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beckydk's review
3.0
This week I've been reading The Empress of Weehawken by Irene Dische. I read the book in Danish (where the title is 'Flugten til Amerika' which translates as 'The Flight to America') and I hadn't actually realized the book was originally written in English.
The Empress of Weehawken is a fictional autobiography as told by the author's maternal grandmother. The grandmother is completely candid and outspoken, who share her harsh criticisms and limitless love for all of the members of her colourful family.
The story starts in Germany in the 1930's where her and her husband Carl do their very best to distance themselves from his Jewish family - something which returns to haunt them as their daughter Renate marry several Jewish men, which is used to explain why their granddaughter, Irene, is so impossible.
The family manages to escape Germany, and to build a rather well-off life in the US, but the Jewish-German culture is always clashing with the American culture.
I thought the book was alright, it was really funny at times, but it isn't the best thing I've ever read. I really liked the historical and cultural side of things though, there's some rather fascinating information in there.
The Empress of Weehawken is a fictional autobiography as told by the author's maternal grandmother. The grandmother is completely candid and outspoken, who share her harsh criticisms and limitless love for all of the members of her colourful family.
The story starts in Germany in the 1930's where her and her husband Carl do their very best to distance themselves from his Jewish family - something which returns to haunt them as their daughter Renate marry several Jewish men, which is used to explain why their granddaughter, Irene, is so impossible.
The family manages to escape Germany, and to build a rather well-off life in the US, but the Jewish-German culture is always clashing with the American culture.
I thought the book was alright, it was really funny at times, but it isn't the best thing I've ever read. I really liked the historical and cultural side of things though, there's some rather fascinating information in there.