they are caught unaware of what we now know is true.
The remarkable story of his boat ride and immigration to the US. Is something that history tends to gloss over as well. How he did not fit in, because of language barriers, cultural differences, and expectations. Immigration is not an easy process, I see the struggle of many students throughout the school year time and again as they attempt to bridge their old life with their current situation. This book shows how hard it is. Again showing how hard it was for Wolf’s family to move countries. It's not just bureaucracy, or the physical move that is hard, but the lifetime of changes that affects the immigrant over and over again.
Where I had a hard time believing in this story is the latter half, when he becomes a US Military spy. I think it's more, my own lack of knowledge about espionage in Eastern Europe particularly in East Germany rather than what he states. He shows that there were practices of espionage that were not subversive but blunt and obvious. That they had a license plate that stated the car was a spy car. That they had rules of conduct when they were caught, that Russia sometimes did not follow. It is a thrilling time in the book.
I think this book would be a good resource for middle and high school students. It shows the true nature of war, the struggle of immigration, and the humanity in all of us. Like Maus it shows the difficulties leading to world war 2, and the struggle of the Jewish population before, during and after the conflict.
January 7, 2025
A captivating tale of endurance and survivor against all odds; a page turner that makes you race through the pages to find out HOW they made it.
I love stories based on real events. And if they teach you about history, too, that is a very welcome bonus. This book offers just what I seek in good novels: dramatic, often nerve- wracking TRUE events (even though you know the main character survives, not once you find yourself thinking that he may not!), very vivid descriptions of people and places (I googled all places mentioned in the book :D), good humor, tragedy, romance, and history lessons (not only) about Holocaust that should not be forgotten.
I liked the style of the book: nice language and stylistics (if I may say so as a non-English native speaker), and “naughty” cliff-hangers or dramatic twists at the end of passages, which I often had to cover with my hand in order not to read them before I reached them. That is how eager I was to know what happened next! :D
Another distinctive feature is the honesty of the main protagonist, his frank depiction of himself, his family members, and family life. He does not idealize anybody; he does not spare anybody (including himself). But despite the hardship, the book is not bitter; Jack does not cry about his destiny, does not revel in self-pity and hatred; he does not beg for sympathy. He and his family stand up again and again, and go on, and you just keep thinking: how could they survive, how could they find the courage and strength to go on? Truly admirable and inspirational! And one would think that after they arrived in America, the land of opportunities, life would be a fairy tale. But it wasn’t! This book offers a naturalistic view of a life of immigrants in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Yet, there is humor in this book, too, which gives you a smile or even a laughter. And I love the photos that are included in the book. 😊
I love stories based on real events. And if they teach you about history, too, that is a very welcome bonus. This book offers just what I seek in good novels: dramatic, often nerve- wracking TRUE events (even though you know the main character survives, not once you find yourself thinking that he may not!), very vivid descriptions of people and places (I googled all places mentioned in the book :D), good humor, tragedy, romance, and history lessons (not only) about Holocaust that should not be forgotten.
I liked the style of the book: nice language and stylistics (if I may say so as a non-English native speaker), and “naughty” cliff-hangers or dramatic twists at the end of passages, which I often had to cover with my hand in order not to read them before I reached them. That is how eager I was to know what happened next! :D
Another distinctive feature is the honesty of the main protagonist, his frank depiction of himself, his family members, and family life. He does not idealize anybody; he does not spare anybody (including himself). But despite the hardship, the book is not bitter; Jack does not cry about his destiny, does not revel in self-pity and hatred; he does not beg for sympathy. He and his family stand up again and again, and go on, and you just keep thinking: how could they survive, how could they find the courage and strength to go on? Truly admirable and inspirational! And one would think that after they arrived in America, the land of opportunities, life would be a fairy tale. But it wasn’t! This book offers a naturalistic view of a life of immigrants in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Yet, there is humor in this book, too, which gives you a smile or even a laughter. And I love the photos that are included in the book. 😊
November 22, 2023
A biography to engage your heart and mind - this is a must read - so gripping and so relevant today!
Ms. Birnbaum brings her father to vivid life in this history that reads like a novel. Her style is so engaging that I really couldn't put the book down, and the story is absolutely remarkable!
What Ms. Birnbaum does best is bring the many vivid characters in her family to life, until you really feel that you know them and care about them deeply. And then, as you learn how WWII and its aftermath affected them, your eyes are opened to the complexities of our world, and you gain some understanding of how things today have come to be, and - maybe, hopefully! - how we can make them better.
Without posting any spoilers, I will say that I found Wolf's life in the United States particularly illuminating. What a picture of the immigrant experience! I think his story would resonate with many young people and it is absolutely relevant right now!
Highly recommended, for teens as well as adults!
Ms. Birnbaum brings her father to vivid life in this history that reads like a novel. Her style is so engaging that I really couldn't put the book down, and the story is absolutely remarkable!
What Ms. Birnbaum does best is bring the many vivid characters in her family to life, until you really feel that you know them and care about them deeply. And then, as you learn how WWII and its aftermath affected them, your eyes are opened to the complexities of our world, and you gain some understanding of how things today have come to be, and - maybe, hopefully! - how we can make them better.
Without posting any spoilers, I will say that I found Wolf's life in the United States particularly illuminating. What a picture of the immigrant experience! I think his story would resonate with many young people and it is absolutely relevant right now!
Highly recommended, for teens as well as adults!
November 11, 2023
Audrey Birnbaum is lucky that, at the age of 74, her father decided to write his life story, and, as readers, we are lucky that she turned those memories into a stirring and readable memoir. Told in her father’s voice, the true story is filled with detail that could only be captured by her father. Her father was only a child, gradually abandoned by his non-Jewish friends, as his parents struggled to make heartbreaking decisions about when and how to get out of his beloved Berlin against the backdrop of increasing Nazi danger. Finding safety in America is not the end of the story but the beginning of a new chapter, a complicated, often painful transition, converting the boy named Wolf to a young man who chooses the name Jack to fit in. The author and her father have laid out for us a life full of nuance and choices and change – a story of the Holocaust and the lasting effects of forced immigration that is, in the end, a very human story.
April 25, 2024
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this interesting story following the life of Wolf or Jack from his early childhood growing up in 1930s Nazi Berlin, through his family's miraculous escape to America in 1941 and on into his life as a German/Jewish immigrant in New York. The book outlines in detail the slow daily repression of Jewish people during the 30s in Nazi Germany and how they adapted. And it demonstrates the difficulties for Jews in emigrating from Nazi Germany, being totally dependent on finding a sponsor to enable a visa for the US. I also enjoyed reading about Jack's experiences as a US Army military intelligence officer in Cold War East Germany. The book is beautifully written in a way that allows you to get to know the various family members almost personally. Absolutely recommended to anyone interested in stories from this sad period of history.
April 26, 2024
Escaping Germany did NOT keep all Jews from dying as a result of the Holocaust!!
There are so many books from WWII holocaust survivors, most death camp survivors. WWII has been a fascination for me since 8th grade, so I have read hundreds of books. But this one, is a book about family & all the struggles they face 1) as German Jews, & 2) as American Jews!! It is their COMPLETE story! The struggle to stay together, the loss of identity, the misery of repeated failures, the mental/emotional toll, the tragedy of getting out physically but NEVER being emotionally free!! Even escaping Germany, many Jews did not survive the trauma of the Holocaust in their new home country!!
Sadly, I see antisemitism growing here in the US & it shames me. I am not a Jew, but I feel there will be another holocaust. What if it’s your race or religion? Can we not accept differences?
There are so many books from WWII holocaust survivors, most death camp survivors. WWII has been a fascination for me since 8th grade, so I have read hundreds of books. But this one, is a book about family & all the struggles they face 1) as German Jews, & 2) as American Jews!! It is their COMPLETE story! The struggle to stay together, the loss of identity, the misery of repeated failures, the mental/emotional toll, the tragedy of getting out physically but NEVER being emotionally free!! Even escaping Germany, many Jews did not survive the trauma of the Holocaust in their new home country!!
Sadly, I see antisemitism growing here in the US & it shames me. I am not a Jew, but I feel there will be another holocaust. What if it’s your race or religion? Can we not accept differences?
March 29, 2024
Had a hard time putting this book down!
The author's writing style, the pictures included, the story itself, all had me devouring this book, the afterwards, the acknowledgements, and the notes. I rarely read past the ending of the story, but the snippets of information and the desire for the book to not be finished spurred me to read everything, and I was not disappointed. I'm not one to consume media about war and the Holocaust breaks my heart, so I generally avoid them, and memoirs are usually bland and unappealing to me; however, I found myself fully engaged with the story. Hopefully, if you're reading this and feel the same, you'll give this novel a try. I highly recommend it! Just make sure you don't have anything pressing to be done until you're finished.
The author's writing style, the pictures included, the story itself, all had me devouring this book, the afterwards, the acknowledgements, and the notes. I rarely read past the ending of the story, but the snippets of information and the desire for the book to not be finished spurred me to read everything, and I was not disappointed. I'm not one to consume media about war and the Holocaust breaks my heart, so I generally avoid them, and memoirs are usually bland and unappealing to me; however, I found myself fully engaged with the story. Hopefully, if you're reading this and feel the same, you'll give this novel a try. I highly recommend it! Just make sure you don't have anything pressing to be done until you're finished.
August 13, 2024
Written by a dear friend of my cousin, Audrey Birnbaum’s American Wolf is a powerful memoir of her father based on notes about his life that he left behind. Every individual Holocaust story should be remembered and shared, no matter the differences and severities of their experiences. Birnbaum shares her father’s story with grace and wit from the perspective of a young boy escaping war-torn Germany with his dysfunctional family, struggling as immigrants in an American melting pot, and becoming the man we read about today. Its themes are still relevant in today’s turbulent times. I read the latter 200 pages in one sitting because I couldn’t put it down!
November 13, 2023
It's almost too late when young Wolf's mother manages to get the family out of Nazi Germany where they find refuge as well as daunting challenges in New York. Though scarred by Berlin's Nazi time, Mother, sister and Wolf - now Jack - navigate their own way until Jack's father succumbs to despair. Burdened by loss and guilt, Jack carries on, bowed but not broken. He enlists in the armed forces where he thrives as an intelligence agent in the divided Berlin. Wolf's story reads like a novel - highly recommend!
March 7, 2025
The story of Wolf is amazing. This was very hard to put down while managing my daily routine.
In some sense I feel guilty enjoying books that pertain to the holocaust. This was such a horrible crime against the Jewish race and others. But praise be to God, these books are about survivors!
This book, American Wolf, reminds me of a very similarly written book called “When Time Stopped” by Ariana Neumann. I want to thank both of these authors for their unique and gifted approach in telling the story’s of family and friends during the holocaust.
In some sense I feel guilty enjoying books that pertain to the holocaust. This was such a horrible crime against the Jewish race and others. But praise be to God, these books are about survivors!
This book, American Wolf, reminds me of a very similarly written book called “When Time Stopped” by Ariana Neumann. I want to thank both of these authors for their unique and gifted approach in telling the story’s of family and friends during the holocaust.
May 7, 2025
Lots to think about
SPOILERS: Such a lot to think about. Most sad is Arthur’s end. He was a wonderful father - I enjoyed reading about his beautiful fatherhood before the persecution of Jews started happening. The walks in the forest, the balm he was to his children in the face of their hard mother…
Loved that Wolf got to revisit Berlin and find his old home. Despite it all, his heart remained fond for his first home.
A lot to ponder about the mental and emotional struggles with immigration.
SPOILERS: Such a lot to think about. Most sad is Arthur’s end. He was a wonderful father - I enjoyed reading about his beautiful fatherhood before the persecution of Jews started happening. The walks in the forest, the balm he was to his children in the face of their hard mother…
Loved that Wolf got to revisit Berlin and find his old home. Despite it all, his heart remained fond for his first home.
A lot to ponder about the mental and emotional struggles with immigration.
June 27, 2025
trauma after trauma…
… but survival. Sad that depression was not understood by
Jack’s family. I thought his tenacity would lead to being a dentist. His dreams were not to realized. I was left with a sense of sadness that so many tragedies followed the family to the US.
… but survival. Sad that depression was not understood by
Jack’s family. I thought his tenacity would lead to being a dentist. His dreams were not to realized. I was left with a sense of sadness that so many tragedies followed the family to the US.
March 5, 2024
This was a true story written by family. It was so hard to imagine what families went through to escape from the horrors of the Holocaust to come to America. Great book.
September 2, 2024
Not recommended. Although I finished this one expecting to read about spying, it’s lacking terribly in this area.
January 22, 2025
Loved this one! Great representation of the slow, creeping ways that war can impact us both during and after it.
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