What do you think?
Rate this book
The Wanderers: A Story of Exile, Survival, and Unexpected Love in the Shadow of World War II
An immigration journalist and her wife trace their family’s intertwined past to unearth a groundbreaking history of the way most Polish Jews survived Hitler's Holocaust at the brutal hands of Stalin — a story that sheds light on the global refugee crisis and on the enduring power of hope and love.
Daniela Gerson and her wife Talia met at a picnic in Los Angeles, not knowing that 75 years earlier, their grandparents had left homes only blocks away from each other in a small Polish town, and fled east to Ukraine. The Gersons and the Inlenders would go on parallel odysseys of 5,000 miles to survive the Holocaust – one that would, after a deceitful loyalty test from Stalin, put them on cattle cars to a Soviet Gulag, send them to Siberia and Central Asia, and would end, after a decade on the run, with new lives built on secrets and lies.
For years, Daniela and Talia simply accepted this painful shared history as a sign that they were b’shert, meant to be. Their families’ refugee past fueled their Daniela as an immigration journalist; Talia an immigration attorney. But as Daniela uncovered more, she realized that their grandparents shared this journey with more than 200,000 Polish Jews, sometimes collectively called “the Wanderers” – a group that is almost entirely absent from popular understanding of World War II. And unlike most Holocaust sagas that focus on the exceptionality of the Nazi genocide, theirs was also a universal story of refugees making impossible decisions when forced to seek safety, protect their children, and find new homes. A story that, to the dismay of the world, remains relevant each time a political upheaval wreaks havoc on individual lives.
Part genealogical detective story, part gripping history, part contemporary reporting on war-torn territories, The Wanderers chronicles Daniela’s journey to unearth this past with her wife, and reveal its echoes in still-contested lands from Poland to Ukraine to Israel. The Wanderers is a groundbreaking narrative history, and a meditation on how a home left behind and a desperate journey to survive reverberates across borders and through generations.
Daniela Gerson and her wife Talia met at a picnic in Los Angeles, not knowing that 75 years earlier, their grandparents had left homes only blocks away from each other in a small Polish town, and fled east to Ukraine. The Gersons and the Inlenders would go on parallel odysseys of 5,000 miles to survive the Holocaust – one that would, after a deceitful loyalty test from Stalin, put them on cattle cars to a Soviet Gulag, send them to Siberia and Central Asia, and would end, after a decade on the run, with new lives built on secrets and lies.
For years, Daniela and Talia simply accepted this painful shared history as a sign that they were b’shert, meant to be. Their families’ refugee past fueled their Daniela as an immigration journalist; Talia an immigration attorney. But as Daniela uncovered more, she realized that their grandparents shared this journey with more than 200,000 Polish Jews, sometimes collectively called “the Wanderers” – a group that is almost entirely absent from popular understanding of World War II. And unlike most Holocaust sagas that focus on the exceptionality of the Nazi genocide, theirs was also a universal story of refugees making impossible decisions when forced to seek safety, protect their children, and find new homes. A story that, to the dismay of the world, remains relevant each time a political upheaval wreaks havoc on individual lives.
Part genealogical detective story, part gripping history, part contemporary reporting on war-torn territories, The Wanderers chronicles Daniela’s journey to unearth this past with her wife, and reveal its echoes in still-contested lands from Poland to Ukraine to Israel. The Wanderers is a groundbreaking narrative history, and a meditation on how a home left behind and a desperate journey to survive reverberates across borders and through generations.
336 pages, Hardcover
Published March 31, 2026
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
May 18, 2026
This is a phenomenal and moving read! I am admittedly just a tad biased because Daniela Gerson is my cousin, and this story is about our grandparents (!!)… but I would still highly recommend it to anyone interested in Jewish history and/or migration narratives in general. Or just someone who enjoys well-written nonfiction. Very well researched and written, telling fascinating aspects of Jewish history that are rarely discussed or documented (I personally knew little about Jewish polish migration to the Soviet gulags during WW2, despite this being my own family’s history!). Daniela worked arduously to gather all of this archival information, and narrated it in such a compelling way that brought our ancestors to life. There’s scrupulous attention to detail and accurate reporting, but it reads like historical fiction. I want to read more books like this about migration stories from people all over the world
May 9, 2026
A great exploration of the Zamosc Jewish lineage from escaping the Nazis, traveling into the Soviet Union in labor camps, to Uzbekistan to Displaced Persons camps to their final destinations in Israel and the United States. It is a story of perseverance uniquely Jewish and told with the love and care of someone who understands the story of Jews from Diaspora to Statehood.
Read
May 20, 2026great book. Explores the exodus of Polish Jews towards Russia and the consequences of doing so. An exploration of family, courage, resilience
May 16, 2026
The absolute best book I've read this Spring!
June 28, 2026
really spectacularly intertwined historical/archival digging on family history during the holocaust both in east and west, and a modern set of relationships and experiences in modern poland/ukraine/etc
May 29, 2026
Well researched & explained. I hadn’t known much about the plight of Polish Jews who escaped to Russia to get away from the Nazi regime. I have a much better understanding of a group that survived horrendous conditions, fighting for the simple right to live their lives in peace.
June 3, 2026
"An immigration journalist and her wife trace their family’s intertwined past to unearth a groundbreaking history of the way most Polish Jews survived Hitler's Holocaust at the brutal hands of Stalin — a story that sheds light on the global refugee crisis and on the enduring power of hope and love.
Daniela Gerson and her wife Talia met at a picnic in Los Angeles, not knowing that 75 years earlier, their grandparents had left homes only blocks away from each other in a small Polish town, and fled east to Ukraine. The Gersons and the Inlenders would go on parallel odysseys of 5,000 miles to survive the Holocaust – one that would, after a deceitful loyalty test from Stalin, put them on cattle cars to a Soviet Gulag, send them to Siberia and Central Asia, and would end, after a decade on the run, with new lives built on secrets and lies.
For years, Daniela and Talia simply accepted this painful shared history as a sign that they were b’shert, meant to be. Their families’ refugee past fueled their Daniela as an immigration journalist; Talia an immigration attorney. But as Daniela uncovered more, she realized that their grandparents shared this journey with more than 200,000 Polish Jews, sometimes collectively called “the Wanderers” – a group that is almost entirely absent from popular understanding of World War II. And unlike most Holocaust sagas that focus on the exceptionality of the Nazi genocide, theirs was also a universal story of refugees making impossible decisions when forced to seek safety, protect their children, and find new homes. A story that, to the dismay of the world, remains relevant each time a political upheaval wreaks havoc on individual lives.
Part genealogical detective story, part gripping history, part contemporary reporting on war-torn territories, The Wanderers chronicles Daniela’s journey to unearth this past with her wife, and reveal its echoes in still-contested lands from Poland to Ukraine to Israel. The Wanderers is a groundbreaking narrative history, and a meditation on how a home left behind and a desperate journey to survive reverberates across borders and through generations."
Very interesting, incredibly well-researched, but a little too much detail for me. I wearied of it.
Daniela Gerson and her wife Talia met at a picnic in Los Angeles, not knowing that 75 years earlier, their grandparents had left homes only blocks away from each other in a small Polish town, and fled east to Ukraine. The Gersons and the Inlenders would go on parallel odysseys of 5,000 miles to survive the Holocaust – one that would, after a deceitful loyalty test from Stalin, put them on cattle cars to a Soviet Gulag, send them to Siberia and Central Asia, and would end, after a decade on the run, with new lives built on secrets and lies.
For years, Daniela and Talia simply accepted this painful shared history as a sign that they were b’shert, meant to be. Their families’ refugee past fueled their Daniela as an immigration journalist; Talia an immigration attorney. But as Daniela uncovered more, she realized that their grandparents shared this journey with more than 200,000 Polish Jews, sometimes collectively called “the Wanderers” – a group that is almost entirely absent from popular understanding of World War II. And unlike most Holocaust sagas that focus on the exceptionality of the Nazi genocide, theirs was also a universal story of refugees making impossible decisions when forced to seek safety, protect their children, and find new homes. A story that, to the dismay of the world, remains relevant each time a political upheaval wreaks havoc on individual lives.
Part genealogical detective story, part gripping history, part contemporary reporting on war-torn territories, The Wanderers chronicles Daniela’s journey to unearth this past with her wife, and reveal its echoes in still-contested lands from Poland to Ukraine to Israel. The Wanderers is a groundbreaking narrative history, and a meditation on how a home left behind and a desperate journey to survive reverberates across borders and through generations."
Very interesting, incredibly well-researched, but a little too much detail for me. I wearied of it.
July 2, 2026
As a grandchild of a Polish Holocaust surviver (from Lodz), I wanted to read Gerson's book. And as a student of Jewish history for many years, particularly of the Holocaust, the story of the many Jews who fled to Russia and survived the gulags was a lacuna of mine. Gerson's book fills a lot of those voids, and I also appreciated her adding so many personal details that helped bring stories to life. The chapters on Uzbekistan were particularly eye-opening. I also didn't know much about the post-war DP camps, so again, I was grateful for glimpses into those worlds. Her research, per the notes at the end, was exhaustive, so kudos.
As far as the quality of the writing, it's standard. Gerson relies on bromides, tropes, and low-hanging rhetorical fruit, so don't expect any fireworks there. And while I commend her attempt to weave in and out of different timelines, some of the transitions were awkward or confusing, and if I hadn't picked up the book in a day or two, I'd need reorient myself.
The reason why I'm landing on three stars is due to her handling of Israel in the chapters towards the end of the book as well as her comically bloated acknowledgments section. I don't know how/why editors have continually allowed these to run amok, but Gerson takes hers to the next level with gratuitous and, frankly, boring name-checking. The Iliad's catalogue of ships is more interesting! Regarding Israel, I thought that her telling of its founding was quite balanced and accurate--neither side can truly claim a moral high ground. However, she completely lost me when she zoomed out to the present, and my guess is that she didn't want to deal with a lot of political blowback in today's charged climate. Suffice it to say, though, Gerson's pussyfooting and party-line acquiescing disgusted me. It's amazing that you can write an entire book about how Jews were systematically slaughtered by the millions and then end it on that note all the while antisemitism is unequivocally on the rise. But to each her own.
As far as the quality of the writing, it's standard. Gerson relies on bromides, tropes, and low-hanging rhetorical fruit, so don't expect any fireworks there. And while I commend her attempt to weave in and out of different timelines, some of the transitions were awkward or confusing, and if I hadn't picked up the book in a day or two, I'd need reorient myself.
The reason why I'm landing on three stars is due to her handling of Israel in the chapters towards the end of the book as well as her comically bloated acknowledgments section. I don't know how/why editors have continually allowed these to run amok, but Gerson takes hers to the next level with gratuitous and, frankly, boring name-checking. The Iliad's catalogue of ships is more interesting! Regarding Israel, I thought that her telling of its founding was quite balanced and accurate--neither side can truly claim a moral high ground. However, she completely lost me when she zoomed out to the present, and my guess is that she didn't want to deal with a lot of political blowback in today's charged climate. Suffice it to say, though, Gerson's pussyfooting and party-line acquiescing disgusted me. It's amazing that you can write an entire book about how Jews were systematically slaughtered by the millions and then end it on that note all the while antisemitism is unequivocally on the rise. But to each her own.
July 16, 2026
An interesting and well-written book about a subject that is not well known. I had heard about Polish Jews who escaped to the U.S.S.R. to avoid murder by the Nazis, only to find themselves caught in the web of the Soviet system.
The Soviets also despised the Jewish people. The Stalin regime sent the refugees to labor camps and took away their basic rights. Many did not survive. A good number did manage to live until the end of World War II. After the war, they trudged back to western Europe, where they were not treated well. After a great deal of bureaucratic wrangling that lasted for several years, most managed to immigrate to the United States, Australia, or Israel. (This is the same experience my mother and her family experienced in Shanghai after the war.)
Daniela Gerson described her own beautiful contemporary love story which integrated into the history of two families who originated from the same town in Poland. Miraculous coincidences and connections occured. Ms. Gerson became a detective to find the people and places that were important in her history and that of her wife's. Her Jewish identity expanded as she discovered the story of the families.
I would suggest that two family trees would have helped the reader immensely. I often became confused about who was who. Names were often similar or changed throughout the book.
I recommend this book for those interested in remembrance work and for people whose families were forced to escape to the former U.S.S.R.
The Soviets also despised the Jewish people. The Stalin regime sent the refugees to labor camps and took away their basic rights. Many did not survive. A good number did manage to live until the end of World War II. After the war, they trudged back to western Europe, where they were not treated well. After a great deal of bureaucratic wrangling that lasted for several years, most managed to immigrate to the United States, Australia, or Israel. (This is the same experience my mother and her family experienced in Shanghai after the war.)
Daniela Gerson described her own beautiful contemporary love story which integrated into the history of two families who originated from the same town in Poland. Miraculous coincidences and connections occured. Ms. Gerson became a detective to find the people and places that were important in her history and that of her wife's. Her Jewish identity expanded as she discovered the story of the families.
I would suggest that two family trees would have helped the reader immensely. I often became confused about who was who. Names were often similar or changed throughout the book.
I recommend this book for those interested in remembrance work and for people whose families were forced to escape to the former U.S.S.R.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Daniela Gerson, whose father and grandparents fled to the USSR from their hometown in Poland to avoid the Nazis, painstakingly retraces their lives and journeys before, during and after the war. At the same time, she weaves in a similar history of her wife, Talia's, family. Both women's grandparents lived in Zamość in eastern Poland, a shared history they discover as they meet in Los Angeles and fall in love.
The book provides historical and geographical context as we follow these families from Poland to Lviv, Ukraine, to the Soviet Gulag, to Central Asian Soviet Republics, to DP camps in Austria and Germany, and finally to the US and Israel. It is particularly striking how so many episodes of their journeys involved chance meetings that were like tiny miracles. Gerson also uncovers the many secrets family members kept to themselves, including the existence of a former spouse and child lost to the Holocaust and the deceptive practices that enabled family members to position themselves for immigration to the US.
The book is long and most engaging in the first two-thirds. The final chapters of post-war travels felt less compelling. Still, the book is a tour de force and an important contribution to the small number of accounts of Polish Jews who went east to avoid the Nazis but still suffered at Stalin's hand.
I was provided an ARC by the publisher via NetGalley.
The book provides historical and geographical context as we follow these families from Poland to Lviv, Ukraine, to the Soviet Gulag, to Central Asian Soviet Republics, to DP camps in Austria and Germany, and finally to the US and Israel. It is particularly striking how so many episodes of their journeys involved chance meetings that were like tiny miracles. Gerson also uncovers the many secrets family members kept to themselves, including the existence of a former spouse and child lost to the Holocaust and the deceptive practices that enabled family members to position themselves for immigration to the US.
The book is long and most engaging in the first two-thirds. The final chapters of post-war travels felt less compelling. Still, the book is a tour de force and an important contribution to the small number of accounts of Polish Jews who went east to avoid the Nazis but still suffered at Stalin's hand.
I was provided an ARC by the publisher via NetGalley.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Did you know that more than a million Jews survived World War II because they fled east into the Soviet Union? I didn't either, nor did the allies who found themselves with more displaced people than they'd ever imagined and nowhere to send them. Known as the Wanderers. their stories are mostly absent from the WWII narrative. When immigration journalist Daniela Gerson met her wife, an immigration attorney, they were surprised to discover that they were both the descendents of Wanderers and that their families had been neighbors in the same Polish town.
Using oral histories, archives and the help of historians in many countries Gerson traces her family's journey from the moment the fateful decision was made to head into the Soviet Union. Those who needed time to think were lost.
There is a lot to learn from The Wanderers and Gerson ia an excellent companion for this journey. The resilience of both families is extraordinary, but I can imagine them shrugging and saying what else were they supposed to do. This is a fine personal story as well as a little known history of surviving the unthinkable.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for a digital review copy of The Wanderers in exchange for an honest review.
Using oral histories, archives and the help of historians in many countries Gerson traces her family's journey from the moment the fateful decision was made to head into the Soviet Union. Those who needed time to think were lost.
There is a lot to learn from The Wanderers and Gerson ia an excellent companion for this journey. The resilience of both families is extraordinary, but I can imagine them shrugging and saying what else were they supposed to do. This is a fine personal story as well as a little known history of surviving the unthinkable.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for a digital review copy of The Wanderers in exchange for an honest review.
April 15, 2026
This book brings to life a rarely told chapter of World War II: the story of refugees who fled Nazi-occupied Poland eastward to the Soviet Union, only to be labeled traitors and sent to the Siberian Gulag. As the granddaughter of a survivor who endured a similar path of deportation to Siberia from Ukraine, hunger, and terrible loss, I found this story surprisingly personal and learned a lot. The writing weaves past and present, drawing on Gerson's work as an immigration journalist. The book offers a moving reminder that when people flee war to survive, nothing is black and white. I especially appreciate a model for preserving our family stories as the last generation of Holocaust survivors fades. It is a meaningful reflection on how family history continues to shape our moral understanding of current events. What I really liked about Gerson's writing is the way her voice showed up with vulnerability as she navigated an unexpected love story with her wife, motherhood with young children, and the inexplicable serendipities of life. It was very touching and relatable.
July 3, 2026
The true stories of Polish Jews surviving the Holocaust by passing as Gentiles, being hidden, or living in the woods has been covered in such depth that it has spawned a legion of historical fiction novels. Less well known is what Daniela Gerson uncovers about her family’s means of survival. Fleeing into the Soviet Union was how the majority of Polish Jews that survived the war made it - even though their survival often depended on getting deported to a Soviet gulag before the Germans showed up.
Gerson digs deep into archival material to trace her family’s journey and to understand what drove it. She also provides personal narrative to bring to life the stateless experience and uncertainty of the post-war years.
It’s a great book that illuminates an important chapter in the history of World War II. But at times it has a few too many “while our children ran around the playground we learned xyz” filler that got a bit repetitive. And it needs a family tree to help us keep tabs on everyone! Maybe the author could add it to her website.
Gerson digs deep into archival material to trace her family’s journey and to understand what drove it. She also provides personal narrative to bring to life the stateless experience and uncertainty of the post-war years.
It’s a great book that illuminates an important chapter in the history of World War II. But at times it has a few too many “while our children ran around the playground we learned xyz” filler that got a bit repetitive. And it needs a family tree to help us keep tabs on everyone! Maybe the author could add it to her website.
July 24, 2026
The author of The Wanderers and her wife are both the descendants of Zamosc Jews, as am I. Most of my family was murdered in the Nazi death camp Belzec in Poland but a few relatives did manage to leave the city of Zamosc with the departing Russians. While I have read many books about the holocaust and WWII, this is the first I have found that tells the story of “the wanderers”, the Jews who survived the war by heading to Russia. It was not an easy journey and life in Russia was bleak and difficult. Many Jews perished in the now Ukraine and Siberia. But it was a far better option than the death camps and concentration camps that awaited the Jews who stayed behind. Daniela’s work in tracking down her family’s story and that of her wife’s family is amazing and I am very appreciative of the glimpse this book gave me of stories similar to those of some of my own family.
August 2, 2026
Daniela shows the importance of her roots and therefore she starts a journalistic journey to follow the footsteps of her family during ww2 in order to survive.At the same time she analyses the origins of conflicts further such as the problems of Jewish people in the Soviet Union and the origins of Israel and the discontent of the Arab population. I love the book . Full of heart and passion.
1- But even if Morton and Paula in the Bronx, and Pepa and Leon in herzliya, would remain on some level outsiders, their refugee children arrived young enough to pass as natives and hungrily pursue the promise of the lands where they came of age. To us, their descendants, they gifted a legacy of belonging
1- But even if Morton and Paula in the Bronx, and Pepa and Leon in herzliya, would remain on some level outsiders, their refugee children arrived young enough to pass as natives and hungrily pursue the promise of the lands where they came of age. To us, their descendants, they gifted a legacy of belonging
April 2, 2026
"The Wanderers" is a very powerful, painful, yet simultaneously light book. It's about exile, losing one's home, memory, and love, and about how that helps you survive even when the world around you is falling apart. This story particularly resonated with me because, living in Ukraine during the war, you acutely feel how fragile security, your native place, and everyday life can be. That's why this book reads not just as a family story or historical research, but as a very human testimony about what it means to hold on to life when you're uprooted. It leaves behind a quiet sadness, but also a sense of strength — the kind passed down through generations.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 30, 2026
interesting story! this book is an excellent combination of investigative journalism, family history/memoir, and history, tracing the family lineage of the author and her wife primarily in the WWII era. this book was heartbreaking while also being inspiring, detailing the lengths humans took to survive in an awful time period. the book is well written and well researched, and was clearly a labor of love! i picked this book up on a whim at my local library and am so glad i did. the dual family stories did make close reading very important to keep track of everyone. great book, would definitely read more by this author in the future!
July 23, 2026
I rarely write a review but had to here. This was a fascinating book that was well written and well researched with the author actually visiting her grandparents home in Poland and the places they lived in upon fleeing the nazis. Her book has motivated me to take another look at my mother’s family who took a similar route as many other polish jews had to do. I only wish that this book had been written ten years before when my mother was still alive so that i could share it with her.
April 3, 2026
This is a detective story, love story, and riveting account of untold and fascinating Holocast history, incredible profiles of real people with their agonizing dilemmas and unpredictable choices in the face of fast-moving political forces, and a deeply moving tale of a modern family discovering who it truly is.
April 4, 2026
Beautifully researched, exquisitely written - now more than ever we need stories that personalize, humanize what it is to survive brutal authoritarian regimes and to remind us of our incredible ancestors who did just that. You can feel the life coursing through this book. Gerson personalizes a subject so often written about from a distance.
June 19, 2026
Although Daniela is one of my mentors and grad school professors, I was still floored by the level of skill and tenacity she exhibited while writing this book. Her investigative and immigration reporting experience rounded out the personal narrative in such a striking way. I’ve never read another book like this, and I feel like I learned so much from it. Could not recommend more!
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
This was a heavy read, well researched. It follows the author and her wife's personal journey to learn more about their ancestors lives, loves and loss during war time. Thank you to Goodreads Giveaways and Central Publishing for the book.
April 14, 2026
The story of the lives of Jewish people living before WWII and then switches back to the present
day as 2 married women, and their children go to Europe to find the stories of their former
relatives Sad story, but very long.
day as 2 married women, and their children go to Europe to find the stories of their former
relatives Sad story, but very long.
July 28, 2026
Emotional journey
As the 74 year old “child” of Polish Holocaust survivors, this book provided parallels especially to my father’s vague history of his life and to both my of parents silence about the Holocaust. It was searing to read at times but I am grateful that I did.
As the 74 year old “child” of Polish Holocaust survivors, this book provided parallels especially to my father’s vague history of his life and to both my of parents silence about the Holocaust. It was searing to read at times but I am grateful that I did.
Review of advance copy received from Publishers Weekly
Superb reporting—both archival and personal. A queer love story with important, overlooked history and a gracious sensibility of the world today. Recommend this one!
May 27, 2026
Fabulous book, taking me around much of the world in search of the truth about Daniela and Talia's family. So fascinating!
June 27, 2026
when you think you know every holocaust story....there is another one....learned so much,,,so very much!!!
August 14, 2026
A Holocaust story from a different perspective.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews