I Belong To Vienna

An intimate account of a courageous family whose rich life in Vienna unravels into a struggle for survival. A suspenseful story of bravery, dignity, and the love of a city that withstands its bleakest chapter. --Anne-Marie O'Connor, author of The Lady in Gold: The Extraordinary Tale of Gustav Klimt's Masterpiece, Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer Why would you return to a city that tried to murder you? Here is the story of one Jewish family that did ... Blends history, biography, and memoir ... Vividly re-creates the scene in Vienna as horror arrived: the rise of the Nazis, the abuse of Jews, the roundups and transportations ... Well-researched, intimate, evocative look at some of the 20th century's foulest days. --Kirkus Reviews A meticulous evocation of an unknown Austria, Anna Goldenberg's affecting family memoir brings to life the story of Viennese Jews who decided not to flee their homes after the Anschluss. This salutary tribute forces us to reflect on what it means to try and live a 'normal life' in the throes of a political nightmare. --George Prochnik, author of The Impossible Exile and Stranger in a Strange Land A must-read for a new understanding of the Holocaust in Vienna and why a Jewish family would not let itself be uprooted despite the city's dark past. --Esther Safran Foer, author of I Want You to Know We're Still Here: A Post-Holocaust Memoir Anna Goldenberg brings the memory of her grandparents to life and sweeps us away with her portrayal of bravery and endurance. This is an important and wonderful book. --Doron Rabinovici, author of Elsewhere and The Search for M Goldenberg has written a big, important, quiet and disturbing book. It is ruthless and precise, honest and inquisitive, showing the bright side of a family's fate as well as the dark. --Falter A kaleidoscopic picture of the varied perceptions of the oncoming Holocaust and how the Jewish population of Vienna responded to its events and risks. --Die Zeit Goldenberg reveals the mechanisms by which people were initially deprived of their rights, then their property, and finally their lives--the processes necessary for dehumanization. --Der Standard