The Watchmaker's Daughter: A Memoir (2012) - Plot & Excerpts
This is an amazing book that is well worth reading! It held my interest to the last page and did not disappoint. I can well imagine that this story echoes many other immigrant experiences post-WWII. Sonia Taitz is the daughter of Holocaust survivors. Her parents were Lithuanian Jews who were among the few to escape the German concentration camps. As immigrants to America, they lived in New York City where her father was a master watchmaker and her mother was his helper. Sonia grews up in the 60’s with the influence of American television promoting the good life alongside the constant reminder of the Holocaust experience from her parents. This is Sonia’s story of her humble parents, of her relationship with them, of growing up Jewish in NYC, her Ivy League education, her love relationships, and more. Sonia is lively, ambitious, and feisty- she goes after what she wants and there is a tale in all of it. This book is reader-friendly and easy to read. It was so interesting and well-written that I feel somewhat overwhelmed trying to describe it properly. She took the very complex personalities of her parents and put them in living form on the page. I was not able to put this compelling story down. Five stars of highest recommendation! A different take on the post-war lives of Holocaust survivors from the viewpoint of their daughter. Sonia shares what it was like to grow up as a child in post-war America with two Holocaust survivors for parents. She faces the challenges of an unconventional childhood with humor and spirit, which also follows her through some trying times in her adult years. The book takes the reader all the way through until the end, and it is truly hard to read these memories because you form an attachment to Sonia's parents. Although it was a bit unconventional, I did enjoy this book and appreciated its style.
What do You think about The Watchmaker's Daughter: A Memoir (2012)?
enjoyable read...some parts tough to get through, but the truestoryline is amazing.
—paulyhart
Another very moving Holocaust story! A must read!
—jess641
