Unearthed

Reviews

“An unflagging hunt through the darkest period of Jewish history yields treasure for a passionate researcher…. Notable is the way the horror of the Holocaust ups the ante on every discovery. Nothing stopped Frank as she traveled back and forth to Europe and later Canada, peeling back the veil and ending the silence on mass killings, brutal betrayals, and foiled escapes as well as bright flickers of courage and rebellion….After the mystery of Franya was solved, new parts of the story emerged to yield unexpected satisfaction. Frank's attitude and rigorous self-reflection will be a beacon to the many people profoundly affected by generational trauma. An unflinching project that succeeds as a small victory against the erasure of the Holocaust.”—Kirkus Reviews "Meryl Frank has written a deeply moving and compelling book. It reads like a mystery thriller. This is a gripping story, beautifully told."—Ambassador (Ret.) Stuart E. Eizenstat, Chairman of the US Holocaust Memorial Council and author of Imperfect Justice: Looted Assets, Slave Labor & the Unfinished Business of World War II “[An] engrossing debut…. Books like [Frank’s] help remind us of the horrors that happen when hate goes unchecked. This remarkable story of discovery and connection will appeal to fans of family mysteries and Holocaust history.”—Booklist “Zechor, remember, is the eleventh commandment of all Holocaust survivors and their children. Meryl Frank fulfills that commandment to its fullest. Her book is a must-read to understand what it was like to have lived, struggled, fought, and died in Vilna and its surroundings. Unearthed tells a great story of courage, faith, and survival.”—Abe Foxman, Holocaust survivor and national director emeritus of the Anti-Defamation League "Sometimes the truth—though memorialized on yellowed pages in a discarded rag heap, stuffed into an underground hideout, and preserved by a beloved but formidable aunt—needs to be discovered for oneself. Meryl Frank's memoir, a meditation on history and memory and a quest to uncover her family’s Holocaust story, is a testament to the power of the past to exert its hold and to demand our recounting."—Ilana Kurshan, author of If All the Seas Were Ink “Thought-provoking, nuanced, and the product of rigorous research, Unearthed is a beautiful and necessary book. In her search for her cousin Franya, Frank fills the silences of the Holocaust with stories and lovingly deploys the skills required to solve mysteries across decades and continents. Masterfully, she shows us the importance of connecting to others and of plunging into the shadows in order to forge our way out. This immersive detective story and memoir illuminates how trauma and the redemptive power of connection reverberate through time and place. Riveting and deeply moving. I couldn’t put it down.”—Ariana Neumann, New York Times bestselling author of When Time Stopped: A Memoir of My Father's War and What Remains

"Rooted in Meryl Frank’s drive to understand and honor her own family’s legacy, Unearthed offers the reader a gripping and poignant reminder that history and our own legacies are more closely connected than we often acknowledge."

—Senator Cory Booker Expand reviews