In The Crate: A Story of War, a Murder, and Justice, Deborah Levison weaves a riveting story of survivors who thought that they had left suffering behind in Europe yet encountered shocking violence at the peaceful retreat they established in Ontario. The story flows between her parents’ fraught lives in the ’30s and during the Shoah, and Deborah’s idyllic childhood in Toronto.As an editor, I was concerned that when Deborah discusses Holocaust education in Germany, she quotes someone who states the Shoah is taught “ad nauseum” yet in today’s Germany, with the resurgence of antisemitism, can the term “ad nauseam” ever be used? Deborah agreed that there is a rapid rise of antisemitic incidents worldwide, and that if she was writing the book now she would consider the current political climate.Deborah states that she’s sure her parents would not want to be recognized as heroes. “I think they knew it was important for people to recognize them as survivors so the lessons of the Holocaust wouldn’t be forgotten,” she says. “All my parents ever wanted was to live their quiet lives surrounded by their loved ones.”This novel is different from other Holocaust memoirs for several reasons. First, it is told by a daughter of survivors. Also, it moves between present day events and the past. And of course, the third striking difference is that it tells of a crime that threatened, like the Shoah, to pull the family from their established home.
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if(window.location.pathname.indexOf("656089") != -1){console.log("hedva connatix");document.getElementsByClassName("divConnatix")[0].style.display ="none";}In my second business as a home organizer, I urge clients only to keep books which are meaningful and relevant. The Crate is one such book. It should be used as a text in high school and university literature courses.It seems as if the message of this novel is that physical security is an illusion. A quiet home in placid country surroundings can be rocked by violence or a demonic act. Deborah shows that true safety comes from family members who care for each other.The Crate is a shining example of the power of faith and tenacity. Albert Camus said: “For it says that no matter how hard the world pushes against me, within me, there’s something stronger – something better, pushing right back.” This sentence is from his famous quote which begins: “In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer.” Deborah shows that her parents pushed back evil and brought light into their world, and through courage and perseverance, created an invincible summer for their family.As some of us head into winter – the darkest, coldest time of the year – I strongly recommend reading this exquisite yet haunting and memorable work, a testimony to survival. Lauren Adilev runs Turn Write This Way, a boutique content agency. She creates biographies, bio-cookbooks and marketing materials. Her emphasis is on money, memories and momentum