Letters from the Lost

Letters from the Lost chronicles the author's journey through a collection of wartime correspondence discovered in her parents' attic. The letters, written to her Jewish parents who escaped Czechoslovakia for Canada in 1939, document communications with family and friends left behind during the Holocaust. The memoir combines historical research with personal narrative as Waldstein Wilkes translates and examines the letters, piecing together her family's past. Her investigation takes her across continents and decades as she traces the paths of both survivors and those who perished. The book has earned recognition including the Alberta Readers' Choice Award and the Edna Staebler Award for Creative Non-Fiction. It represents a significant contribution to Holocaust literature and Canadian immigrant narratives. Through this intimate collection of correspondence, the book explores themes of family legacy, survival, immigrant identity, and the impact of historical trauma on subsequent generations.

Readers connect with the personal story of a Jewish family's experience during WWII, told through discovered letters. Many reviews mention being moved by Waldstein Wilkes' journey to uncover her family history. Readers appreciated: - The intimate perspective through family correspondence - Clear, honest writing style - Balance between historical context and personal narrative - Photos and documents included Main criticisms: - Some found the early chapters slow - A few readers wanted more detail about the author's research process Ratings: Goodreads: 4.2/5 (48 ratings) Amazon: 4.7/5 (22 ratings) From reader reviews: "The letters bring history to life in a way textbooks never could" - Amazon reviewer "Shows how one family's story reflects the larger tragedy" - Goodreads review "Occasionally gets bogged down in background details" - Goodreads review The book resonates particularly with readers interested in Jewish history and genealogy research.

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🔸 The letters that inspired this memoir remained untouched in a box for nearly half a century before Helen Waldstein Wilkes finally found the courage to read them. 🔸 The author's parents were among only 5,000 Jewish refugees admitted to Canada between 1933 and 1945, during a period when the country's immigration policies were notably restrictive toward Jewish refugees. 🔸 The book won the 2011 Edna Staebler Award for Creative Non-Fiction, which recognizes Canadian writers for their first or second published book with a significant connection to Canada. 🔸 Many of the letters in the collection were written in old German script (Kurrent), which required special translation skills as this writing style is no longer commonly used or taught. 🔸 The author was just a baby when her family fled Czechoslovakia, and through these letters, she discovered over 75 relatives she never knew existed - most of whom perished in the Holocaust.