By fictionalizing gaps in the historical record, Berest gives voice and life to ancestors who were otherwise reduced to statistics. Critical Reception
The book examines how the horrors of the Holocaust and the experiences of survivors impact their descendants.
The narrative begins when a postcard arrives bearing the names of four of Berest's ancestors—Ephraïm, Emma, Noémie, and Jacques—who were all killed at Auschwitz in 1942. Years later, prompted by an antisemitic incident at her daughter's school and a desire to understand her heritage, Berest launches a meticulous investigation with her mother, Lélia, to find the sender.
