Managing Bubbie by Russel Lazega
Summary from Goodreads
Her devoted family only wants the best for their Bubbie. Mostly they want to ensure that their matriarch’s twilight years are spent in comfort, safety, and serenity. But how do you manage an aging, immutably stubborn Holocaust survivor who has risen above the squalor of Poland’s ghettos; fled across the war-torn German wilderness; and survived the winter-ravaged Pyrenees alone on foot with three children? You probably don't.
Thoughts
It is difficult to express how much I enjoyed this book. One genre that I find particularly enjoyable is WWII fiction. Recently, I have branched out into more non-fiction personal narratives from this time period. This book was unique for a number of reason. The author admits that while the story is true, there are unavoidable fictional elements due to the passage of time and memories of his relatives. Also, it is not the typical story of a Jewish family in WWII that I have come to expect in this genre. I really enjoyed how the author juxtaposed the story of how his Bubbie escaped Europe during WWII with the current family interactions. Jumping between the past and the present almost serves as a reminder that life continued even after the horrors they escaped. I definitely recommend this book to everyone!
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