Do Not Disclose: A Memoir Of Family Secrets Lost and Found

by Leora Krygier

Overview

A 2021 Kirkus Reviews' Best Indie Book of the Year
Leora, a juvenile court judge, wife, mother, and daughter, is caught in the routine of work, taking care of her family and aging parents. But she's also a second-generation Holocaust survivor. It's an identity she didn't understand was hers until she accidentally discovered a secret file of handwritten notes addressed to her father. A further discovery of a seemingly random WWII postcard in a thrift store sets her on a collision course with the past in this lyrical memoir about secrets hidden within secrets, both present-day and buried deep within wartime Europe.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781647421601
Publisher:	She Writes Press
Publication date:	07/30/2025
Sold by:	OPEN ROAD INTEGRATED - EBKS
Format:	eBook
Pages:	208
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Leora Krygier is a former Los Angeles Superior Court, Juvenile Division judge. She's the author of When She Sleeps (Toby Press), which was lauded for its "luminous prose" (Newsweek) and praised by Booklist, Library Journal, and Kirkus. It was also a New York Public Library Selection for "Best Books for the Teen Age." She's also the author of Juvenile Court: A Judges Guide for Young Adults and their Parents (Rowan & Littlefield) and Keep Her (She Writes Press), a young adult novel reviewed as a "vibrantly dazzling literary cocktail on the restorative powers of love." She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, David.

Editorial Reviews

Praise for Do Not Disclose:





A 2021 Kirkus Reviews' Best Indie Book of the Year


“This richly detailed memoir will particularly appeal to those whose imaginations are fired by genealogy and historical research. A captivating story smartly recounted.”
—Kirkus Reviews, STARRED

“Exceptionally well written, organized and presented… Do Not Disclose is an inherently fascinating read from beginning to end. A welcome addition to the growing library of Jewish Holocaust Literature … an extraordinary and unreservedly welcome addition to community, college and university library collections.”

—Midwest Book Review, Reviewer’s Choice

“Do Not Disclose is hard to put down, a haunting, poetic journey, the search for lost childhood, like a letter from someone we did not want to see anymore, nor want to open for the fear of finding inside it—a truth.”
—John Bernstein, prize-winning screenwriter, playwright, and Professor of Holocaust in Film and Israeli Cinema at the Elie Wiesel Center for Jewish Studies

“Leora Krygier is an exquisite writer and Do Not Disclose is her masterpiece. In lyrical prose, she recounts the bittersweet journey of excavating the truth in her own family and that of a complete stranger. When astonishing twists and turns lead her on a path she never expected to travel, she stays the course with courage and commitment and ultimately finds her way home.”
—Linda Schreyer, award-winning screenwriter and author of Tears and Tequila

“A remarkable personal journey and deeply moving tale of family secrets. A must-read.”
—Eva Nagorski, award-winning screenwriter, director, and author of The Down and Dirty Dish on Revenge

“I cannot think of an author alive who writes with the soul-stirring, poetic prose of Leora Krygier. Do Not Disclose is an incredibly touching memoir that elegantly weaves together threads from the Holocaust, family secrets, motherhood and a quest to find a soldier from a discovered postcard. I was captivated from the first page. Here is life in all of its painful, honest, joyful beauty.”
—Stephanie Corbett, Head of Circulation, Holmes County District Public Library

“Leora Krygier's qualities as a gifted writer and meticulous researcher are evident in her touching and candid memoir. As she searches for a stranger's roots, she explores and acquires a deeper understanding of her own family's complicated legacy.”
—Meryl Ain, author of The Takeaway Men

Praise for Keep Her:

“Krygier's vivid, immersive prose . . . a recommended read for creative romantics everywhere.”
—School Library Journal

“Keep Her will engage fans of contemporary fiction. Fans of meant-to-be romance stories will not be disappointed.” 
—Voya Magazine

“Krygier writes like she knows the characters personally. I have never read a story as filled with passion and regret as this book.” 
—TeenReads

“This vibrantly dazzling literary cocktail on the restorative powers of love will leave reader's hearts renewed.”
—Popsugar

“Discussing topics such as environmental protection and adoption, Keep Her is a refreshingly honest read.”
—BuzzFeed

From the Publisher

★ 2021-06-18
The accidental discovery of a private document begins a journey that reveals secrets of family members and strangers in this multifaceted memoir.

Krygier, a Los Angeles juvenile court judge, was on her way to work one day when she dropped by her parents’ house to find her mother conducting a cleanup campaign. Among the strewn paper, the author came across a file bearing the note: “Do Not Share This.” She surreptitiously grabbed the file and set off for court; however, she was hesitant to open it, fearing that it would reveal unbearable secrets about her family’s past. Days later, Krygier found a World War II–era postcard in an antiques mall, written by a British Army private and marked “do not disclose any particulars of your unit.” The message resonated with the author, and she began searching for details about the postcard’s sender—a quest that would later bring her to England. The book also slowly reveals details of the file’s contents as Krygier pieces together her family’s story of infidelity and Holocaust survival. Although written as a memoir, this book has all the suspense of a detective novel as the author hunts for the elusive British soldier and attempts to delay learning the truth about her own family. Along the way, she proves to be a master of the slow reveal, alluding to a night “when all hell broke loose” at the memoir’s opening and only gradually disclosing the details of what happened. Krygier also has a vibrant prose style and an eye for fine detail, characterized by her description of a typewriter: “The keys had to be struck hard. They were round, with a distinct rim, like tiny, old-fashioned spectacles. Each letter clattered downward and commandeered its own individual amount of ink from the ribbon, none uniform.” There are rare occasions when the author includes unnecessary information, such as automated responses to her internet searches, but such details of her setbacks make her successes even more enjoyable. This richly detailed memoir will particularly appeal to those whose imaginations are fired by genealogy and historical research.

A captivating story smartly recounted.

Kirkus Reviews