Alex's Wake

September 15, 2014

Goldsmith (Beyond Beards and Burqas) here tells two stories: one of the tragic 1939 journey of Goldsmith's 17-year-old uncle Helmut and his 63-year-old grandfather, Alex, on the ill-fated St. Louis. The ship was turned away from Cuba, Canada, and the United State as its passengers attempted to escape Nazi Germany but had to turn back to Europe. The Goldsmiths spent several years as prisoners in various French internment camps before they were sent to Auschwitz, where they died. The second story is Goldsmith's moving memoir of his own trip that retraced his relatives' awful journey. The author does an excellent job reading his book. His nuanced voice portrays his painful emotional state when visiting the decaying internment camps and his contrasting enjoyment of the bucolic French countryside. VERDICT Highly recommended for memoir and history collections in all libraries.--Ilka Gordon, Aaron Garber Lib., Cleveland

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