A
New York Public Library Selection — An Austin Chronicle Best Book of 2006 “At
a time when Holocaust denial is becoming an increasingly virulent
weapon in the hands of anti-Semites, this poignant, evocative,
visual and accessible day-to-day account of one family's walk through
the valley of the shadow of death is a powerful counter-weapon.
It should be read by young and old and passed on from generation
to generation, as memories fade, survivorsdie and haters try to
sow doubt.” “This
beautiful tribute to a mother's perseverance and determination
to survive will keep this story alive, although the original storyteller
died ten years ago: Lemelman transcribes the harrowing tale of
his mother—daughter of Menachem Mendel—with black-and-white
drawings that the artist intercuts with Gusta's photos and documents;
the combination radiates with sadness, despair and, ultimately,
hope.” “Mendel's Daughter ... is
a gritty eyewitness report on the great upheaval of eastern Europe
in the 1930s and '40s, based on Lemelman's recordings of his
mother in 1989; at the harshest moments, the reader can take
a small bit of comfort that Gusta survived to live a long life
in the U.S.A...a stark account of human weakness and fear, tragic
missteps with fatal consequences, and unimaginable hardships
as she survives for two years with two brothers in a hole in
the ground. Lemelman's subdued art gives the story
its heart; with a combination of charcoal drawings and photographs,
he creates a sense both of an almost mythical time gone by and
the very real lives that were snuffed out.” “This is totally original, not to say moving, account of what
happened to many Jewish families at this period of history. And there
is, at times, a prayerlike quality to this account of Gusta's unbelievable
courage and her unflinching perseverance...A mother's words and a
son's illustrations have combined to create a work of rare sensitivity.
Martin Lemelman has achieved the seemingly impossible — a children's
book that tells of Jewish life in one of the darkest periods of their
history. And equally, there is the triumphant note when the terrible
storm has passed and Gusta has emerged free...This time she found
a new life in America. This is a gripping story and one beautifully
told and drawn.” “Lemelman is more prose illustrator than comic artist, eschewing
balloons in favour of hand-written quotations, often separated from
his pencil drawings and family photos. Its documentary style of focus
makes it an affecting testimony by a mother and son.” “Lemelman manages to convey the horror of the Holocaust in
words and pictures, while keeping the story fresh and available to
children of all ages, as well as adults who, one hopes, will read
the book to and with them.” “In Mendel's Daughter, he tells us the stories he was told,
hand-lettering his mother's words into narration, and pairing a few
surviving old black-and-white photos with his own stark black-and-white
art to turn that story into a graphic novel that is at turns elegiac
and at others nostalgic.” “Lemelman's straightforward presentation makes the devastation
depicted all the more harrowing. ...Having re-told his mother's tale,
it is no wonder Lemelman concludes this powerful volume with the
words of the Passover Haggadah, "In every generation, one must
look upon himself, as he personally came out of Egypt.” “Granted, Art Spiegelman's Maus series told a Holocaust story
with comic book techniques. But Mendel's Daughter is distinguished
by a straightforward approach to storytelling that doesn't rely on
metaphor. Moreover, the work is extremely accessible for youngsters,
who may otherwise not be able to imagine or understand the overwhelming
jumble of events that are found in most Holocaust memoirs.” “...This is perhaps one of the most important books on the
Holocaust to be created within the last decade...Mendel’s Daughter
would be an excellent way to educate middle school children on the
Holocaust. In fact, I would go so far as to say it should be considered
part of the educational fabric, like Harper Lee’s To
Kill A Mockingbird. Lemelman has done an excellent job of honouring his
mother’s memory, reinforcing the importance
of history, and enhancing the understanding of the Holocaust to future
generations.” “On virtually every page Lemelman skillfully juxtaposes haunting
pencil drawings, family photographs, and handwritten text, sans comicslike
borders. He keeps intact Gusta's Jewish American dialect. His unique
contribution to Holocaust literature will doubtless educe comparisons
with Art Spiegelman's Pulitzer Prize-winning Maus (1986), yet many
may find Lemelman's more realist work more approachable, immediate,
and, ultimately, unforgettable.” “Mendel’s Daughter strides bravely...into Maus’s
footprints and, against all odds, succeeds. Lemelman’s first
novel, is a tender, faithful retelling of his mother’s Holocaust
story. The routine details of shtetl life, family politics, brief
moments of kindness amid devastating hardship, move us beyond clichés,
beyond Good and Evil, to convey a powerful, tragic, human history.
Ultimately—miraculously—about hope, not horror.” “In this captivating story of one woman’s survival in
Poland during World War II, Lemelman tells of his mother Gusta and
how she and a few siblings managed to deal with a horrifying situation
and survive…The real heart of the story is Gusta’s distinct
way of speaking (the sprinkling of Yiddish words in her sentences),
which Lemelman does a great job of reproducing. Her unique voice
makes the reader wish she were in front of them telling her story
personally. The paperback version includes an author interview and
a reading group guide...Drawn in black and white and mixed with photographs
and mementos of Gusta’s life, Mendel’s Daughter is a
heartbreaking and fascinating story. Highly recommended for all public
and academic libraries.” “Hardly a cheerful book, but a quite remarkable one is Mendel’s
Daughter: A Memoir by Martin Lemelman whose pages are filled with
pencil drawings by the author based on his mother’s telling
of what it was like to be a Jew in 1930s Poland and her eventual
escape from Nazi persecution. Any reviewer will tell you that there
have been hundreds of books written about the Holocaust. They vary
in quality, but this one is truly unique for its graphic approach
to the history of that period and tragedy. As a piece of Jewish history,
the book adds its message of an event beyond imagination.” |
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