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Hitler, Stalin, Mum and Dad: A Family Memoir of Miraculous Survival
As seen:
By Daniel Finkelstein
avg rating
3 reviews
THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER
A TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR Winner of the Slightly Foxed Best First Biography Prize 2023 ‘Epic, moving and important’ ROBERT HARRIS ’A modern classic’ OBSERVER ‘An unforgettable epic of a book’ DAILY MAIL From longstanding political columnist and commentator Daniel Finkelstein, a powerful memoir exploring both his mother and his father’s devastating experiences of persecution, resistance and survival during the Second World War. Daniel’s mother Mirjam Wiener was the youngest of three daughters born in Germany to Alfred and Margarete Wiener. Alfred, a decorated hero from the Great War, is now widely acknowledged to have been the first person to recognise the existential danger Hitler posed to the Jews and began, in 1933, to catalogue in detail Nazi crimes. After moving his family to Amsterdam, he relocated his library to London and was preparing to bring over his wife and children when Germany invaded the Netherlands. Before long, the family was rounded up, robbed and sent to starve in Bergen-Belsen. Daniel’s father Ludwik was born in Lwów, the only child of a prosperous Jewish family. In 1939, after Hitler and Stalin carved up Poland, Ludwik’s father was arrested and sentenced to hard labour in the Gulag. Meanwhile, deported to Siberia and working as a slave labourer on a collective farm, Ludwik survived the freezing winters in a tiny house he built from cow dung. Hitler, Stalin, Mum and Dad is a deeply moving, personal and at times horrifying memoir about Finkelstein’s parents’ experiences at the hands of the two genocidal dictators of the twentieth century. It is a story of persecution; survival; and the consequences of totalitarianism told with the almost unimaginable bravery of two ordinary families shining through. ‘Danny Finkelstein has written an elegant, moving account of the history of one family, and in doing so shines light on the history of the 20th century. If you want to understand Hitler and Stalin, read this book about people whose lives were upended by both of them’ ANNE APPLEBAUM, author of Gulag: A History, winner of the Pulitzer Prize TweetReviews
j.acton@harrytown.stockport.sch.uk
Hitler, Stalin, Mum & Dad by Daniel Finkelstein is a deeply moving exploration of the impact of totalitarian regimes on a single family. The book masterfully intertwines the stories of Finkelstein's grandparents, who survived the Holocaust and Stalin's purges, with the broader historical themes of tyranny, persecution, and survival. The characters—real people whose lives were upended by these monstrous regimes—are vividly brought to life through Finkelstein’s sensitive and compassionate narrative.
This book is recommended for readers interested in history, particularly those who want to understand the personal toll of political ideologies. It is also a must-read for anyone who values family stories that resonate across generations, offering a powerful reminder of the resilience of the human spirit in the face of unimaginable adversity.
j.acton@harrytown.stockport.sch.uk
Our reading group received several copies of this book and here is a selection of our reviews:
REVIEW ONE
Hitler, Stalin, Mum & Dad by Daniel Finkelstein is a poignant blend of personal memoir and historical analysis. The author masterfully intertwines the harrowing experiences of his Jewish grandparents, who survived the Holocaust, with the broader historical context of Hitler and Stalin’s tyrannies. The narrative is both deeply personal and universally significant, offering a unique perspective on the impact of totalitarian regimes on individual lives. Finkelstein’s writing is clear, compelling, and profoundly moving, making this book a must-read for anyone interested in history, family, and the enduring human spirit.
REVIEW TWO
Hitler, Stalin, Mum & Dad offers a remarkable account of survival, resilience, and the enduring impact of history on personal lives. Daniel Finkelstein’s meticulous research is matched by his emotional depth as he recounts his family’s experiences under two of the 20th century’s most brutal dictators. The book seamlessly weaves together the personal and the political, providing a fresh perspective on well-known historical events. Finkelstein’s ability to humanize the victims of these regimes while also critiquing the broader political landscape makes this book a standout in both memoir and historical literature.
REVIEW THREE
Hitler, Stalin, Mum & Dad brilliantly bridges the gap between historical analysis and personal memoir. Daniel Finkelstein presents the harrowing experiences of his family under Hitler and Stalin, highlighting the themes of oppression, survival, and the quest for freedom. The characters—his grandparents who fled from both Nazi and Soviet terror—are depicted with a richness that makes their pain, courage, and humanity leap off the page.
This book is highly recommended for readers who enjoy historical narratives with a strong emotional core. It’s particularly suited for those interested in understanding the human cost of totalitarian regimes and the way individual lives are shaped by the grand sweep of history.
REVIEW FOUR
Daniel Finkelstein’s Hitler, Stalin, Mum & Dad offers a poignant exploration of family, identity, and survival. The book delves into the harrowing experiences of Finkelstein’s parents and grandparents as they navigate the treacherous political landscapes of Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia. Themes of resilience, identity, and the enduring impact of trauma are central to this narrative, and the characters are portrayed with a deep sense of humanity and respect.
This book is recommended for readers who are drawn to stories of survival and resilience. It’s particularly suited for those interested in Jewish history, World War II, and the Cold War, as well as anyone who appreciates well-researched, character-driven narratives that explore the intersection of personal and political history.
REVIEW FIVE
Hitler, Stalin, Mum & Dad by Daniel Finkelstein is a powerful account of the atrocities committed under two of history’s most notorious dictators and the impact of these events on one family. The book’s themes of persecution, survival, and the search for safety are explored through the lives of Finkelstein’s grandparents, whose experiences in both Nazi Germany and Stalinist Russia provide a harrowing yet inspiring narrative. The characters are portrayed with an authenticity that brings their struggles to life, making their stories not just history, but a compelling human drama.
This book is recommended for anyone who seeks to understand the human dimension of historical events. It is particularly relevant for readers interested in the Holocaust, Soviet history, and family memoirs that illuminate the ways in which history’s darkest hours impact individual lives across generations.
Hitler, Stalin, Mum and Dad is a deeply moving book, though certainly not a comfortable read.
It is a highly emotive, personal account which engages the reader from the very start. The photographs help to draw the reader in to view the central characters as real people, with real lives, which were snatched away from them. The family trees help the reader to follow the journeys and were referred to throughout reading.
I, like most people, am all too aware of the impact of Hitler and the Nazis, but I hadn’t realised quite how little I knew about Stalin.
The heartbreaking journeys of Daniel Finkelsteins’s parents, as children, makes the reader question humanity. How either of them survived remains a miracle. Their journeys via the death camps of Belsen and the gulags of Siberia bring shivers to the spine. Snippets of widely known facts and references to well known historical figures are woven into the stories of lesser known, but equally important characters, some who survived and others who disappeared, with so many others.
Throughout the book, the separation of families and the lack of communication remains a theme - so hard to imagine in this era of instant communication. The reader finds themselves trying to imagine the choices they would make and the decisions they would reach - with the only conclusion that this is unimaginable.
The ingenuity of family members in acquiring papers and essential items to support survival and aid possibilities for escape leaves the reader on the edge of their seat.
Missed opportunities, with the benefit of hindsight, cause tears to fall.
Of course, the survival of Finkelstein’s parents was a miracle and the later achievement of the family is a testament to resilience. But a huge sadness remains for the other lost families, the children who didn’t reach adulthood, those who didn’t survive their journeys. So too, those who reached freedom, but, like Finkelstein’s grandmother, died on arrival, despite ensuring the survival of her daughters, or had their lives shortened or changed beyond belief by the horrors they endured.
A beautifully written book, which in no way seeks to sensationalise, but shares known facts, intertwined with accounts of real people and real events. A book which needs to be read.
Woodside Park Book Group are thankful to the publishers for the review copies received.
