But as the European political situation changed during the 1920s and 1930s, life for the assimilated Jews in Vienna began to change. Propelled by the rise of the Nazi party in Germany, and later by the Nuremberg laws, Sonia's family and friends face increasing discrimination. Her travels to England, Italy, and Palestine-where there is little mention of the "Jewish problem"-underscore the dangers of ingrained anti-Semitism. When Austria is occupied by the German army in 1938, Sonia faces the tough choice of deciding whether to stay or leave-before it is too late to do so.
This riveting first-person account includes the stories of Bernhard Wachstein, Sonia's father, a prominent Jewish scholar; her brother Max, a doctor who is sent to Dachau; and many other friends and family members. And woven throughout are the themes of roots and identity, and the stark question: "what is to be done when homeland is no longer home?"
69 illustrations.
