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Inheritance: Love, Loss, and the Legacy of the Holocaust
After his mother’s death, Charlie Scheidt discovered a trove of historic documents that set him on a decade-long journey to uncover his family’s hidden past during the Holocaust. Joined by Kat Rohrer, the granddaughter of a Nazi officer, Scheidt embarked on a quest to trace his family’s harrowing efforts to escape from Nazi-occupied Europe. As they investigated, they uncovered stories of survival and loss. Their journey takes them across generations and continents, revealing a legacy of love, loss, and resilience. Grappling with questions about the long-lasting effects of inherited trauma, the book asks whether it is possible to break free of a familial cycle. This memoir, rooted in his family’s escape and the lasting trauma that followed, is a powerful reflection on history’s enduring scars, the importance of remembrance, and healing across generations.
“A profound exploration of complex familial, national, and political ties, made starkly real by the letters and records that bring ordinary people—who lived through extraordinary terror—to vivid life.” —Publishers Weekly
“Powerful, poignant… vivid and intimate… an excellent contribution to the ever-growing canon of memoirs focused on the post-Holocaust generations, post-Holocaust intergenerational trauma, and the Jewish story.” —U.S. Review of Books
“A profound exploration of complex familial, national, and political ties, made starkly real by the letters and records that bring ordinary people—who lived through extraordinary terror—to vivid life.” —Publishers Weekly
“Powerful, poignant… vivid and intimate… an excellent contribution to the ever-growing canon of memoirs focused on the post-Holocaust generations, post-Holocaust intergenerational trauma, and the Jewish story.” —U.S. Review of Books
244 pages, Hardcover
Published March 10, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
January 30, 2026
This book feels like the dairy of a man digging in to his family’s past. I appreciated his journey to understanding how his family survived during WW2.
Some things that were hard for me:
-I read this as an ARC on my kindle and the formatting was terrible. There were huge gaps in the middle of paragraphs and random numbers throughout, often in the middle of sentences. This was constantly taking me out of the story unfortunately. I imagine it will get fixed for publishing, but I know this had an impact on my reading experience.
-There were a lot of different family members’ stories and I struggled to keep all the sales straight. The acknowledges that it was hard for him too when exploring his history but there was a lot of “Which Georg is this?” going on in my head while I was reading.
I think it’s amazing that this man was able to learn so much about his family’s history and it’s a valuable thing to have it all written down.
Some things that were hard for me:
-I read this as an ARC on my kindle and the formatting was terrible. There were huge gaps in the middle of paragraphs and random numbers throughout, often in the middle of sentences. This was constantly taking me out of the story unfortunately. I imagine it will get fixed for publishing, but I know this had an impact on my reading experience.
-There were a lot of different family members’ stories and I struggled to keep all the sales straight. The acknowledges that it was hard for him too when exploring his history but there was a lot of “Which Georg is this?” going on in my head while I was reading.
I think it’s amazing that this man was able to learn so much about his family’s history and it’s a valuable thing to have it all written down.
June 25, 2026
Inheritance: Love, Loss, and the Legacy of the Holocaust is a beautiful and inspiring book. What stands out most is the way Charlie Scheidt weaves together his family's difficult story — reaching back through generations — with his own journey alongside his co-author Kat Rohrer as they uncover those histories together. The book connects personal narrative, historical reality, and reflection on what that discovery meant, all while illuminating the hardships faced by millions during one of the most difficult periods in world history. It also allows us to understand how the consequences of such hardship ripple through the lives of entire families across generations.
One of the most moving aspects of the book is its origin: as his mother lay dying, she quietly pointed him to a cache of family papers and letters from the war years she had kept hidden and unspoken her entire life. After her death, Scheidt found himself holding over a thousand pages of documents revealing a history of flight, exile, and survival — and yet, he was not ready to begin that journey. It would take another twenty years before he felt the time had come. That long, patient path toward looking back, and what that process entails, gives the book a rare and profound emotional depth.
The resulting combination is very powerful. It bridges history and lived experience in a way that deeply resonates, and it carries tremendous pedagogical value in helping readers — especially younger generations — understand and connect with the kinds of issues that matter most in our world today. While Holocaust memoirs are well known, accounts that center on the experience of flight, exile, and displacement — and especially the silence and unspoken weight those experiences left on subsequent generations — are less commonly found in this intimate, intergenerational format. This book fills that space with honesty, depth, and great human sensitivity.
This is especially relevant at a moment when forced migration is at a historic peak, and threats to vulnerable groups are rising around the world. Its relevance extends well beyond a family story, becoming a broader reflection on what we owe to those who came before us, and on our responsibility toward those who suffer displacement and injustice today. In that sense, it is not only a memoir about the past — it is a call to sit with difficult stories, to let them cultivate empathy, and to move us toward action in the present.
Books like this one are essential tools for education, helping ensure that the lessons of the Holocaust are not forgotten and that new generations are better equipped to recognize, resist, and prevent similar tragedies from happening again.
Above all, it is a deeply human and inspiring book that will resonate with readers long after they finish the last page.
One of the most moving aspects of the book is its origin: as his mother lay dying, she quietly pointed him to a cache of family papers and letters from the war years she had kept hidden and unspoken her entire life. After her death, Scheidt found himself holding over a thousand pages of documents revealing a history of flight, exile, and survival — and yet, he was not ready to begin that journey. It would take another twenty years before he felt the time had come. That long, patient path toward looking back, and what that process entails, gives the book a rare and profound emotional depth.
The resulting combination is very powerful. It bridges history and lived experience in a way that deeply resonates, and it carries tremendous pedagogical value in helping readers — especially younger generations — understand and connect with the kinds of issues that matter most in our world today. While Holocaust memoirs are well known, accounts that center on the experience of flight, exile, and displacement — and especially the silence and unspoken weight those experiences left on subsequent generations — are less commonly found in this intimate, intergenerational format. This book fills that space with honesty, depth, and great human sensitivity.
This is especially relevant at a moment when forced migration is at a historic peak, and threats to vulnerable groups are rising around the world. Its relevance extends well beyond a family story, becoming a broader reflection on what we owe to those who came before us, and on our responsibility toward those who suffer displacement and injustice today. In that sense, it is not only a memoir about the past — it is a call to sit with difficult stories, to let them cultivate empathy, and to move us toward action in the present.
Books like this one are essential tools for education, helping ensure that the lessons of the Holocaust are not forgotten and that new generations are better equipped to recognize, resist, and prevent similar tragedies from happening again.
Above all, it is a deeply human and inspiring book that will resonate with readers long after they finish the last page.
April 4, 2026
A harrowing, emotional and heartfelt memoir about journeying to learn about the author's family before, during and after the holocaust. It is the story of his family's escape as refugees fleeing the Nazis and equally the story of doing the research and writing this book -15 years in the making. There are family photos throughout which really added to the humanity of the story. It starts with a preface on why these stories matter and still relevant to today. The introduction describes a man, a Jewish business owner in Frankfort who escapes from the Nazi's before he will be arrested and leaves everything behind (his family, his fiancee, his business). In the last sentence, we learned it is the author's father -- well, I started crying and of course was completely pulled into/invested in the story. In his elderly mother's bedroom was an armoire and as she was declining she told him there were letters hidden in a drawer and this became the start of his long journey to understand more. He had retired as CEO from the company his father had founded in America (after losing his business in Germany) so he could finally devote himself to going on this years long journey of discovery. By physically visiting and retracing his family's history and steps, he discovered incredible facts and people who knew his family and it really helped flesh out the details. We also learn about the blemished history of the US in terms of Jewish refugees - from the bureaucratic hurdles and not timely lifting of quotas even though promised. But two American officials stand out as heroes -- Myles Standish and Hiram Bingham IV, stationed at US consulate in Marseilles, defied orders and sped up the emigration process by signing 2500 emergency visas and this action saved the lives of Marc Chagall, Hannah Arendt, Max Ernst, and the author's grandparents! The book also does not shy away from the impacts of misreading motivations of relatives (he misread his uncle's motivations/actions during the war) and describes how generational trauma (blame/shame) impacts families. He became close to his Aunt Lilo who survived the concentration camps and when she moved to California - it was as if her sisters were allergic to her pain. At the end of the book, is a memoriam for other family members. This was extremely well-written and I could not not put it down. Just a beautiful book and I am so glad the author shared his research and story. I highly recommend it!
Thank you to Netgalley and Rutgers University Press for an ARC and I voluntarily left this review.
Thank you to Netgalley and Rutgers University Press for an ARC and I voluntarily left this review.
April 11, 2026
*Inheritance: Love, Loss, and the Legacy of the Holocaust* is a remarkable and deeply affecting exploration of family history across generations shaped by the Holocaust. What makes this memoir so compelling is not only the careful reconstruction of events, but the author’s sensitivity to how trauma, silence, and moral complexity are carried forward within families over time.
Charlie Scheidt brings to life the intertwined stories of his relatives with nuance, empathy, and great care together with his co-author and co-researcher Kat Rohrer. He does not simplify or judge. Instead, he allows the tensions, contradictions, and difficult emotions to remain visible, which gives the narrative its honesty and depth. The gray areas of human experience are at the center of this book, and that is where it is most powerful.
I was particularly struck by the portrayal of childhood awareness, the sense of something unspoken yet deeply present, and the quiet understanding that certain questions could not be asked. These moments feel authentic and deeply familiar, and they open a path into the larger family history with great emotional precision.
A particularly moving thread is the theme of responsibility as it unfolds over the course of a life. It emerges poignantly in the Bar Mitzvah scene and later in life, when, after pursuing his own path in international law, the author chooses to take over the family business following his father’s sudden passing, out of a deep sense of responsibility towards his family. These moments give the narrative an added emotional and ethical dimension, showing how inheritance is not only about the past, but also about the obligations one carries forward.
The memoir is as much about discovery as it is about inheritance in the fullest sense, what we receive, consciously or not, from those who came before us. The author’s effort to gather fragments of memory, silence, and archival traces into a coherent narrative is both intellectually serious and emotionally courageous.
What stayed with me most is the humanity of this book. It speaks not only to the past, but also to the present, reminding us of the importance of empathy for refugees and displaced people today. In this way, it extends beyond a family story and becomes a broader reflection on responsibility, memory, and understanding.
A powerful, thoughtful, and deeply human memoir that will stay with the reader.
Charlie Scheidt brings to life the intertwined stories of his relatives with nuance, empathy, and great care together with his co-author and co-researcher Kat Rohrer. He does not simplify or judge. Instead, he allows the tensions, contradictions, and difficult emotions to remain visible, which gives the narrative its honesty and depth. The gray areas of human experience are at the center of this book, and that is where it is most powerful.
I was particularly struck by the portrayal of childhood awareness, the sense of something unspoken yet deeply present, and the quiet understanding that certain questions could not be asked. These moments feel authentic and deeply familiar, and they open a path into the larger family history with great emotional precision.
A particularly moving thread is the theme of responsibility as it unfolds over the course of a life. It emerges poignantly in the Bar Mitzvah scene and later in life, when, after pursuing his own path in international law, the author chooses to take over the family business following his father’s sudden passing, out of a deep sense of responsibility towards his family. These moments give the narrative an added emotional and ethical dimension, showing how inheritance is not only about the past, but also about the obligations one carries forward.
The memoir is as much about discovery as it is about inheritance in the fullest sense, what we receive, consciously or not, from those who came before us. The author’s effort to gather fragments of memory, silence, and archival traces into a coherent narrative is both intellectually serious and emotionally courageous.
What stayed with me most is the humanity of this book. It speaks not only to the past, but also to the present, reminding us of the importance of empathy for refugees and displaced people today. In this way, it extends beyond a family story and becomes a broader reflection on responsibility, memory, and understanding.
A powerful, thoughtful, and deeply human memoir that will stay with the reader.
March 23, 2026
Scheidt has written a non-fiction page-turner. Even though it’s about his own family, and the particular facts are specific to his family, the story has helped fill in some of the big-picture gaps in my knowledge of my own family’s emigration from WWII Germany. Though the book is about history, sub rosa, it serves an important purpose as one cannot help but draw cautionary parallels to our current political climate and wonder: Could this happen here? The book also serves as a convincing reminder to any of us whose elders are still alive. We hesitate to ask them about the past, perhaps out of fear that reliving the past may be upsetting, or perhaps magically hoping that postponing the conversations will guarantee that they don’t pass away. But for sure, they will. Every page Scheidt writes reminds us that we should seize the moment now to hear the stories, first-hand, with all the nuance, richness, and emotion that comes from hearing them directly, so that we don’t have to piece them together later from letters and passports stored in a drawer. We can still have the heart-felt adventure and discovery the author experienced retracing footsteps, reading documents, and reliving moments, without the struggle and uncertainty.
May 26, 2026
Perhaps the best way to tell a big story, the Holocaust, immigration, is by telling a family story. I found that to be true in this book, one of the best memoirs on this period that I have read. I could see the full spectrum: from life force to tragedy, in this readably written book. "See" is the right word, because what makes it unique is that it is filled with family photos and quotes from letters. I don't know of another family who was able to smuggle out their personal files like this. You know how in Austerlitz, Sebald includes random photos that somehow make the story richer? This may be even better, because it contains real photos of the people I was reading about just in their daily life: standing next to a bike, doing homework. The book is in the category of “Genocide Studies, and Human Rights, and Immigration Rights” and that’s true but it’s so well written, so naturally written, and the author really lets you into his family as though you were at the table with them…and they tell you a story.
March 20, 2026
Charlie Scheidt’s Inheritance is a wonderful book. It combines serious research, powerful writing, and a boatload of love for the author’s family and the lost Jewish community of pre-war Europe. The book is a personal memoir, tracing the author’s initial reluctance to face his family’s history and his emotional response to the people and places he discovered during his long investigation. But it is much more than a memoir. Inheritance is also an eye-opening study of the Nazi years in Germany, Holland and France, told through the life-and-death decisions made by the author’s relatives as they struggled to survive. Reading the family’s letters, you experience their fear and resilience in their own words. The result is a powerful testament to the victims of the Holocaust and their descendants.
May 17, 2026
Charlie Scheidt's Inheritance is a remarkable story remarkably told. Growing up in New York, the author learned late in his mother's life of a trove of letters that she had saved dating back to the time of the Holocaust. Scheidt eventually delved into those letters, and with the help of a German woman - Kat Roher, who had ancestors with Nazi affiliation - traveled throughout Europe to retrace the steps of his parents and aunts and uncles who were trying to flee persecution and ultimately genocide. What emerges is on one hand a story of survival in desperate times -- something that applied for refugees then, before then, and ever since. And on the other hand, it stands as a loving portrait of a family that endured horrific pressures, suffered great losses, but persisted as a source of the strongest of human bonds. A compelling and ultimately reaffirming read.
May 25, 2026
A Unique Holocaust Memoir
From the harrowing account of his father’s daring escape to the United States from Germany in 1933, through the vicissitudes endured by the rest of his assimilated, well-to-do Jewish family, Charlie Scheidt, inspired by a trove of letters discovered after his mother's death, draws us into a compelling narrative that features disruptions, displacements, and much deprivation, but which almost always ends in survival and relocation, rather than death in the camps.
We learn of bon vivant Uncle Max, who clings to his belief that their German-ness guarantees his and his wife’s safety in Europe until it is almost impossible to leave, and Aunt Lilo, whose insistence on keeping her daughter by her side in Amsterdam, leads to disaster.
Evocative photos scattered throughout bring these and other colorful characters to life. A riveting read.
From the harrowing account of his father’s daring escape to the United States from Germany in 1933, through the vicissitudes endured by the rest of his assimilated, well-to-do Jewish family, Charlie Scheidt, inspired by a trove of letters discovered after his mother's death, draws us into a compelling narrative that features disruptions, displacements, and much deprivation, but which almost always ends in survival and relocation, rather than death in the camps.
We learn of bon vivant Uncle Max, who clings to his belief that their German-ness guarantees his and his wife’s safety in Europe until it is almost impossible to leave, and Aunt Lilo, whose insistence on keeping her daughter by her side in Amsterdam, leads to disaster.
Evocative photos scattered throughout bring these and other colorful characters to life. A riveting read.
March 19, 2026
I had the privilege of reading *Inheritance* by Charlie Scheidt ahead of its release, and it left a lasting impression. This is far more than a historical account—it’s an intimate, beautifully told story of one family’s escape from Nazi-controlled Europe, filled with resilience, love, and extraordinary courage.
As someone originally from Germany, this book resonated with me on an especially personal level. It brings history out of the abstract and into sharp, human focus, reminding us of the real lives behind the events we think we know.
Knowing Charlie makes the experience even more meaningful—his voice is thoughtful, sincere, and deeply respectful of the story he is telling.
A moving, important, and unforgettable read. I highly recommend it.
As someone originally from Germany, this book resonated with me on an especially personal level. It brings history out of the abstract and into sharp, human focus, reminding us of the real lives behind the events we think we know.
Knowing Charlie makes the experience even more meaningful—his voice is thoughtful, sincere, and deeply respectful of the story he is telling.
A moving, important, and unforgettable read. I highly recommend it.
July 9, 2026
A moving and well-researched account of the author's family's escape from Nazi Europe. This joins a group of other friends' accounts of their Jewish families' histories, including Mark Linder's "Angels Always Come on Time, " about his father's childhood in pre-Israel Palestine; Rabbi Peter Schweitzer's "Dear Uli," about his father's solo move to NYC from Berlin at the age of 16 in 1937; Eleanor Reissa's "The Letters Project" based on her father's 1949 letters to her mother from Stuttgart after surviving Auschwitz; and Eva Richter's "Seeking Home" about her early years in the 1930s and 40s in Tiensin, China, where her parents fled to from Germany in 1934 because they were able to practice medicine there.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Inheritance is a deeply moving and thoughtfully written memoir that tells an extraordinary family story with great care and honesty. Using letters, documents, and years of research, Charlie Scheidt traces his family’s journey through Nazi Europe in a way that feels intimate and real. I was especially intrigued by how the book connects past and present, showing how history continues to shape later generations. The author’s personal reflections add depth without ever overshadowing the historical story. It’s engaging, meaningful, and stayed with me long after I finished it. I highly recommend it!
April 16, 2026
“INHERITANCE…” is an extremely moving description of one family’s journey from a promising and successful middle class life through the trauma of Hitler’s planned eradication of the Jewish population. At first the suspicion and disbelief that this was their fate. Then the fraction within the society and the ultimate choices that had to be made. The lifesaving risks and the dependence and trust of family and friends is a constant theme until the fortunate transition to the United State where Democracy made a new life possible. A most personal and cogent book that everyone who wants to understand the nature of fear and hope will appreciate.
Read
March 28, 2026Scheidt and Rohrer illustrate a tender exploration of a family's internal and external struggles as they navigate avoiding assured death during World War II. References to a trove of family letters, pictures and documents, as well as the travels of the authors and the individuals they meet brings life to upsetting circumstances. The narrative demands the reader to consider what approach to take faced with current events, that of Bruno (action), Max (denial) or Lilo (stubborn hope)!
September 20, 2026
Inheritance is a well-crafted, gripping, and moving book, hard to put down. Charlie traces his family's flight from Nazi persecution, alongside the research trip he and Kat took to piece the story together and retrace their family's path. But the book reaches beyond one family's history, its questions about memory and belonging feel especially urgent today. As Franco-Germans, we're glad and honored to have crossed paths with Charlie and Kat in Normandy along the way.
Julia & François
Julia & François
Review of advance copy received from Author
The book balances historical research with family history and personal reflection. The narrative moves between past and present, showing not only what happened to Scheidt's family but also what it means for a descendant to inherit that history as he pieces together their lives.
April 23, 2026
This book was exceptional. A very powerful and compelling story of how a family navigated through one of the worst periods in history. A huge thanks to Charlie for having the courage, energy and passion to research his family’s past and share it with the world.
May 5, 2026
Wow--what a story ---what a great read about not only the holocaust but the family dynamics of the Scheidt family. A true page turner and with great in-depth research to bring a very important part of history to light
August 20, 2026
A personal and loving family history of tragedy and survival
A loving, heartbreaking and deeply personal examination of one man’s family’s struggles to survive the tragic reality of life for the Jews of 1930s Germany.
March 25, 2026
A true masterpiece ! One to share with family and friends . The story needed to be told
March 27, 2026
This was an incredible story that I think everyone should read and it is beautifully written!
May 29, 2026
An emotional genealogy , biography, memoir. Great writing and detail .You will have tears of joy for those that survived, tears for their hardship and tears for those who didn't survive.
July 11, 2026
Truly a beautifully written story..I truly enjoyed reading it! Makes you reflect on life during that time.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews