After Long Silence

Helen Fremont was raised Catholic only to discover in adulthood that her parents were Jews and Holocaust survivors. This is a remarkable tale of survival, as vivid as fiction but with the eloquence of truth. Helen knew that her father had spent six years in a Siberian Gulag, surviving nearly on will alone; that her mother's elder sister had married an Italian Fascist whose title and connections helped them to survive during the war. But their faith, their legacy as Jews, was kept hidden for decades. After Long Silence is a searching inquiry into the meaning of identity, self, and history. It's about the devastating price of hiding the truth; about the steps we take, foolish or wise, to protect ourselves and our loved ones. No one who reads this book can be left unmoved, or fail to understand the seductive, damaging power of secrets.