Winter Light: The Memoir of a Child of Holocaust Survivors

by Grace Feuerverger

“Feuerverger’s search for a “place of inner solace” is profoundly inspiring … often rendered in poetically stirring prose. With affecting clarity, the author meditates on the ways in which trauma is transmitted generationally…This is a powerful story, conveyed with deep humanity and insight.” –Kirkus Reviews

A child of Holocaust survivors, Grace was always searching for shelter but knew that her home was the last place where she could find it. She was eager to be out there in the world, but at every turn had to battle the demons which permeated her home – hissing their frightening, grim messages. Montréal offered Grace the chance of a lifetime. She was four years old when she discovered the joie-de-vivre of her French-Canadian neighbors in the working-class east end of her beloved city. As she grew older other serendipitous “rescues” arrived in surprising ways in many different places.

Vivid and lyrical, Winter Light is a deeply moving memoir dedicated to all who are coming from places of trauma. It is about the vast unknown territory of the human heart, where love and hope can rise above everything – in spite of the ghosts that still haunt us.

304 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 8, 2024

Reviews

[Martin Kofsky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes, there are many memoirs written by Holocaust survivors or a child of a survivor, but few that I have read or taught demonstrate the literary elegance of Grace Feuerverger's Winter Light. Each chapter is polished in structure and perceptive in its insight into one of her many life stories. The memoir moves back and forth in time, reflecting on people and incidents that were transformational in her narrative. Many moments are painful for her, but others are uplifting; and all of these teach the reader something about how to transmute pain and joy and everything in between into a constructive and productive life. This is a memoir for everyone, everywhere. --Martin Kofsky

[Heather Berkeley · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best memoirs take an unflinching look at the people and the circumstances that formed the writer's life. They don't spare us. And if the writer is generous enough, they help us as readers to see ourselves in their story. Feurerverger's memoir does this and more. She shows us what the Holocaust did to her, to her parents, to her wider family. She also recaptures what saved her from the dark shadow of the Holocaust. She falls in love with so many people and places so that as sad as her story it's also hopeful and delightful. I loved her descriptions of her father and of Montreal, of high fashion, of Christmas trees, of her role in Alice in Wonderland, of her students ... just beautiful.

[Helen Joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Winter light is an absorbing, raw and honest account of the effects of growing up within a family shattered by the trauma of the Holocaust. Grace Feuerverger paints a deeply personal portrait of a childhood clouded by the shadows of the horrors experienced by her parents who, consequently, were quite unable to parent her normatively. Their scars were etched onto the child with lifelong effects. Nevertheless, Grace’s healthy drive for a productive, happy life was ultimately fulfilled. The account weaves a rich tapestry of nuanced emotions and is beautifully written. Its message is haunting but, ultimately, hopeful. Highly recommend.

[Alice Adler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved every word of this memoir "Winter Light": I could hear the author's voice as she skillfully narrated a very personal history in a poetic way. It was brave of her to share her deep sadness, in a family home without warmth. But through it all Grace Feuerverger showed her instinct for where to find brightness. Very uplifting. A story for everyone — no matter what their background.