Book Review: A Fifty-Year Silence by Miranda Richmond Mouillot

This is the true account of Miranda trying to piece together the story of her grandparents. Miranda's quest started around the time that her grandparents were her mother's parents which meant that they had to have been in the same room together at least a few times in their lives but she could never remember ever seeing them together. In fact, they lived on different continents. Miranda pieces together their story, of surviving the Holocaust and their separate lives as she tries to deduce what exactly made them fall in love and get married and why they separated. She does all of this while living in a rustic house that her grandmother purchased but never lived in. Bits of Miranda's life are weaved in throughout the book.

I am really at odds as to whether I liked this book or not. I enjoyed the content and the intrigue. I think the Holocaust stories are important to be told. The details of her grandparent's life during that time period are harrowing an well written. All together, I felt the book was a bit disjointed but perhaps that was intentional as Miranda often writes of feeling that way and the narratives in themselves often are. Perhaps, I liked the book but didn't like experiencing the disjointed sensation! It is definitely an interesting read and I would recommend it if you like non-fiction.

*I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.