The Last Letter: A Father's Struggle, a Daughter's Quest, and the Long Shadow of the Holocaust

Legacies of War

by Karen Baum Gordon

Born a German Jew in 1915, Rudy Baum was eighty-six years old when he sealed the garage door of his Dallas home, turned on the car ignition, and tried to end his life. After confronting her father’s attempted suicide, Karen Baum Gordon, Rudy’s daughter, began a sincere effort to understand the sequence of events that led her father to that dreadful day in 2002. What she found were hidden scars of generational struggles reaching back to the camps and ghettos of the Third Reich. In The Last A Father’s Struggle, a Daughter’s Quest, and the Long Shadow of the Holocaust , Gordon explores not only her father’s life story, but also the stories and events that shaped the lives of her grandparents—two Holocaust victims that Rudy tried in vain to save in the late 1930s and early years of World War II. This investigation of her family’s history is grounded in eighty-eight letters written mostly by Julie Baum, Rudy’s mother and Karen’s grandmother, to Rudy between November 1936 and October 1941. In five parts, Gordon examines pieces of these well-worn, handwritten letters and other archival documents in order to discover what her family experienced during the Nazi period and the psychological impact that reverberated from it in the generations that followed. Part of the Legacies of War series, The Last Letter is a captivating family memoir that spans events from the 1930s and Hitler’s rise to power, through World War II and the Holocaust, to the present-day United States. In recreating the fatal journeys of her grandparents and tracing her father’s efforts to save them an ocean away in America, Gordon discovers the forgotten fragments of her family’s history and a vivid sense of her own Jewish identity. By inviting readers along on this journey, Gordon manages to honor victim and survivor alike and shows subsequent generations—now many years after the tragic events of World War II—what it means to remember.

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction, Holocaust, History, World War II, Biography, Audiobook

320 pages, Paperback

Published November 23, 2021

Reviews

[Dem · Rating 4 out of 5]

In The Last Letter: A Father’s Struggle, a Daughter’s Quest, and the Long Shadow of the Holocaust, Karen explores not only her father’s life story, but also the stories and events that shaped the lives of her grandparents—two Holocaust victims that Rudy tried in vain to save in the late 1930s and early years of World War II.

This was such an interesting book for me and while I have read so many books on the Holocaust I am still forever learning. This memoir stands out as the author has done impeccable research but with such dignity. I felt like I knew her family by the end of this book and even walked the streets of Frankfurt with Karen.

I thought this book was so interesting from the father’s viewpoint, his struggle with guilt and how he coped during and after the war.

I listened to this one on audible and really enjoyed the narration.

[Umar Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Using letters from her father, archival material, and travel to Germany and Poland, Karen Baum Gordon is able to put together some pieces of her family puzzle. The books begins with her elderly father attempting suicide. Although he was fortunate to get out of Germany, find a loving wife in St Louis, serve as an officer in the US Army in WWII, and successfully raise a family in Dallas, the trauma of the Holocaust, and the loss of his parents, never left him. This book most reminds me of When Time Stopped by Arianna Neumann (a Venezuelan woman telling the story of her Holocaust survivor father) in that Baum Gordon relies on letters from her father; but the ending also is somewhat similar to I Want You to Know We're Still Here by Esther Safran Foer. As we are closely approaching a time when no Holocaust survivors will be alive it'll be up to their children and future generations to share their stories and I appreciate these efforts.

[K Kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Last Letter by Karen Baum Gordon tells the story of one family's suffering and destruction as a result of the Nazi regime, based upon letters and historical archives. What I found most interesting was the first-person display of how some Jews in Germany chose to ignore or deny what was happening around them until it was too late to escape. These letters and the author's writings made it so clear how badly humans want to be safe, and rely on societal structures for safety--but those structures are all-together too easily destroyed. A sad tale overall, but in telling it, the author brings her grandparents and father into the light.

[Jennifer Laverdiere · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a powerful read and I absolutely could not put it down. The Last Letter is a story about a woman's search for the truth. Karen so beautifully weaves details throughout the novel with letters written by her family, making it uniquely structured and interesting to read. Her tenacity is seen as she works tirelessly to understand her father's struggle, find her family's roots, and eventually the truth of her grandparents' fate during the Holocaust. I especially enjoyed the part in which she traveled with her sons to Germany, and passed the knowledge of her family's story onto them. What a touching and thought provoking novel, thank you for sharing your story with us Karen.

[Sharyn Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Personal account of the long term impact of the Holocaust on one woman and her family. If you know little about the Final Solution or if you are deep into the subject, you will love this book as it gives the history through a personal lens. It also touches on a subject that is not often addressed viz the Holocaust: what are the long term, generational impacts to survivors and their families. Highly recommend it.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting account of the aftermath of the holocaust, and its cost to survivors as well as future generations.

A friend of mine was upset when her daughter brought up generational trauma - she cut off the conversation insisting it wasn't real. I wish I'd been able to get her daughter alone to support her in her need of recognition and pain, as well as confusion and wondering. So many secrets we all hold.. They really don't help us.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing read! So many books i have read that speak about the Holocaust, don't always speak of the survivors guilt that so many people feel. This book was insightful, incredibly written and heartwrencing to read. My heart hurts for what this poor father went through but I'm so happy the daughter was able to find relatives and peace. Great read! Highly recommend!!

[Tom Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book that is perfectly timed as the presence of evil becomes more intrusive. What coomes to mind is the power of good, the power of resilience and the words of Maya Angelo:
"Leaving behind nights of terror and fear
I rise
Into a daybreak that’s wondrously clear
I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise
I rise
I rise."

[Barbara Dutton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why don’t audiobook narrators find out how to pronounce Hebrew (or an other language) words when they narrate an ethnic book? So frustrating!


Excellent book. Incredible detail.

Humans are inherently awful. Especially Nazis …. And so are trumpers. We had better watch out - we are turning into Nazi germany. Slowly but surely…..

[Jrobert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audiobook. 3.5⭐️ enjoyed this book as it traced the writers grandparents and father before during and after WW2. She used letters her grandmother wrote to her father after they had sent him to the US just prior to the war. The readers ability to speak German enhanced the reading of these letters. Thanks for the recommendation pal.

[Ana-Maria Bujor · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sensitive book that shows how tragedy is processed by several generations. While I have read quite a bit on the topic, this book feels like something else due to the letters included in it - it is totally different to feel the events together with the people caught in them. The last part, the travelogue, lost me a bit, but I see why it was necessary as a closing of the story.

[Thomas Mihalchick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very moving

Neither German nor Jewish, I was moved by the journey taken by the author's family. This isn't the type of book i usually read but something about the premise called to me.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well written book. I learned a lot about the Holocaust and how Jews were treated in Germany. Pretty sickening. This was written with a lot of empathy and feeling. Makes me want to go see all the sites.

[Morgan Hogue · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up

[Linda Bakst · Rating 4 out of 5]

As my family can attest, the Holocaust does indeed shed a long shadow. This book is an interesting exploration of one family's history.

[Audri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a moving book. There are a lot of facts and statistics in this book, but I enjoyed learning things about the Holocaust I didn't know. This is one of those books that stay with you.

[Esther Dushinsky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audiobook

[dawn kazar · Rating 5 out of 5]

very good book

Amazing journey into finding her family’s past. I am glad and impressed she was able to find out as much as she did. I hope it adds to the healing process for all Jews.