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The Story of a Life

By Aharon Appelfeld
Penguin Classics
Series: Penguin Modern Classics
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Brief Description
An astonishing memoir of the Holocaust through the eyes of a child, and an exquisite meditation on memory and trauma. The Story of a Life by Aharon Appelfeld chronicles his experiences as the beloved only child of middle-class Jewish parents living in what is now Ukraine... Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

An astonishing memoir of the Holocaust through the eyes of a child, and an exquisite meditation on memory and trauma.

The Story of a Life by Aharon Appelfeld chronicles his experiences as the beloved only child of middle-class Jewish parents living in what is now Ukraine at the outbreak of World War Two. Their peaceful life is upended when soldiers invade their town, and his mother is shot dead in her own garden. The then-seven-year-old Aharon does not witness her murder, but he does hear her scream.

Aharon and his father are sent to a concentration camp and separated. Memory and trauma combine to create a patchwork of reminiscences. Aharon is ten years old when he escapes the camp into the forests of Ukraine and is overwhelmed by the sight of an apple tree laden with fruit.

Living off the land for two years before making the long journey south to Italy and eventually Israel and freedom, Appelfeld finally found a home where he could carve out a life for himself, eventually becoming one of Israel's most acclaimed writers. This is the extraordinary and painful memoir of his childhood and youth, and a compelling account of a boy coming of age in a hostile world.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780241681220

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 15 August 2024

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Penguin Classics

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 14.0mm

Width: 130.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 158g

Pages: 208

Collections

Aharon Appelfeld Best Sellers at Book Hero Biography & Memoir European History Gifts $20-$50 History & Archaeology History & Military In Stock Books Military History Non-Fiction Penguin Books Penguin Classics Penguin Classics: Biography & Memoir Series: Penguin Modern Classics

About the Author

Aharon Appelfeld authored more than 45 acclaimed works of fiction and nonfiction and received many international awards including the MLA Commonwealth Award, the Independent Foreign Fiction prize, the prix Medicis etranger, the Israel prize, and the Nelly Sachs prize. Born in Czernowitz, Bukovina (now part of Ukraine) in 1932, he survived the Holocaust and passed away in Israel in 2018.

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