House of Glass: The Story and Secrets of a Twentieth-Century Jewish Family

House of Glass traces the lives of four Jewish siblings - Alex, Jacques, Henri, and Sala Glass - from their childhood in early 1900s Poland through their divergent paths across Europe and America. After discovering a shoebox filled with family artifacts, journalist Hadley Freeman embarks on a decade-long investigation to uncover her grandmother Sala's past and the fates of her great-uncles. The narrative follows the Glass siblings as they navigate the turbulent decades of the twentieth century, with a focus on their experiences before, during, and after World War II. Freeman reconstructs their individual stories through extensive research, family interviews, and archive materials, revealing their connections to significant historical events and figures in Paris, New York, and beyond. This multi-generational biography examines themes of identity, survival, and the lasting impact of trauma on families. The book raises questions about how people respond to persecution and displacement, while exploring the complex relationship between memory and history.

Readers found this family memoir compelling for its detailed research and personal connection to the author's discovery of her grandmother's hidden past. The narrative weaves between past and present as Freeman investigates her Jewish family's experiences before, during, and after WWII. Liked: - Deep historical research paired with intimate family stories - Clear writing style that handles complex topics - Successfully connects historical events to present-day relevance - Effective balance of personal and factual elements Disliked: - Some sections move slowly, particularly early chapters - Timeline jumps can be confusing - A few readers wanted more focus on certain family members Ratings: Goodreads: 4.2/5 (3,000+ ratings) Amazon: 4.5/5 (900+ ratings) Sample review: "Freeman brings her family's story to life through meticulous detective work while maintaining journalistic objectivity. The result feels both intimate and historically significant." - Goodreads reviewer

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🔹 Author Hadley Freeman discovered the story of her grandmother's family after finding a shoebox filled with mysterious photographs and documents in her late grandmother's closet, launching an eight-year investigation across continents. 🔹 The book traces four Jewish siblings—Jacques, Henri, Alex, and Sara Glass—from their childhood in a small town in Poland through their remarkable survival during World War II, including stories of resistance, escape, and reinvention. 🔹 Alex Glass became a prominent fashion designer in Paris, creating couture for celebrities and working with Christian Dior before establishing his own successful fashion house. 🔹 Sara Glass (the author's grandmother) survived the Holocaust by hiding in plain sight in Paris, pretending to be a French Christian while working as a seamstress and living just blocks from Gestapo headquarters. 🔹 The book's publication in 2020 coincided with a surge in global anti-Semitism, making its exploration of Jewish identity and persecution particularly relevant to contemporary discussions about racism and religious discrimination.