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The Book of Lost Names


A heartrending novel of survival, inspired by an astonishing true story from ...
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How do you think Eva's past affected the way she raised her son? How are children of Jewish survivors affected by their parents' pasts? Can a parents' trauma and/or resilience to be passed down to the children?

Created: 05/21/21

Replies: 6

Posted May. 21, 2021 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
davinamw

Join Date: 10/15/10

Posts: 3442

How do you think Eva's past affected the way she raised her son? How do you think children of Jewish survivors are affected by their parents' pasts? Can a parents' trauma and/or resilience to be passed down to them?

On page 166, Eva thinks to herself, "Parents make all sorts of errors, because our ability to raise our children is always colored by the lives we've lived before they came along." How do you think Eva's past affected the way she raised her son? How do you think children of Jewish parents who survived World War II are affected by their parents' pasts? Can a parents' trauma and/or resilience be passed down to their children?


Posted May. 21, 2021 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
marganna

Join Date: 10/14/11

Posts: 153

RE: How do you think Eva's past ...

Eva found peace & a form of happiness with Louis. She did not want to revisit those traumatic years & memories- she protected herself by raising her son shielded from her past. I cannot imagine how that decision shaped her life but she determined it was best.
I think children are always affected by the parents’ history & most especially if there is trauma.
Yes both trauma & resilience can be passed down. I still view Ben as a shallow character- would he be different if he had known his mother’s past? I think so!


Posted May. 21, 2021 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
lynne z

Join Date: 01/06/18

Posts: 58

RE: How do you think Eva's past ...

Parents want to protect their children from what they have experienced whether it be war, trauma, abuse or economic conditions. Often the children (as they become adults) resent not being told about the past. It's a fine line. We make choices and they have consequences.


Posted May. 21, 2021 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
lydiamercer's Gravatar
lydiamercer

Join Date: 05/30/12

Posts: 6

RE: How do you think Eva's past ...

I believe inexplicably that our human living past is as undeniable as our genetic heritage. They are interwoven in a way I cannot explain. We are bound by our experiences that become a transferable character, belief or method of living.


Posted May. 23, 2021 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
beckyd

Join Date: 07/31/19

Posts: 92

RE: How do you think Eva's past ...

I can't begin to imagine the number of books written about how children of holocaust survivors have been affected. Or for that matter, any parents who have experienced trauma have that potential to pass on the marks of tragedy to their children. "Our human living past"as lydiamercer named it, seems to find a way to surface.


Posted Jun. 05, 2021 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
marilynu

Join Date: 03/22/21

Posts: 9

RE: How do you think Eva's past ...

I, as a child of a survivor, feel strongly that it had a large impact on the way I was raised. The guilt the survivor had for living while others perished was always present and I was taught to appreciate what I had while not taking it for granted.


Posted Jun. 29, 2021 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
caroln

Join Date: 04/14/11

Posts: 101

RE: How do you think Eva's past ...

I truly believe that we, as parents, want the best for our children. I believe Eva also felt that way and she did whatever she felt necessary to protect her son. She was beginning a new life, in a new country and why look back worked for her. She was determined to look forward.


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