Breaking the Silence Voices of the British Children of Refugees from Nazism [Hardcover]

This is a well structured and well written study of the extent to which people from the second generation of German refugees in Britain have been affected by their parents' frequently silent suffering. The 'children', now in middle age or beyond, have frequently kept silent about it too, in some cases until interviewed by the writer for this particular book. Moos investigates the legacy of suffering, which is also her own, with great sensitivity and feeling.This highly original study reveals the long-lasting effects of trauma for the children of exiles who came to Britain from Nazi Germany, using their own words and with a commentary that is always fascinating and often very moving.This is a very important book.?It presents?ground-breaking?research and contains new primary material: interviews with members of the second generation.?It fills the gap in a field that is, to date, under-researched in the UK.It is only natural to want to know what the impact was on the second generation. How did it shape and/or alter their lives? By interviewing these now grown children, we get a look at their lives that is both qualitative and interdisciplinary. We are given an insight into how fear of persecution and exile of their parents plays into their own lives and how some are haunted by the pasts and others cannot remember because they do not want to. The children here speak in their own words and a commentary is provided that is moving and incredibly fascinating.  Amos Lassen[A]n exploratory research study which contextualises and analyses the experiences of people of the second generation, based around a series of testimonials by people from that group. Some of the most powerful stories are from people talking about the ways they faced up to topics-which-could-not-be-discussed during their everyday lives as children & The indicators of distress that [Moos] identifies among the second generation of refugees from Nazism will prove invaluable for those studying and seeking to prlsª