I found myself bookmarking, for various reasons, several passages in “On Austrian Soil.” I am not Jewish and cannot relate to Sondra’s experience of visiting Austria in the same capacity. I don’t know what exactly has drawn me to study the Holocaust, but I am certainly moved by everything I learn. When I visited the camps in Germany and Poland in 2015, with a teacher study tour, I stopped eating. I could not take more than two bites of my meals without feeling sick to my stomach. I had never had such a visceral experience before, nor since. I was reminded of that trip, vividly, when I read Sondra’s letter to Margret about her visit to the Los Angeles museum (page 145). I felt it again at the end of the book, when they both visited Mauthausen.
I thought the interactions between Sondra and Arthur and the Fesslers were particularly interesting to read. My family is German (and Swiss-German). They immigrated in the 1700s and 1800s. My husband’s father’s family is from Germany and immigrated in the early 1900s. Things would be very different without those significant moves. I was particularly caught off guard when Anna referred to Hitler with the casual “Adolf” (page 167). I cannot imagine hearing him referred to by his first name, in his home country. It was very disturbing for me to read.
Finally, I could relate to several students in the group who had a difficult time with writing. It takes me a lot of thought and preparation to write. My background in history suits me far better than one would in English. A few years ago I took six graduate courses in history to get my CCP (college credit plus) licensure. I think I wrote 26 papers over 18 months. It felt like torture at times, but like anything, I think I improved. Practice, right?
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