Divided Lives

why didn't tey just lie about being jewish?

The Nazis kept very thorough family records. They knew what everybody's religion was. If you had one parent or grandparent who was Jewish, you were automatically classified as a Jew, even if you were Christian. In some cases, the Nazis would even analyze certain physical attributes to determine if somebody was Jewish. This is all explained in the book.

Fascinating. I never realized that there mixed marriages in Nazi Germany, and of course I am not surprised to learn that Hitler considered the children of these marriages to be less than human. I will definitely read the book. Sounds like it would make a great movie.

Thank you for the comments! I agree with you about the movie.

What a terrific project. A pleasure to meet you. I'm proud we share a name. Cynthia Cranr

I borrowed this book from the library. I am only halfway through, but cannot get it out of my mind. There are many books about the atrocities that took place in the Nazi death camps, but this one is more about families living in a state of political limbo, where they weren't being imprisoned and murdered, but they weren't really free, either. It was an entirely different kind of living hell that these people endured, that most history books do not cover. Fascinating!

This book is an interesting and enlightening read. Can this ever happen again? Unfortunately yes. Any time we refer to a group of people as though they were inferior or expendable, we create a mini holocaust in our hearts. If you hear someone make a disparaging remark about "Jews", "Christians", "Moslems", "Arabs", "Asians", "blacks", "women" etc., please ask that person: "Which Jews, Christians, blacks... are you referring to?"

I have read this book. It is beautifully written; sad, but also uplifting, as it shows the strength of the human spirit, and how families can persevere through the most difficult challenges. I look forward to reading Ms. Crane's next book.