Surviving Remnant: Memories of the Jewish Greenhorns in 1950s America

by Hanna Perlstein Marcus

Overview

How does a young girl search for a benevolent father figure and suitable husband for her single mother among a group of Holocaust survivors? Set in the deteriorating north end of Springfield, Massachusetts in the 1950s, Surviving Remnant is Hanna Perlstein Marcus' sequel to her award-winning memoir, Sidonia's Thread. Surviving Remnant recreates the author's childhood community of ambitious, humorous, and resilient immigrant refugees who occupy an apartment building, eager to adapt to their new homeland and build new lives for themselves and their children in the aftermath of the Holocaust.

Along her hapless search for a father, Marcus becomes a fanatical Brooklyn Dodgers fan, a misguided violinist, a somnambulist, a neurotic, a hopeless matchmaker, and noted fashion model for her mother's stunning designs.

Marcus' experiences growing up with her mother in an enclave of Holocaust survivors portray a story no one knows—until now. Surviving Remnant is an authentic look at a moving immigrant saga from deep inside.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780997971200
Publisher:	Buttonhole Publishing
Publication date:	03/14/2017
Pages:	296
Product dimensions:	7.80(w) x 5.20(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Hanna Perlstein Marcus was born at the Bergen Belsen displaced persons camp after World War II and later immigrated to Springfield, Massachusetts with her mother. She is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts and University of Connecticut and is a licensed clinical social worker in Connecticut. Her first book, Sidonia's Thread, her memoir of growing up with her Holocaust survivor single mother, was the winner of the 2014 Best Kindle Book Award for nonfiction and a nominee for the Sophie Brody Medal and Sarton Memoir Prize. She is the winner of a first place short story prize from the Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association for a short story adapted from Sidonia's Thread. She is a popular public speaker at libraries, colleges, synagogues, churches, organizations, and community programs.

Table of Contents

Poem-The To-Be-Forgotten by Thomas Hardy, Prologue-The Show, Part One-Initiation; 1-The Outsiders; 2-The Arrival; 3-The Tattoed Ones; 4-The Matchmaker; 5-Surviving Remnant; 6-The Broken Angel; 7-The Unfortuante Affair; 8-The Citizens; 9-The Club; 10-The Shul; 11-The Faithful Friends; 12-The Lucky One; 13-Yuri's Story; 14-The Power of Education; 15-Restitution of a Life; 16-A Community Still Vulnerable; Part Two-Acculturaton; 17-The Girl of Summer; 18-Clair de Lune; 19-The Matchmaker: Progress Report 1; 20-The Somnambulist; 21-Scenes from a Communal Life; 22-Outings; 23-The Card Counter; 24-The Matchmaker: Progress Report 2; 25-Patterns and Styles; 26-Nerves; 27-The Brownie; 28-The Matchmaker-Progress Report 3; Part Three-Revelations; 29-The Somber Romantic; 30-The Matchmaker:Progress Report 4; 31-The Games; 32-The Coin Collector; 33-The Freedom Fighters; 34-The Ring; 35-The Farm; 36-Reinvention; 37-The Matchmaker: A Revelation and a Warning, Progress Report 5; 38-The Forever Kind of Gratitude; 39-Illegal Inventory; Part Four-Maturaton; 40-The Facts of Life; 41-The Last Bachelor; 42-The "H" Chain; 43-The Fever; 44-The Promotion; 45-The Big Move; 46-The Debut; 46-The Car; 48-Restitution: The Meandering Conclusion; Epilogue-The Final Show; Acknowledgments

Editorial Reviews

"There were portions that brought tears to my eyes of the trials and tribulations of the refugees...I loved the accents of the characters."- David A.Field, the Olga Lengyel Institute, Memorial Library

"I really don't know of another book that describes so well a group of 'grine'...What a great accomplishment."- Michlean Amir, Association of Jewish Libraries

"A remarkable story, written in simple, readable style that evokes a child's voice of family love and kinsdhip. An altogether entertaining and memorable narrative." - Brian Jud, Executive Director, Association of Publishers for Special Sales and author of "How to Make Real Money Selling Books"

"There is so much here that still resonates today, especially Hanna's keen observations about how the use of language shapes our perceptions...should be required reading in history and sociology classes." - Elisabeth Petry, author of "At Home Inside: A Daughter's Tribute to Ann Petry"

"The beauty of Surviving Remnant...lies in the universality of its story, the making of a new life...against difficult odds." - David Garnes, author of "After the War Was Over: A Novel of World War II"

"Hanna Marcus deftly takes us into the world of Jews trying to recuperate from the nightmare of the Holocaust as they adjust to a new life in the United States."- Doreen Rappaport, author of "Beyond Courage: The Untold Story of Jewish Resistance During the Holocaust"

"In this book, readers are beside the author as she tries to make sense of the world....Through the eyes of the adults in her community, Hanna tries to make meaning out of the remnants she finds around her...shows readers the great importance of community." - Cara Crandall, Holocaust educator

"Challenge yourself to put on the author's shoes and step into her world of new immigrants with her grace and determination." - Ellen Frankel, Special Education teacher

"We're all familiar with Anne Frank but most of us...do not know what happened to Jews who survived the Holocaust...and became immigrant refugees. Surviving Remnant tells one of these stories in a sometimes humorous, uplifting manner, but more importantly, from the human perspective." - Five Stars on Goodread

From the Publisher