Les disparus

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In this compelling narrative, a writer embarks on a quest to uncover the truth behind his family's tragic past during World War II, blending memoir, reportage, mystery, and scholarly investigation. The story begins with a boy haunted by the disappearance of six relatives during the Holocaust, a subject that captivated him from childhood. Years later, after discovering desperate letters from 1939 written by his grandfather, he is driven to seek out eyewitnesses to his relatives' fates. This journey spans a dozen countries across four continents, revealing the painful discrepancies between lived history and the stories we tell. Ultimately, it leads him back to the small Ukrainian town where his family's saga began, where answers to a long-standing mystery await. The narrative deftly weaves together past and present, childhood memories of a lost generation of immigrant Jews, and reflections on biblical texts and Jewish history. This exploration transforms one family's story into a profound meditation on our tenuous connection to the past. Deeply personal and beautifully written, the work illuminates the themes of loss and discovery through time. Mendelsohn's quest becomes a gripping detective story that raises questions about divine intervention and the randomness of history, ultimately creating a richly human tableau where each witness has a face, story, and destiny.