The Hare with Amber Eyes

Edmund de Waal traces his family's history through a collection of 264 Japanese netsuke - small carved objects that survived World War II while his wealthy Jewish ancestors lost nearly everything. The narrative follows the Ephrussi family's journey across Europe, from their roots as grain merchants in Odessa to their prominence as bankers and art collectors in Paris and Vienna. The book reconstructs five generations of family history through extensive archival research, correspondence, and interviews, centered around these palm-sized sculptures that passed from one family member to another. The collection's survival story connects the gilded world of belle époque Paris to the devastation of Nazi-occupied Vienna. De Waal integrates art history, European cultural shifts, and family dynamics into a story about inheritance, loss, and the meaning of objects across time. This memoir explores how physical items carry memory and identity through generations of displacement and change.

Readers describe the book as a detailed family memoir that moves between art history and European history. Many note it requires patience, as the first third moves slowly before picking up pace. Readers appreciated: - The meticulous research and historical detail - The connection between objects and memory - De Waal's writing style and imagery - The personal approach to telling Holocaust history Common criticisms: - Too many names and details to track - Slow pacing, especially early chapters - Overlong descriptions of art and architecture - Confusing timeline jumps Ratings: Goodreads: 3.9/5 (35,000+ ratings) Amazon: 4.4/5 (2,000+ ratings) Sample reader comments: "Like sitting with your grandfather as he tells fascinating family stories" - Goodreads "Beautiful writing but needed better editing" - Amazon "The art history overwhelms the human story" - LibraryThing "Worth pushing through the slow start" - BookBrowse

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🔸 The 264 netsuke at the heart of the story survived the Nazi looting of Vienna by being hidden in a mattress by Anna, the family's loyal maid, who secretly retrieved them piece by piece. 🔸 Author Edmund de Waal is a world-renowned ceramic artist whose porcelain works are displayed in major museums, including the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Tate Britain. 🔸 The Ephrussi family was once as wealthy and influential as the Rothschilds, with banking houses across Europe and a spectacular palace on Vienna's Ringstrasse. 🔸 Netsuke were originally practical objects used in Edo-period Japan (1615-1868) as toggles to secure small containers to kimono sashes, before becoming prized collectibles. 🔸 The book's title refers to one specific netsuke depicting a hare with eyes made of amber - a tiny sculpture that captured the author's imagination and inspired his investigation into his family's past.