THE POSTCARD

“Looking back, everyone wondered why they hadn’t reacted sooner, when there had been so much time to do so … But it was too late now.”
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The Postcard is a powerful autobiographical novel documenting the lives of the author’s family members who perished in Auschwitz, and unraveling the mystery of an anonymous postcard bearing their names. Anne has known about the Holocaust her entire life, but because of her surviving family’s trauma, was given no spiritual or cultural Jewish identity. When Anne’s daughter experiences an antisemitic incident at school, she begins to question what it means to be Jewish, and starts an investigation into the story behind the postcard. Enlisting her reluctant mother to reveal long buried secrets from occupied France, this book’s exploration of antisemitism is more timely now than ever.
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The Postcard includes a pivotal scene at a Passover seder, where Anne is challenged to consider what her Jewish identity means to her, as the host warns Anne that many want Jews to “disappear.” This is a somber book for somber times, with a structure that vacillates between novel and memoir. It’s impossible to ignore the parallels of this book to the dramatic worldwide rise of antisemitism and the perils of complacency. I know some readers who have said they don’t need “another Holocaust book” - but trust me, The Postcard is so much more. It reminds us of the power of bearing witness, the legacy of family memories, and the myriad ways there are to be Jewish.
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Let’s make some matzoballs together! I’m sorry but I am so over making fancy matzoballs from scratch because nothing beats Manischewitz. They are delicious and easier to make than saying “gefilte fish” ten times fast! Happy Passover, Chag Sameach, Zissen Pesach - choose your favorite wish and that’s what I’m sending back to you. Wishing you a safe, happy and meaningful holiday! ❤️