The Postcard by Anne Berest

In this luminous and gripping novel, Anne Berest delves into family secrets, mother-daughter relationships, and the vibrant intellectual and artistic life of twentieth-century Paris. The Postcard is an auto-fictional tale that weaves together history, survival, and identity.

The story begins on a snowy Paris morning in 2003 when Léila, the protagonist’s mother, discovers a mysterious postcard in the mailbox. The postcard bears four names: Ephraim, Emma, Noémie, and Jacques - Léila’s grandfather, grandmother, aunt, and uncle—all of whom perished at Auschwitz. The absence of a signature or explanation prompts Anne, the author, to embark on a quest to uncover her family’s past.

A deeply moving, powerful and quite possibly one the best books you will ever read about the horrors of the Holocaust.