Elsa’s World – In My Grandmother’s Footsteps. A Family History from Lodz

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In his most personal book to date, bestselling author Andreas Kossert follows in the footsteps of his grandmother Elsa to Lodz, Poland – a city that was once the ‘Promised Land’ for his German ancestors. Kossert recounts his family’s history, from the settlers’ departure in the 18th century, through the city’s rapid rise to become a textile hub, to Elsa’s daily life under German occupation during the Second World War, in the stifling proximity of terror and annihilation. After the war ended, she experienced expulsion, imprisonment in a camp and, ultimately, the loss of her homeland.

Using his grandmother as his subject, he paints an intimate family portrait, and almost in passing, a vast panorama of Central European history unfolds before our eyes, told with great power and sensitivity. Elsa’s life, caught between hope and loss beyond the confines of national identities, exemplifies the great European drama of nationalism and war – and could therefore scarcely be more relevant today.

“A unique insight into the 20th century – and into a strong woman. ‘Elsa’s World’ is written in a wonderfully vivid style, full of empathy and subtlety. A book grounded in profound knowledge, yet one that moves us deeply.” Christopher Clark

“Andreas Kossert follows in his grandmother’s footsteps with the meticulousness of a historian and the empathy of a grandson. ‘Elsa’s World’ is a plea for a life in between: between countries, languages and cultures. It is stories like these that should form the history we teach our children.” Karolina Kuszyk