Nana - Miriam Anseline Hoadley

"This is the story of Ruth Widder… my mother. It is particularly poignant to me as it was written by my daughter, Miriam.

"My mother was born in Dusseldorf, Germany in 1922 to a middle class Jewish family. Her father was a major in the Austro-Hungarian Army and fought in World War I for the Germans. Her mother was a nurse in the same army and this is how they met. This story relates what happened to this family after the rise of Hitler, and how the events of that time led to the destruction of the Jewish family unit and ultimate survival of my mother, after enduring the indignities of Theresienstadt and then Auschwitz.

"While reading the first draft of this, it became clear that my mother could talk to my daughter about these events but had difficulty in telling me. Through Miriam I gained insight into the resilient person that my mother became due to her experiences during and after the war."

Judith Sabag

Paperback