Biography & Autobiography Personal Memoirs
Singing from the Darktime
A Childhood Memoir in Poetry and Prose
- Publisher
- McGill-Queen's University Press
- Initial publish date
- Mar 2011
- Category
- Personal Memoirs, Holocaust
-
eBook
- ISBN
- 9780773586437
- Publish Date
- Mar 2011
- List Price
- $21.95
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Description
Escaping Germany, Weilbach describes her surreal experience aboard the luxury refugee ship the St Louis, refused the right to land first by Cuba and then by the United States and Canada and finally forced to turn back to Europe, where England and other countries eventually provided some sanctuary. She recalls her experiences in London - loneliness, confusion, and an incomprehensible language but also the healing acceptance of classmates and teachers. With the approach of World War Two, the mass evacuation of her school to the countryside brings a return to village life, with surprising happiness and the hint of a better future, despite the immediate chaos of war. Singing from the Darktime presents a voice of innocence and resilience in a cruel and frightening world. An afterword by renowned Holocaust scholar Doris Bergen provides historical context.
About the author
A former psychologist, therapist, teacher, and social activist, the now-retired S. Weilbach lives in British Columbia, where she is completing her first novel.
Editorial Reviews
"Weilbach's poetry is strong - unsentimental and evocative." Norman Ravvin, Chair, Institute for Canadian Jewish Studies