Reading Claudius

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Caroline Heller's memoir is a poignant elegy to a lost era, chronicling the lives of her parents, her uncle, and their circle of Central European intellectuals and dreamers from the eve of World War II to contemporary America. This dual memoir vividly captures the essence of European café culture and highlights the enduring power of literature during tumultuous times. Heller paints a vivid picture of prewar Prague, where her mother, Liese Florsheim, a young German refugee, is drawn to the intellectual Erich Heller over his brother, Paul. As Hitler's influence grows and war looms, their lives are shattered, forcing them to flee. Paul, destined to be Heller's father, is imprisoned in Buchenwald, where he endures horrific conditions but ultimately survives. He reunites with Liese in the U.S., where they marry and raise Caroline, who grapples with her parents' traumatic legacy. Her love for literature, a family inheritance, aids her quest for peace with her heritage. Through her parents' reliance on books during the darkest times, Caroline finds her own solace. Written with sensitivity, the memoir serves as a meditation on understanding our pasts and the loved ones who shape us.