In a love-conquers–all story, Annette Gendler takes the reader through the complexities and sacrifices of marriage between a Catholic woman and a Jewish man. Ms. Gendler skillfully interweaves the multi-layered story of her great-aunt who defied tradition and married a Jewish man in World War II Germany-- sending repercussions into the next generation--with her own love story.

It is in this seamless interweaving of generational stories that she shows the impact of Nazi Germany upon subsequent generations of her family and upon her own coming-of-age decision to marry outside her faith.

With vivid imagery and rich scenic details she brings the reader into both the past tortuous experience of the Nazi regime upon her family and into her own decision to marry a Jewish man, ultimately converting to Judiasm. Her characters are believable and her grasp of historical details of another time and place make this a fascinating read. It is not a story I read in one sitting as I wanted to absorb all the details but it is a story I was anxious to keep reading. Her writing flows smoothly from scene to scene and across time frames and has relevance from a historical and relationship perspectives. She explores religious differences and what it means to be Jewish,

This memoir is an enjoyable, satisfying and educational read. The images of her family members packed into trains to be transported to unknown destinations during World War II Germany will not be forgotten. Despite all the obstacles presented by the past, this couple honors their love and moves on to a happy marriage.

I highly recommend this heartwarming love story. ( )

I enjoyed reading about the author's live back in the 80's and how she fell in love with a Jewish man. While, I did appreciate the author showing comparisons to her and her great Aunt's lives; I did find that it was not always a similar path. In fact, I kind of wished that there was not so much comparison mentioned throughout the book. I enjoyed reading the book and just getting to know the author.

There was a section in the book about a third of the way in, where the author talks about her great Aunt and how she fell in love with a Jewish man. Again, while, I did like reading about Resi, I felt like the story kind of stopped for a bit in the flow before it picked up again with the author. The pictures in this book are a nice addition. Overall, I did like this book and it made for an good read. Fans of memoirs will be happy with this book and is worth checking out. ( )