It's a common plot in fiction: the protagonist grows up believing his or her upbringing and parentage are one thing, only to find out that the real story is different, concealing an enormous secret. What if the protagonist doesn't find out until she is 59? That's the true story behind former Secretary of State Madeline Albright's memoir Prague Winter: A Personal Story of Remembrance and War, 1937 - 1948 (#242).
You probably remember the headlines a few years ago when it was revealed that Madeline Albright, who was brought up Catholic and became Episcopalian upon her marriage, actually came from a Jewish Czechoslovakian background, and that many members of her family - grandparents, aunts and uncles and cousins - died in the Holocaust of World War II. It came as a shock to Ms. Albright, and Prague Winter tells the story of how she found out, and the search for the truth. Somehow, her parents never found the right time to tell her or her two siblings about their family before they died, so she started where so many of us do: with the boxes of papers stored in her garage.
Prague Winter chronicles the story of Czechoslovakia before, during, and after World War II, and her father's role in the Czeckoslovak government. Although she was a child during the period covered by this book, some of her memories are quite vivid, and she has told the story in personal terms that make the convoluted politics of the time easy for the reader to grasp. She also has included many photos throughout the text to help put a human face on what was happening and what led her family to eventually settle in the United States.
It's an extraordinary story, and a compelling read. I've always been an admirer of Madeline Albright. This book only confirms my opinion. Highly recommended!
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