Rating: 
Summary: Reads like a novel
Review: I met the author at a conference and bought her book. I started it right away and had trouble putting it down. The past is not a thing that can be re-created; it is a story to be told and Ms. Chapman has told her story, and her mother's story, and the story of so many others, extremely well. And it is an important story: the effects of the Holocaust upon the next generation, and upon Germans who would rather forget all about it, and upon children who know next to nothing of what happened to their grandparents. I recommend it to everyone!
Rating:
Summary: Reads like a novel
Review: I met the author at a conference and bought her book. I started it right away and had trouble putting it down. The past is not a thing that can be re-created; it is a story to be told and Ms. Chapman has told her story, and her mother's story, and the story of so many others, extremely well. And it is an important story: the effects of the Holocaust upon the next generation, and upon Germans who would rather forget all about it, and upon children who know next to nothing of what happened to their grandparents. I recommend it to everyone!
Rating:
Summary: Vietnam Vet
Review: I recently purchased your book and happened to glance at the back cover. From that point on I could not put your book down until I had read it from cover to cover. I was memorized! I AM YOUR MOTHER!
I'm a Vietnam combat veteran and used the same ploy as your mother - denial and never talk about it. My wife and three sons bore the brunt of my walled memories. And, unfortunately, in order to bury Vietnam I also buried most of my youth.
I recently retired and the unexpected free time has caused my walls to crumble and my nights are filled with nightmares. Part of my counseling is to write about my trauma. You have inspired me to take these outpourings, organize them and get them published. I intend to "look fear in the face" and share my burden with others who may face the same hardships I do. Like your mom, I want to "be here now."
Rating:
Summary: A deeply moving and insightful book
Review: I'd like to highly recommend this book to anyone who wants and needs to have their eyes opened. I never considered the total victimization of WWII, as concerns the German Jewish survivors and "escapees" and their non-Jewish German neighbors and friends. Most of us have read The Diary of Anne Frank and were deeply moved by the horrors. What many of us did not know, or refused to consider were how things turned out in the end- now 50+ years later. I knew several Holocaust survivors while growing up in N.J., but the war was never discussed, and no one ever talked about the camps. Now as an adult, this book brought on thoughts that are very painful to consider. Whole generations- and their children- in remorse, denial, hiding. I applaud Fern and her mother for taking this painful trip- and also for attempting to mend the wounds that scarred everyone in the book. What a courageous thing to have done.I've recommended this book to our local high school library as a further step in world history- the story not often told, but one that changes the light on everything.
Rating:
Summary: Everyone should read this book!
Review: It is very rare indeed when a book can take your breath away and make you weep. When a book can transport you to a time and place you have never been. Well, this book does that and much more. It is beatifully written and full of very relevant insights. It truely is a perfect book and one that you will not be able to put down. It really helps you to understand the utter horror of what was going on in Germany in the late 1930's. I really cannot say enough about this book, please read it, it is a very important piece of work. I feel honored to have read it.
Rating:
Summary: THE LONG AFTERMATH OF WWII
Review: Motherland is a story of high values and the results of degredation in the past. It is the relationships of people; many people from close relatives to acquaintences and how each of us are truly dependent on each other. I believe this book points out that what happens to one of us happens to all. This is a story of love and understanding and resolve. The journey was long and painful, but most rewarding to the reader. A true story you should not soon forget.
Rating:
Summary: THE LONG AFTERMATH OF WWII
Review: Motherland is a story of high values and the results of degredation in the past. It is the relationships of people; many people from close relatives to acquaintences and how each of us are truly dependent on each other. I believe this book points out that what happens to one of us happens to all. This is a story of love and understanding and resolve. The journey was long and painful, but most rewarding to the reader. A true story you should not soon forget.
Rating:
Summary: A "Must-Read"
Review: Once you begin this book, you will not be able to put it down until you finish it. Chapman grabs the reader on many fronts: with a compelling story; with beautiful writing full of creative imagery and insight; and with lots of food for thought. Motherland holds appeal for many different types of readers. It is simultaneously a book about the Holocaust, the intricacies of mother-daughter relationships, and most importantly, the effects the past can have on the present and future. I laughed and cried many times as I read this exquisitely-constructed book. And now that I have finished it, I continue to think about it. Motherland is very easy to read, but there is nothing light about it. I know it will stick with me for a long time to come.
Rating:
Summary: A Most Compelling Read
Review: This book is a "must read" for book discussion groups. Not only is the story of Fern and her mother compelling, there are so many themes that beg for discussion. The mother-daughter theme has been addressed in other reviews, but the theme of forgiveness of self and others resonates throughout the story for Fern, her mother and the villagers in Germany.
Rating:
Summary: A Most Compelling Read
Review: This book is a "must read" for book discussion groups. Not only is the story of Fern and her mother compelling, there are so many themes that beg for discussion. The mother-daughter theme has been addressed in other reviews, but the theme of forgiveness of self and others resonates throughout the story for Fern, her mother and the villagers in Germany.
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