My Grandfather Would Have Shot Me
A Black Woman Discovers Her Family's Nazi Past
by Jennifer Teege; Nikola Sellmair
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Pub Date Apr 15 2015 | Archive Date Mar 23 2015
Experiment, The | The Experiment
Description
When Jennifer Teege, a German-Nigerian woman, happened to pluck a library book from the shelf, she had no idea that her life would be irrevocably altered. Recognizing photos of her mother and grandmother in the book, she discovers a horrifying fact: Her grandfather was Amon Goeth, the vicious Nazi commandant chillingly depicted by Ralph Fiennes in Schindler’s List—a man known and reviled the world over.
Although raised in an orphanage and eventually adopted, Teege had some contact with her biological mother and grandmother as a child. Yet neither revealed that Teege’s grandfather was the Nazi “butcher of Plaszów,” executed for crimes against humanity in 1946. The more Teege reads about Amon Goeth, the more certain she becomes: If her grandfather had met her—a black woman—he would have killed her.
Teege’s discovery sends her, at age 38, into a severe depression—and on a quest to unearth and fully comprehend her family’s haunted history. Her research takes her to Krakow—to the sites of the Jewish ghetto her grandfather “cleared” in 1943 and the Plaszów concentration camp he then commanded—and back to Israel, where she herself once attended college, learned fluent Hebrew, and formed lasting friendships. Teege struggles to reconnect with her estranged mother Monika, and to accept that her beloved grandmother once lived in luxury as Amon Goeth’s mistress at Plaszów.
Teege’s story is cowritten by award-winning journalist Nikola Sellmair, who also contributes a second, interwoven narrative that draws on original interviews with Teege’s family and friends and adds historical context. Ultimately, Teege’s resolute search for the truth leads her, step by step, to the possibility of her own liberation.
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9781615192533 |
| PRICE | $24.95 (USD) |
Featured Reviews
Kristen C, Bookseller
Such a beautiful story. I normally don't read non fiction, but this was worth it!
Isis R, Reviewer
I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinions or the content of the review.
I never read biographies or memoirs but this one caught my eye. Being of mixed race I have often wondered about my lineage because my mom doesn't know much about my biological father at all. It is something that plagues many people. I found My Grandfather Would Have Shot Me: A Black Woman Discovers Her Family's Nazi Past very moving.I could totally identify with her journey, even if hers was different than mine. I laughed with her, I cried with her, I was angry with her. Her journey moved me. I cannot begin to fathom what she went though as I am sure that words cannot fully describe it. I enjoyed reading this book and would highly recommend it to others.
I also ended up learning a thing or two throughout the pages of My Grandfather Would Have Shot Me: A Black Woman Discovers Her Family' Nazi Past. I felt the book was well written and easy to follow along her path with her. I also thought the added facts help put some things into perspective along the way as well. I think that anyone who struggles with who they are and trying to connect with their past should read about Jennifer's journey. My only complaint would be I would like to know how her life is now after the journey to find truth. How does it effect her everyday life now? Does it still have a profound effect on her life everyday or was she able to truly make peace with her family's secret?
Readers who liked this book also liked:
Jodi Picoult; Jennifer Finney Boylan
General Fiction (Adult), Literary Fiction, Women's Fiction
