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Unearthed: A Lost Actress, a Forbidden Book, and a Search for Life in the Shadow of the Holocaust
A thrilling mystery woven into a beautifully constructed family Meryl Frank’s journey to seek the truth about a beloved and revolutionary cousin, a celebrated actress in Vilna before World War II, and to answer the question of how the next generation should honor the memory of the Holocaust.
As a child, Meryl Frank was the chosen inheritor of family remembrance. Her aunt Mollie, a formidable and cultured woman, insisted that Meryl never forget who they were, where they came from, and the hate that nearly destroyed them. Over long afternoons, Mollie told her about the city, the theater, and, above all else, Meryl’s cousin, the radiant Franya Winter. Franya was the leading light of Vilna’s Yiddish theater, a remarkable and precocious woman who cast off the restrictions of her Hasidic family and community to play roles as prostitutes and bellhops, lovers and nuns. Yet there was one thing her aunt Mollie would never tell how Franya died. Before Mollie passed away, she gave Meryl a Yiddish book containing the terrible answer, but forbade her to read it. And for years, Meryl obeyed.
Unearthed is the story of Meryl’s search for Franya and a timely history of hatred and resistance. Through archives across four continents, by way of chance encounters and miraculous discoveries, and eventually, guided by the shocking truth recorded in the pages of the forbidden book, Meryl conjures the rogue spirit of her cousin—her beauty and her tragedy. Meryl’s search reveals a lost world destroyed by hatred, illuminating the cultural haven of Vilna and its resistance during World War II. As she seeks to find her lost family legacy, Meryl looks for answers to the questions that have defined her what is our duty to the past? How do we honor such memories while keeping them from consuming us? And what do we teach our children about tragedy?
As a child, Meryl Frank was the chosen inheritor of family remembrance. Her aunt Mollie, a formidable and cultured woman, insisted that Meryl never forget who they were, where they came from, and the hate that nearly destroyed them. Over long afternoons, Mollie told her about the city, the theater, and, above all else, Meryl’s cousin, the radiant Franya Winter. Franya was the leading light of Vilna’s Yiddish theater, a remarkable and precocious woman who cast off the restrictions of her Hasidic family and community to play roles as prostitutes and bellhops, lovers and nuns. Yet there was one thing her aunt Mollie would never tell how Franya died. Before Mollie passed away, she gave Meryl a Yiddish book containing the terrible answer, but forbade her to read it. And for years, Meryl obeyed.
Unearthed is the story of Meryl’s search for Franya and a timely history of hatred and resistance. Through archives across four continents, by way of chance encounters and miraculous discoveries, and eventually, guided by the shocking truth recorded in the pages of the forbidden book, Meryl conjures the rogue spirit of her cousin—her beauty and her tragedy. Meryl’s search reveals a lost world destroyed by hatred, illuminating the cultural haven of Vilna and its resistance during World War II. As she seeks to find her lost family legacy, Meryl looks for answers to the questions that have defined her what is our duty to the past? How do we honor such memories while keeping them from consuming us? And what do we teach our children about tragedy?
256 pages, Hardcover
First published April 11, 2023
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556 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
December 28, 2022
I received an ARC of “Unearthed: A Lost Actress, a Forbidden Book, and Search for Life in the Shadow of the Holocaust” from NetGalley and Hachette Books in exchange for an honest review.
I. Could. Not. Put. This. Book. Down. Like Meryl Frank’s family, there has always been things that were not spoken of in my family. I’ve always called them *the family secrets*, but until I read Frank’s book, I realize now that those so-called secrets were just silence; silence born of trauma.
“Unearthed…” is more than just a book about the past. It’s about the present. Bit-by-bit, piece-by-piece, Frank slowly unravels the mysteries at the heart of the book by taking readers onto a journey spanning several decades and around the globe. But she does more than that by extrapolating the past onto the present political milieu, revealing how the human ability to forget, to remain silent, and to lessen the Holocaust affects how we deal with atrocities even today.
I admit that I knew next to nothing about Yiddish theater. Sure, I am familiar with a few writers, but I never knew anything about the actors, set designers, and etc., that played such an important role, either pre-war or during WWII.
This was an amazing book. It read like a mystery. And I have to give it to Frank, there is *no way* that I would have been able to hold onto a book and not read it…ESPECIALLY if someone told me not to. Frank’s ability at self-constraint if far above admirable.
I really recommend this book to everyone. The author is able to seamlessly tie the past with current events so clearly that it’s startling. I hope that this book will appear in libraries across the nation, and that the book will be translated into a variety of different languages, particularly in Lithuanian (and hopefully Yiddish as well!).
I. Could. Not. Put. This. Book. Down. Like Meryl Frank’s family, there has always been things that were not spoken of in my family. I’ve always called them *the family secrets*, but until I read Frank’s book, I realize now that those so-called secrets were just silence; silence born of trauma.
“Unearthed…” is more than just a book about the past. It’s about the present. Bit-by-bit, piece-by-piece, Frank slowly unravels the mysteries at the heart of the book by taking readers onto a journey spanning several decades and around the globe. But she does more than that by extrapolating the past onto the present political milieu, revealing how the human ability to forget, to remain silent, and to lessen the Holocaust affects how we deal with atrocities even today.
I admit that I knew next to nothing about Yiddish theater. Sure, I am familiar with a few writers, but I never knew anything about the actors, set designers, and etc., that played such an important role, either pre-war or during WWII.
This was an amazing book. It read like a mystery. And I have to give it to Frank, there is *no way* that I would have been able to hold onto a book and not read it…ESPECIALLY if someone told me not to. Frank’s ability at self-constraint if far above admirable.
I really recommend this book to everyone. The author is able to seamlessly tie the past with current events so clearly that it’s startling. I hope that this book will appear in libraries across the nation, and that the book will be translated into a variety of different languages, particularly in Lithuanian (and hopefully Yiddish as well!).
May 6, 2023
Unearthed: A Lost Actress, a Forbidden Book, and a Search for Life in the Shadow of the Holocaust by Meryl Frank was a very powerful, thought provoking and inspiring family memoir. Meryl Frank grew up fascinated by the family stories her beloved Aunt Mollie shared with her. As a young girl, Meryl loved going through the family photo albums that contained photos of relatives long since gone. Aunt Mollie had shared so many stories with Meryl about these relatives that Meryl felt like she knew them even though she had never met them. When Aunt Mollie was getting close to the end of her life, she imposed two responsibilities on Meryl. The first one was that Meryl was to be the “memorial candle “ for the family and the second one was that Meryl was to be the keeper of a very old book. It was a book that Meryl had never seen before or had known existed. The book was called, “Twenty-One and One”. Meryl was given explicit instructions from Aunt Mollie that she could never read it.
Those two responsibilities sparked Meryl to begin a journey that would span several decades. Meryl was intent on uncovering the fates and truth about what happened to her family In Lithuania during the Holocaust. It was an extensive journey that took Meryl, her husband and children through Lithuania, England, Paris, Canada and various parts of the United States. Meryl was especially intent on discovering the fate of her celebrated actress cousin, Franya. Meryl’s cousin, Franya, had been a prominent actress in the Yiddish theater before World War II. Meryl was particularly interested in uncovering her story and fate. During Meryl’s quest to uncover her family’s history, she honored her Aunt Mollie’s stipulation and did not read the book, “Twenty-One and One”. Meryl was intent on unearthing the information about her family through her own research, discoveries and leads. Meryl involved her family throughout. The lessons her family, especially her children, learned from her journey and discoveries were invaluable. Meryl lived up to the promise she made to her Aunt Mollie of being “the memorial candle “ for the family. She dug deep into the past but taught invaluable lessons to those of this generation so that the Holocaust would not be forgotten.
I was moved by Meryl Frank’s unrelenting dedication to pursuing the fate of her family during the Holocaust. It must have been such a satisfying feeling for Meryl to ultimately discover the sought after information she so desperately wanted to uncover about her family. Meryl finally put the pieces together that had been lost and buried for all those years. Meeting new relatives that she had not known she had must have been so special as well. The hands on lessons her children learned through her diligent work were so very important as well. The only reason that I didn’t give this memoir five stars was that I felt Meryl Frank delved too much into the detailed information concerning the history of those times. I found those parts a bit cumbersome. Overall, I really enjoyed reading her memoir and will recommend it highly to others.
Thank you to Hachette Books for allowing me to listen to the audiobook of Unearthed: A Lost Actress, a Forbidden Book, and a Search for Life in the Shadow of the Holocaust by Meryl Frank through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Those two responsibilities sparked Meryl to begin a journey that would span several decades. Meryl was intent on uncovering the fates and truth about what happened to her family In Lithuania during the Holocaust. It was an extensive journey that took Meryl, her husband and children through Lithuania, England, Paris, Canada and various parts of the United States. Meryl was especially intent on discovering the fate of her celebrated actress cousin, Franya. Meryl’s cousin, Franya, had been a prominent actress in the Yiddish theater before World War II. Meryl was particularly interested in uncovering her story and fate. During Meryl’s quest to uncover her family’s history, she honored her Aunt Mollie’s stipulation and did not read the book, “Twenty-One and One”. Meryl was intent on unearthing the information about her family through her own research, discoveries and leads. Meryl involved her family throughout. The lessons her family, especially her children, learned from her journey and discoveries were invaluable. Meryl lived up to the promise she made to her Aunt Mollie of being “the memorial candle “ for the family. She dug deep into the past but taught invaluable lessons to those of this generation so that the Holocaust would not be forgotten.
I was moved by Meryl Frank’s unrelenting dedication to pursuing the fate of her family during the Holocaust. It must have been such a satisfying feeling for Meryl to ultimately discover the sought after information she so desperately wanted to uncover about her family. Meryl finally put the pieces together that had been lost and buried for all those years. Meeting new relatives that she had not known she had must have been so special as well. The hands on lessons her children learned through her diligent work were so very important as well. The only reason that I didn’t give this memoir five stars was that I felt Meryl Frank delved too much into the detailed information concerning the history of those times. I found those parts a bit cumbersome. Overall, I really enjoyed reading her memoir and will recommend it highly to others.
Thank you to Hachette Books for allowing me to listen to the audiobook of Unearthed: A Lost Actress, a Forbidden Book, and a Search for Life in the Shadow of the Holocaust by Meryl Frank through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
April 26, 2023
Meryl Frank is second generation Jewish American born, who grew up with a solid attachment to her immediate family and those that were long gone – long gone but not to be forgotten spoken about mainly through stories told by her Aunt Mollie.
Her family originated from the town of Vilna in Lithuania invaded by the Nazis in 1941 and almost completely obliterated.
Meryl is conscripted as the keeper of a forbidden book titled “Twenty-One and One” long hidden away by her Aunt Mollie who passes it on to Meryl at her death. Meryl is not to read the book says Aunt Mollie, but Meryl knows it contains long held secrets of her family history and more specifically about her cousin Franya, an actress, whose death remains a mystery to the family. A time comes when Meryl feels the need to unearth the mystery albeit without breaking the promise to Aunt Mollie and reading the book.
Her quest is a long and arduous one and I do appreciate her journey, this is very much a personal family saga in which the author has included an extensive amount of Vilna history.
In no way do I intend to diminish Meryl’s family history and I am sorry that I found the book a bit slow and over stated with historical data in order to get to Franya’s story.
Her family originated from the town of Vilna in Lithuania invaded by the Nazis in 1941 and almost completely obliterated.
Meryl is conscripted as the keeper of a forbidden book titled “Twenty-One and One” long hidden away by her Aunt Mollie who passes it on to Meryl at her death. Meryl is not to read the book says Aunt Mollie, but Meryl knows it contains long held secrets of her family history and more specifically about her cousin Franya, an actress, whose death remains a mystery to the family. A time comes when Meryl feels the need to unearth the mystery albeit without breaking the promise to Aunt Mollie and reading the book.
Her quest is a long and arduous one and I do appreciate her journey, this is very much a personal family saga in which the author has included an extensive amount of Vilna history.
In no way do I intend to diminish Meryl’s family history and I am sorry that I found the book a bit slow and over stated with historical data in order to get to Franya’s story.
January 23, 2023
✨ BOOK REVIEW ✨
Thank you @merylfrank, @netgalley, and @hachettebooks for the gifted e-arc of UNEARTHED: A Lost Actress, a Forbidden Book, and a Search for Life in the Shadow of the Holocaust
📅: April 11, 2023
I finished this memoir last Thursday, and I am still finding the words to review Meryl Frank’s memoir, which was a manefestation of the search for the truth about her family, heritage, and inter-generational trauma that has usurped her life.
As I began reading her memoir, I kept on thinking about my own research and desire to find and learn more about my family’s history especially during the horrors of the Partition. How were they affected? What happened to them? Why won’t they speak about their experiences to me? As I finished this, I also thought of the books I am concurrently reading, Independence and Brotherless Nights.
Like me, Meryl, too faced similar difficulties. But, her link to her past was her aunt Mollie who is her resource to everything related to her extended family’s stories of horror, hope, survival, and resistance during the Holocaust. However, Mollie informs Meryl that she is forbidden to read the book but preserve it, and makes it her last wish. Driven by the search for the truth, Frank sets out on a journey to learn about her cousin, Franya, a popular Yiddish theatre actress who was a blossoming star at the height of the 1920s-30s before the rise of Third Reich. Through Meryl’s exhaustive research, we learn of the atrocities that occurred in Lithuania. Frank’s unflinching research will also transport the reader as if we are accompanying the journey with her as she seeks the truth about Franya, and learns about her extended family and their fate along the way.
One of the most outstanding gems that she found on her research was called the Paper Brigade of Vilma, which speaks to what Frank calls “the endurance of culture.” This particular moment among others hit me hard, and made me wonder if there were such efforts taken to preserve historical documents that may one day tell the story of the everyday people. Another powerful moment that remains in my mind is when a railway man trespasses into an old building in France slated to be demolished, and finds Franya and others photos hidden in the attic. He chooses to save them until he is ready to donate them to the museum, and ultimately cultivate a relationship with Meryl.
As a reader, I followed Meryl’s research daily, and was so attached to Franya, and Meryl’s journey to become a memoir writer, I had to stop reading and take time before I could face the truth of what happened to her relative, Anya. This memoir is now part of an important canon including Maus, The Girl Who Smiled Beads, and The Choice.
#Unearthed #MerylFrank #HachetteBooks #Netgalley
Thank you @merylfrank, @netgalley, and @hachettebooks for the gifted e-arc of UNEARTHED: A Lost Actress, a Forbidden Book, and a Search for Life in the Shadow of the Holocaust
📅: April 11, 2023
I finished this memoir last Thursday, and I am still finding the words to review Meryl Frank’s memoir, which was a manefestation of the search for the truth about her family, heritage, and inter-generational trauma that has usurped her life.
As I began reading her memoir, I kept on thinking about my own research and desire to find and learn more about my family’s history especially during the horrors of the Partition. How were they affected? What happened to them? Why won’t they speak about their experiences to me? As I finished this, I also thought of the books I am concurrently reading, Independence and Brotherless Nights.
Like me, Meryl, too faced similar difficulties. But, her link to her past was her aunt Mollie who is her resource to everything related to her extended family’s stories of horror, hope, survival, and resistance during the Holocaust. However, Mollie informs Meryl that she is forbidden to read the book but preserve it, and makes it her last wish. Driven by the search for the truth, Frank sets out on a journey to learn about her cousin, Franya, a popular Yiddish theatre actress who was a blossoming star at the height of the 1920s-30s before the rise of Third Reich. Through Meryl’s exhaustive research, we learn of the atrocities that occurred in Lithuania. Frank’s unflinching research will also transport the reader as if we are accompanying the journey with her as she seeks the truth about Franya, and learns about her extended family and their fate along the way.
One of the most outstanding gems that she found on her research was called the Paper Brigade of Vilma, which speaks to what Frank calls “the endurance of culture.” This particular moment among others hit me hard, and made me wonder if there were such efforts taken to preserve historical documents that may one day tell the story of the everyday people. Another powerful moment that remains in my mind is when a railway man trespasses into an old building in France slated to be demolished, and finds Franya and others photos hidden in the attic. He chooses to save them until he is ready to donate them to the museum, and ultimately cultivate a relationship with Meryl.
As a reader, I followed Meryl’s research daily, and was so attached to Franya, and Meryl’s journey to become a memoir writer, I had to stop reading and take time before I could face the truth of what happened to her relative, Anya. This memoir is now part of an important canon including Maus, The Girl Who Smiled Beads, and The Choice.
#Unearthed #MerylFrank #HachetteBooks #Netgalley
November 30, 2023
I’m not giving this book 5 stars because Meryl Frank is my cousin. The book was truly amazing in the history it depicts and how personal this history was to Meryl and her family. I am a cousin on her father’s side, and this memoir was of Meryl’s mom’s side of the family. Having grown up in New Jersey we were very close to my aunt Ricky, Uncle Al, and my Frank cousins. I also knew aunt Mollie, and saw her often growing up whenever we visited my cousins, so every mention of her unique personality drew a smile to my face.
I am so very proud of my cousin, and very impressed too, for all her accomplishments. Mazel tov, Meryl!
I am so very proud of my cousin, and very impressed too, for all her accomplishments. Mazel tov, Meryl!
May 2, 2023
I have never met the author but I have known her sister Cathy for many years.
That be said, this book is devastating and a wonderful accomplishment that I hope gets widely read. Meryl Frank was considered to be the "Memorial Candle" by a maternal aunt and was designated as the keeper of the flame for European family members lost in the holocaust, She is especially enamored of one relative who was a successful actress in the Yiddish theater. Despite a busy professional career, and being a wife and the mother of four young children, the author investigates and determines how this woman lived and died at the hands of the Nazis. In multiple trips to Vilinus/Vilna, Lithuania she uncovers other more distant family members and make new friends by putting her heart and soul into her research. This book is a tremendous accomplishment. Kudos, Meryl Frank- i hope you win every literary award for this astounding work
...Bravo!!!!
That be said, this book is devastating and a wonderful accomplishment that I hope gets widely read. Meryl Frank was considered to be the "Memorial Candle" by a maternal aunt and was designated as the keeper of the flame for European family members lost in the holocaust, She is especially enamored of one relative who was a successful actress in the Yiddish theater. Despite a busy professional career, and being a wife and the mother of four young children, the author investigates and determines how this woman lived and died at the hands of the Nazis. In multiple trips to Vilinus/Vilna, Lithuania she uncovers other more distant family members and make new friends by putting her heart and soul into her research. This book is a tremendous accomplishment. Kudos, Meryl Frank- i hope you win every literary award for this astounding work
...Bravo!!!!
May 1, 2023
Meryl Frank spent many years looking into the history of her family and finding out more about her family members who died during the Holocaust. She was extremely in finding out more about her cousin who was an actress before the war. Her search reveals a lost world destroyed by hatred, illuminating the cultural haven of Vilna and its resistance during World War II. Her two main questions in this book are about how to define our duty to the past and how to make sure that the next generation knows about their past without being consumed by it.
July 9, 2023
Fascinating read about one woman's quest to try to piece together the truth of her family and the infamous theatre cousin, Franya Winter. Meryl took on being the family historian and collected stories and history, as well as being named after her grandmother she always felt a connection to it all due to her aunt Mollie. With the amazing foresight of a stranger, who saved and later shared some long lost photos from the war with a memorial in Paris and this opened the door to Meryl finding more information about this cousin she had become obsessed with, Franya. It is really quite amazing how this came about with Serge finding the photos, keeping them himself for many decades not trusting anyone else and then eventually Meryl being reached out to concerning them. History and genealogy takes years and Meryl has not given up, as well as keeping a promise to her aunt. It is amazing the trips and research she was able to do to uncover all she did about her family and their tumultuous past during the war, but it gives inspiration and hope to others who are still searching for information. This novel was a deep dive in Meryl's family background as well as history pieces of the war. I found it quite intriguing how things were connected and loved that some of the photos were also shared in the novel. Thank you to the author and Wunderkind PR for the free novel. This review is of my own opinion and accord.
May 5, 2023
I received this free ebook from NetGalley.
I was thrilled to receive this book for review. I like to read about the holocaust. Combined with a secret, a well-known actress, and a forbidden book. It sounded too good to resist.
I know you're not to judge a book by its cover, but the cover enhances the story. I love that it features an old time period photo/passport and letters. The cover colors are muted. As a whole it starts the story and makes you wonder who is the woman? and beckons you to open the front cover.
Meryl, the narrator is given a forbidden book at a young age to safe guard. The forbidden book leads Meryl to shocking truths and discovers about Vilna, its culture, the resistance, hate, prejudice, and tragedy. Meryl also tries to locate her cousin, Franya, who prior to WW II was an actress.
Would you open the book? Would you look for answers like Meryl did? What would you do with your memories, the past, and the tragedy?
I was thrilled to receive this book for review. I like to read about the holocaust. Combined with a secret, a well-known actress, and a forbidden book. It sounded too good to resist.
I know you're not to judge a book by its cover, but the cover enhances the story. I love that it features an old time period photo/passport and letters. The cover colors are muted. As a whole it starts the story and makes you wonder who is the woman? and beckons you to open the front cover.
Meryl, the narrator is given a forbidden book at a young age to safe guard. The forbidden book leads Meryl to shocking truths and discovers about Vilna, its culture, the resistance, hate, prejudice, and tragedy. Meryl also tries to locate her cousin, Franya, who prior to WW II was an actress.
Would you open the book? Would you look for answers like Meryl did? What would you do with your memories, the past, and the tragedy?
April 11, 2023
Happy Pub Day 🥳
Today is Pub Day for Unearthed: A Lost Actress, a Forbidden Book, and a Search for Life in the Shadow of the Holocaust. I am so thankful to have received an ARC of this incredibly moving and educational memoir by Meryl Frank. Unearthed was extremely well written and researched. I loved reading about the eccentricities, boldness and bravery of her cousin Franya. I was also impressed how the author was able to uncover the history, secrets and truths of her family. If you enjoy reading about history and want to learn more about the Holocaust then I’d highly recommend you read a copy of Unearthed.
Synopsis:
A thrilling mystery woven into a beautifully constructed family memoir: Meryl Frank’s journey to seek the truth about a beloved and revolutionary cousin, a celebrated actress in Vilna before World War II, and to answer the question of how the next generation should honor the memory of the Holocaust. I finished this book a few weeks ago but I needed to sit on it and process all that I read. It was such a
As a child, Meryl Frank was the chosen inheritor of family remembrance. Her aunt Mollie, a formidable and cultured woman, insisted that Meryl never forget who they were, where they came from, and the hate that nearly destroyed them. Over long afternoons, Mollie told her about the city, the theater, and, above all else, Meryl’s cousin, the radiant Franya Winter. Franya was the leading light of Vilna’s Yiddish theater, a remarkable and precocious woman who cast off the restrictions of her Hasidic family and community to play roles as prostitutes and bellhops, lovers and nuns. Yet there was one thing her aunt Mollie would never tell Meryl: how Franya died. Before Mollie passed away, she gave Meryl a Yiddish book containing the terrible answer, but forbade her to read it. And for years, Meryl obeyed.
@hachettebooks
Many thanks to Hachette Books and Wunderkind PR for my advanced readers copy.
Today is Pub Day for Unearthed: A Lost Actress, a Forbidden Book, and a Search for Life in the Shadow of the Holocaust. I am so thankful to have received an ARC of this incredibly moving and educational memoir by Meryl Frank. Unearthed was extremely well written and researched. I loved reading about the eccentricities, boldness and bravery of her cousin Franya. I was also impressed how the author was able to uncover the history, secrets and truths of her family. If you enjoy reading about history and want to learn more about the Holocaust then I’d highly recommend you read a copy of Unearthed.
Synopsis:
A thrilling mystery woven into a beautifully constructed family memoir: Meryl Frank’s journey to seek the truth about a beloved and revolutionary cousin, a celebrated actress in Vilna before World War II, and to answer the question of how the next generation should honor the memory of the Holocaust. I finished this book a few weeks ago but I needed to sit on it and process all that I read. It was such a
As a child, Meryl Frank was the chosen inheritor of family remembrance. Her aunt Mollie, a formidable and cultured woman, insisted that Meryl never forget who they were, where they came from, and the hate that nearly destroyed them. Over long afternoons, Mollie told her about the city, the theater, and, above all else, Meryl’s cousin, the radiant Franya Winter. Franya was the leading light of Vilna’s Yiddish theater, a remarkable and precocious woman who cast off the restrictions of her Hasidic family and community to play roles as prostitutes and bellhops, lovers and nuns. Yet there was one thing her aunt Mollie would never tell Meryl: how Franya died. Before Mollie passed away, she gave Meryl a Yiddish book containing the terrible answer, but forbade her to read it. And for years, Meryl obeyed.
@hachettebooks
Many thanks to Hachette Books and Wunderkind PR for my advanced readers copy.
January 6, 2023
I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher, for which I thank them.
“Unearthed” is a non-fiction book by Meryl Frank. This book is very much, I would say, a love letter to Ms. Frank’s present and future family - and all those who have family destroyed by the Holocaust. Ms. Frank explains how she came about hearing about a relative who didn’t survive the Holocaust and how, as an adult, she decided to do more digging. As with anyone who has done genealogy research, Ms. Frank explains what she was told and how it matched (or didn’t match) records and how through some luck, some digging, and some help from outsiders she discovered what happened to her family. I knew a little about Yiddish theatre (granted with a UK slant) before reading this book, but for those who don’t know much about it, Ms. Frank explains what it was and how it differs from “traditional” theatre. At it’s heart, this book is obviously deeply personal to Ms. Frank and she should be proud to have documented not only her journey of exploration, but also uncovering what happened to her family members. My one complaint is that except for the front cover, there weren’t any photos in the e-ARC I received - I would’ve loved to have seen a reproduction of one of the posters or a family photo just to get a better idea of how mesmerizing Ms. Frank’s relative was.
“Unearthed” is a non-fiction book by Meryl Frank. This book is very much, I would say, a love letter to Ms. Frank’s present and future family - and all those who have family destroyed by the Holocaust. Ms. Frank explains how she came about hearing about a relative who didn’t survive the Holocaust and how, as an adult, she decided to do more digging. As with anyone who has done genealogy research, Ms. Frank explains what she was told and how it matched (or didn’t match) records and how through some luck, some digging, and some help from outsiders she discovered what happened to her family. I knew a little about Yiddish theatre (granted with a UK slant) before reading this book, but for those who don’t know much about it, Ms. Frank explains what it was and how it differs from “traditional” theatre. At it’s heart, this book is obviously deeply personal to Ms. Frank and she should be proud to have documented not only her journey of exploration, but also uncovering what happened to her family members. My one complaint is that except for the front cover, there weren’t any photos in the e-ARC I received - I would’ve loved to have seen a reproduction of one of the posters or a family photo just to get a better idea of how mesmerizing Ms. Frank’s relative was.
May 11, 2023
I didn't finish this so I can't give it a fair rating. I was expecting this to center on Franya Winter, the Yiddish theater actress who died in the Holocaust, and was the person that the author was trying to find more information on. But the book is much more about the author, her feelings of being the family "memorial candle," and her search for information. I got halfway through and still knew little about Winter so I gave up. Frank's writing style is fine, but the book wasn't what I was expecting.
December 9, 2022
Wow! I could not put this book down. The author really makes the people and places come to life on the page. I’ve already recommended this book to several friends and family members.
January 18, 2024
Today's nonfiction post is on Unearthed: A Lost Actress, a Forbidden Book, and a Search for Life in the Shadow of the Holocaust by Meryl Frank. It is 256 pages long and is published by Hachette Books. The cover is a picture of Franya Winter. The intended reader is someone who is interested in personal histories and the long term affects of the second world war. There is no foul language, no sex, and no violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.
From the dust jacket- A thrilling mystery woven into a beautifully constructed family Meryl Frank’s journey to seek the truth about a beloved and revolutionary cousin, a celebrated actress in Vilna before World War II, and to answer the question of how the next generation should honor the memory of the Holocaust.
As a child, Meryl Frank was the chosen inheritor of family remembrance. Her aunt Mollie, a formidable and cultured woman, insisted that Meryl never forget who they were, where they came from, and the hate that nearly destroyed them. Over long afternoons, Mollie told her about the city, the theater, and, above all else, Meryl’s cousin, the radiant Franya Winter. Franya was the leading light of Vilna’s Yiddish theater, a remarkable and precocious woman who cast off the restrictions of her Hasidic family and community to play roles as prostitutes and bellhops, lovers and nuns. Yet there was one thing her aunt Mollie would never tell how Franya died. Before Mollie passed away, she gave Meryl a Yiddish book containing the terrible answer, but forbade her to read it. And for years, Meryl obeyed.
Unearthed is the story of Meryl’s search for Franya and a timely history of hatred and resistance. Through archives across four continents, by way of chance encounters and miraculous discoveries, and eventually, guided by the shocking truth recorded in the pages of the forbidden book, Meryl conjures the rogue spirit of her cousin—her beauty and her tragedy. Meryl’s search reveals a lost world destroyed by hatred, illuminating the cultural haven of Vilna and its resistance during World War II. As she seeks to find her lost family legacy, Meryl looks for answers to the questions that have defined her what is our duty to the past? How do we honor such memories while keeping them from consuming us? And what do we teach our children about tragedy?
Review- Frank grew up on the stories of family members who were 'lost', as her aunt put it. She couldn't get enough of her family history but there were so many questions that no one had any answers for her. So when her aunt dies and Frank becomes the memory keeper for her family, Frank wants to know more and she begins her search. This is a moving story about a woman looking for her family, the past, and the future of her family. On the way, Frank does not just discover what happened but unknown heroes who saved precious information and family mementos. Frank does not gloss over what happened to her family and other Jews in Vilna but she finds hope in the story and shares that with the reader. I truly enjoyed this book and I found it to be beautiful, hopeful story about family and survival. I would recommend this book.
I give this book a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.
From the dust jacket- A thrilling mystery woven into a beautifully constructed family Meryl Frank’s journey to seek the truth about a beloved and revolutionary cousin, a celebrated actress in Vilna before World War II, and to answer the question of how the next generation should honor the memory of the Holocaust.
As a child, Meryl Frank was the chosen inheritor of family remembrance. Her aunt Mollie, a formidable and cultured woman, insisted that Meryl never forget who they were, where they came from, and the hate that nearly destroyed them. Over long afternoons, Mollie told her about the city, the theater, and, above all else, Meryl’s cousin, the radiant Franya Winter. Franya was the leading light of Vilna’s Yiddish theater, a remarkable and precocious woman who cast off the restrictions of her Hasidic family and community to play roles as prostitutes and bellhops, lovers and nuns. Yet there was one thing her aunt Mollie would never tell how Franya died. Before Mollie passed away, she gave Meryl a Yiddish book containing the terrible answer, but forbade her to read it. And for years, Meryl obeyed.
Unearthed is the story of Meryl’s search for Franya and a timely history of hatred and resistance. Through archives across four continents, by way of chance encounters and miraculous discoveries, and eventually, guided by the shocking truth recorded in the pages of the forbidden book, Meryl conjures the rogue spirit of her cousin—her beauty and her tragedy. Meryl’s search reveals a lost world destroyed by hatred, illuminating the cultural haven of Vilna and its resistance during World War II. As she seeks to find her lost family legacy, Meryl looks for answers to the questions that have defined her what is our duty to the past? How do we honor such memories while keeping them from consuming us? And what do we teach our children about tragedy?
Review- Frank grew up on the stories of family members who were 'lost', as her aunt put it. She couldn't get enough of her family history but there were so many questions that no one had any answers for her. So when her aunt dies and Frank becomes the memory keeper for her family, Frank wants to know more and she begins her search. This is a moving story about a woman looking for her family, the past, and the future of her family. On the way, Frank does not just discover what happened but unknown heroes who saved precious information and family mementos. Frank does not gloss over what happened to her family and other Jews in Vilna but she finds hope in the story and shares that with the reader. I truly enjoyed this book and I found it to be beautiful, hopeful story about family and survival. I would recommend this book.
I give this book a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.
April 28, 2023
This was a really interesting book. I learned a lot about poland and the war and how people can turn against each other. Meryl what's determined to find out what happened to. Named FANNYA. Who was her cousin. This one was very determined because her aunt had this book and she didn't want anybody to read. It was like a journey in the mystery and how family somehow managed to survive the holocaust FANNYA was an actress In the YI TDI SH. Is Theatre in poland. The town name was V O l n a. Poland was divided in two ways between the germans and the russians. A lot of the jews left warsaw because of the german Present. Then the russian army was overtaken by the german soldiers so this became a real hardship for everybody in that town. F a n n y a manage to survive somehow. I learned a lot about this time in history how this woman was tracing her family and she spent a lot of time going over there at France England. And poland. I cannot believe how people the jews turned against their own people. It was a matter of survival but how do you do that to your own people. It was interesting to look at how she was very independent and how she managed to survive.. The holocaust is really hard to talk about bit's really interesting how these stories come out. They had a really wonderful life in this town. Until things became bad and they were forced into it ghetto. Some of the atrocities in this book I don't know how people survive this. I'm saying this was like a mystery because there was a lot of loose ends with her family scattered all over europe. It was interesting how her brother somehow ended up with pictures of her when she went to visi The book survived because people helped them keep the book going. I can't imagine how these people must have felt. This was a really great book and I really liked it. Historical part of it was interesting too how they could go back in time to these museums and look at fanny's past.
April 14, 2023
Unearthed, by Meryl Frank, is a riveting and true Holocaust story. Frank, second-generation American-born, uncovers the heartbreaking facts of the European branch of her family who did not emigrate in time to escape the Nazi march through Europe. Frank’s determined search for the truth begins with a great-aunt who tells her stories of life in Europe before the war, and in particular, of a cousin who was a major star in the Yiddish theater. In some ways this is a "find your roots” saga, but it is also a stark reminder that history is both personal and public. Winston Churchill paraphrased George Santayana when he said, “Those that do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” Frank’s story is intimately personal. Her tenacious research is impressive. Yet, she succinctly ties the events of almost two generations ago to world events of today. While this chronicles one Jewish family, it is a story that will resonate in many countries, cultures, and people. I devoured this book, partly because I wanted, needed, to know what happened to the author’s cousin, and partly because I needed to be reminded of the importance of remembering.
Highly recommend. Thank you to NetGalley, Hachette Books and Meryl Frank for allowing me the opportunity to read a digital ARC. It was my privilege.
Highly recommend. Thank you to NetGalley, Hachette Books and Meryl Frank for allowing me the opportunity to read a digital ARC. It was my privilege.
April 14, 2023
Thank you @hachettebooks and @wunderbookspr for my gifted copy. My thoughts are my own.
“Keep it, and pass it on to your children. But don’t read it.”
This was the directive issued by the author Meryl Frank’s formidable Aunt Mollie when she presented Meryl with a book about 21 Yiddish actors (including the author’s cousin) who were murdered by the Nazis in 1941-1942.
Meryl is curious, but out of respect for her aunt she refrains from reading the book. However, Meryl gets around this by doing her own research to find out what really happened to her cousin, as well as other Jewish families. This research takes years, and the final revelation is… shocking, beyond words.
I enjoy memoirs and I found this book to be fascinating and vey well-written. The author details her research, travel, conversations, and revelations as she pieces together a truth that begins several decades ago, right before WW2. The author describes tragic stories of loss as well as some amazing stories of survival.
Read this if you enjoy:
*memoirs
*true accounts of Holocaust victims and survivors
“Keep it, and pass it on to your children. But don’t read it.”
This was the directive issued by the author Meryl Frank’s formidable Aunt Mollie when she presented Meryl with a book about 21 Yiddish actors (including the author’s cousin) who were murdered by the Nazis in 1941-1942.
Meryl is curious, but out of respect for her aunt she refrains from reading the book. However, Meryl gets around this by doing her own research to find out what really happened to her cousin, as well as other Jewish families. This research takes years, and the final revelation is… shocking, beyond words.
I enjoy memoirs and I found this book to be fascinating and vey well-written. The author details her research, travel, conversations, and revelations as she pieces together a truth that begins several decades ago, right before WW2. The author describes tragic stories of loss as well as some amazing stories of survival.
Read this if you enjoy:
*memoirs
*true accounts of Holocaust victims and survivors
April 21, 2023
I loved this book. Mostly for the history. I am descended from Lithuanians and I did not know half of the history outlined within the book.
HOWEVER, 30% into the book, I kept yelling at the book...JUST READ THE DAMN BOOK ALREADY!
If the author had just read the book, she would have had a deeper appreciation for all that had happened within her family, while searching for her family.
FINALLY about 70% into she reads the book. FINALLY! The worst of what I feared (family were Nazi collaborators) did NOT come true...thank goodness.
I loved the painstakingly detailed approach that she committed to finding her relatives. I loved the thoughts, feelings and her mission to find relatives.
This is a history book, missing person book, and much more. I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to learn more about Lithuania, the Holocaust, families, and research.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me this ARC in exchange for this honest review.
HOWEVER, 30% into the book, I kept yelling at the book...JUST READ THE DAMN BOOK ALREADY!
If the author had just read the book, she would have had a deeper appreciation for all that had happened within her family, while searching for her family.
FINALLY about 70% into she reads the book. FINALLY! The worst of what I feared (family were Nazi collaborators) did NOT come true...thank goodness.
I loved the painstakingly detailed approach that she committed to finding her relatives. I loved the thoughts, feelings and her mission to find relatives.
This is a history book, missing person book, and much more. I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to learn more about Lithuania, the Holocaust, families, and research.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me this ARC in exchange for this honest review.
June 19, 2023
Very good. I learned a lot about the origins of the holocaust in Lithuania. Yes, the holocaust we all learned about a school actually started in Lithuania, but we never learned about that in school. This book followed the seven your journey of the author to discover what happened to her relatives from Lithuania. Very interesting, yet gut wrenching story. She ended the book by pondering how we should deal with our human history, how and how much to share, and how we should react to the violence, hatred, genocide that continues today.
My only disappointment in the book, which, after all was about the Jews and their annihilation in Lithuania, she never mentioned faith in God—the very foundation of the Jewish people.
My only disappointment in the book, which, after all was about the Jews and their annihilation in Lithuania, she never mentioned faith in God—the very foundation of the Jewish people.
March 28, 2024
Unearthed is a beautifully written and important work about the Holocaust. It is a well researched history of author Meryl Frank's family centered mainly around one cousin: famed Yiddish actress Franya Winter. Ms. Frank was forbidden to read a book passed on to her by her aunt which told the story of what happened to Franya. However, being forbidden to read the book prompted her to search out cousin Franya's story by genealogical methods. Ms. Frank's writing makes you feel as though you are with her every step of the way as she unravels the mystery of what happened to Franya and her family. You not only learn the fate of Ms. Frank's family, you also find out if she did, or didn't eventually read the forbidden book.
April 15, 2023
A new kind of Holocaust book that combines the author’s deeply personal search for family lost in the Holocaust with a secondary quest to understand the meaning of evil - then and now. The author is at once lyrical and scholarly. Part detective story and part spiritual quest. In the process of unearthing what happened to one particular relative - the lively, talented actress Franya - scores of others also come to life again, resurrected with precision and passion and love. A beautiful book and treasured contribution for readers interested in historical mystery, genealogy, the Jewish past and rediscovering a lost culture.
July 20, 2023
We read this book for our Book Group. It was a harrowing and fascinating story of searching for the fate of a cousin, a star of Yiddish theater in the 1930s, who disappeared during the Holocaust. The author's Aunt Molly gives her a book written in Yiddish with the admonition to keep it but not to read it. She tries to honor her aunt's request while still researching the topic of the book - the fate of stars of the Yiddish theater after the Nazis took over Vilna (now Vilnius), Lithuania. We are kept in suspense as the author's research unravels parts of the mystery piece by piece. The warmth of human relationships built during the search add to the story.
April 11, 2023
Unearthed
Meryl Frank
This was a very well written memoir about a Jewish family’s past and and unspeakable trauma. Meryl is gifted a family book by her Aunt Mollie and told that she must be the keeper, but never read the book. Meryl goes on a search to unearth the truth about what happened to her family during the holocaust. The focus is mainly on what happened in the town of Vilna which was the center for Yiddish culture and theater. At times it almost read like a mystery.
I would recommend to anyone who enjoys non-fiction.
No rating - as this is a powerful memoir
Meryl Frank
This was a very well written memoir about a Jewish family’s past and and unspeakable trauma. Meryl is gifted a family book by her Aunt Mollie and told that she must be the keeper, but never read the book. Meryl goes on a search to unearth the truth about what happened to her family during the holocaust. The focus is mainly on what happened in the town of Vilna which was the center for Yiddish culture and theater. At times it almost read like a mystery.
I would recommend to anyone who enjoys non-fiction.
No rating - as this is a powerful memoir
June 2, 2023
This book was a detailed explanation of what happened before and during the Holocaust.
It centered on the author's relative who lived in Vilna, Poland before and during the Holocaust.
The relative was an actress. It told the background of the actress' life and what she accomplished. I had no previous knowledge of her life as an actress in Poland and learned a lot about it.
It was an easy to read and I couldn't put it down.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the history of the holocaust and the history of Poland.
It centered on the author's relative who lived in Vilna, Poland before and during the Holocaust.
The relative was an actress. It told the background of the actress' life and what she accomplished. I had no previous knowledge of her life as an actress in Poland and learned a lot about it.
It was an easy to read and I couldn't put it down.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the history of the holocaust and the history of Poland.
May 21, 2023
A thick veil had been drawn between the author and knowing about her ancestors. This is a common occurrence for those of us who lost family during the Holocaust. It is heartbreaking.
In this book, the author searches, travels and finds the facts of the devastating loss of family. The joy of finding living relatives was met with great happiness, yet how much larger this family should have been.
In this book, the author searches, travels and finds the facts of the devastating loss of family. The joy of finding living relatives was met with great happiness, yet how much larger this family should have been.
November 3, 2023
A true family story for decades of search to find out what
actually happened during the Holocaust to Ms Frank’s family.
Her grandmother told her many things about what happened.
She was particularly interested in her cousin Franya who was
a famous actress in the Yiddish theater at Vilna’s Yiddush
theater. A remarkable research over three decades while
the author raised her children and held many high positions
in government.
actually happened during the Holocaust to Ms Frank’s family.
Her grandmother told her many things about what happened.
She was particularly interested in her cousin Franya who was
a famous actress in the Yiddish theater at Vilna’s Yiddush
theater. A remarkable research over three decades while
the author raised her children and held many high positions
in government.
March 8, 2023
I was privileged to read this book via NetGalley. I found it very interesting. Her journey to find out about her actress relative was very engrossing. The book started slowly for my taste but I was hooked quickly and wanted to know more about her relative. I also enjoyed the extended end notes with other areas to explore. If you are interested in the Holocaust this is a must-read. This is part memoir and part mystery.
March 27, 2023
A fascinating and well researched book. Written in a conversational style and structured in a way that highlights the mystery of Frank’s search for information about her murdered family members, it is a compelling, if harrowing, read.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC ebook for my review.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC ebook for my review.
May 15, 2023
Dreadful book. It is the tale of family members mostly lost in the Holocaust, but told so that the main character is the author. The lives of those lost seem like a backdrop so that the author can talk more about herself. Unbelievably narcissistic, which is sad, since the murdered family members appeared to have lived lives worth memorializing.
July 6, 2023
So personal and so enthralling. So many people have asked me why Jews, who represent only about 2% of the US population, are so over represented in groups trying to protect the less advantaged of the world. Read this book and you will understand. The righteous French gentile, Serge’s mother had the perfect answer “ because they knocked”.
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