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    Bending Toward the Sun: A Mother and Daughter Memoir
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    Bending Toward the Sun: A Mother and Daughter Memoir
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    Bending Toward the Sun: A Mother and Daughter Memoir
    Ebook414 pages6 hours

    Bending Toward the Sun: A Mother and Daughter Memoir

    By Leslie Gilbert-Lurie

    4/5

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    About this ebook

    “Here is a memoir that takes us through many worlds, through heartache and noble hopes, through the mysteries of family love and toward a beautiful, light filled conclusion. Read Bending Toward the Sun and enrich your life.”  — Rabbi David Wolpe, author of Why Faith Matters and Making Loss Matter-Creating Meaning in Difficult Times

    A beautifully written family memoir, Bending Toward the Sun explores an emotional legacy—forged in the terror of the Holocaust—that has shaped three generations of lives. Leslie Gilbert-Lurie tells the story of her mother, Rita, who like Anne Frank spent years hiding from the Nazis, and whose long-hidden pain shaped both her daughter and granddaughter’s lives. Bringing together the stories of three generations of women, Bending Toward the Sun reveals how deeply the Holocaust lives in the hearts and minds of survivors and their descendants.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateSep 1, 2009
    ISBN9780061959196

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    Reviews for Bending Toward the Sun

    4/5

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    • 5/5
      The Holocaust has many stories and I am determined to read as many as I can. Each story is different because the situation was different for those experienced it and the survivors. We should fight with all our heart and soul to prevent this ever happening again. Bending Toward The Sun is written by Leslie Gilbert-Lurie and her mother Rita Lurie. Rita was just a five year old when the situation in rural Poland became intolerable. Rita's father was taken in for questioning and returned home badly beaten. Issac Gamss's father knew that they should not go willingly to to the train station as ordered. They split up so that there may be a chance that some of the large extended family might survive.They had planned to hide in the forests but it grew too cold and had to find some kind of shelter. A portion of the large family including Rita Lurie, begged for temporary shelter in a narrow attic of a barn.This book is divided into three parts, Rita's story, her daughter and the third together. Instead of shelter for a short time. Rita, her family and some other close relatives lived in the attic for two full years before it was safe to come out. The first part is the most vivid. The cold in the winter, barely any privacy, sporadic bits of food and water and also two family tragedies. Rita's small brother died and then her mother.The writing give the details of the family's daily life in the attic and the experiences of Rita. Rita will never be free of that part of her life. The book shows how her experiences of never being sage, losing her little brother and her mother and her adulthood and her daughter. The emotional scars of the Holocaust run far deeper than the physical one. The mother-daughter story is well detailed and makes you consider how the emotional scars effect the next generation of survivors. This story was extremely painful for the authors to write but it is an important one that we need to read. We need to remember, understand and be grateful for this survivor's story.
    • 5/5
      Bending Toward the Sun was blindingly honest, chillingly detailed, un-put-downable.
    • 5/5
      Bending towards the sun : A mother and daughter memoir By Leslie Gilbert-Lurie and Rita Lurie
      (Scribd).
      The time Is world war 2 and setting is Poland. Forced to flee for their lives, Rita went into hiding with 14 of her family members in a crowded attic. They had to stay quiet and move as little as possible while the farmer downstairs did his best to keep them alive. They lived in these conditions five years.
      At the end of the war, Rita and her family move several times before settling in the United States. As is often the case, a part of them in their psyche remained in that attic.
      This book takes you through the life of Rita and the challenges and nightmares not only she lives with but how it affected her children and even her grandchildren.
      Its a very insightful book , highly recommend
    • 4/5
      This has to be one of the most unique memoirs I have ever read. It's a joint effort between Leslie Gilbert-Lurie and her mom, Holocaust survivor, Rita Lurie. What drew me toward Bending Toward the Sun is the detail that Mrs. Gilbert-Lurie in particular describes the dynamic of her family and the effect the Holocaust continues to have on them. The underlying theme of this memoir is whether grief and fear could be transferred from generation to generation. If that is true, I think it's safe to say that strength and courage is transferable too.Mrs. Lurie is truly inspiring. She is a survivor in every sense of the word. She is a woman who never had a childhood, who suffered such shocking loss at such a young age, yet learned to live a life full of joy. She took what she was given and made the best of it. She lived. I enjoyed reading both her account of her time during the war and also her daughter's memories of her. She was so brutally honest with herself at times, it was heartbreaking to read. She moved me to tears during her bouts of depression. I wanted to jump into the pages, lay down next her, cry into the pillow with her and comfort her in the way she needed but wouldn't allow anyone to give her. Mrs. Gilbert-Lurie did justice to her family. I have been fascinated by World War II for some time now however this is the first time I read a memoir from a Holocaust survivors point of view. She did a fantastic job of writing in a way that pity for Gamss family is the farthest thing from my mind. I was honored to get to know a family who did everything in their power to protect each other, to care for each other. This family did everything it took to survive and instill that will to survive in them all.My favorite part came towards the end of Bending Toward the Sun during an assembly held by Mrs. Lurie to her grandson Gabe's school. "The main message she tried to communicate was that while life was rarely perfect, individuals had the strength inside to overcome setbacks, to love instead of hate, and to influence others to be better human beings...(she) urged the students not to go along with what they knew was wrong, mean or destructive to themselves or others."And that is how you survive.
    • 4/5
      I received this book from FSB Media in exchange for my review.I normally try to steer clear of historical recounts, but when I read the summary for Bending Toward the Sun on the FSB Media website, it intrigued me. To actually read about what occurred to an actual survivor of a terrible historical event and how it affected her future generations was something I couldn't pass up ... and I'm glad I didn't.We've all heard of the story of Anne Frank when we were in school. While terrifying, her story has lost its affect on me. This book has restored my awe of the horrific events of the Holocaust. To live through a time where a leader as powerfully evil as Hitler is beyond my imagination. Although anything is possible and something like that COULD happen again ... it's hard to picture it actually taking place.Reading the accounts of three generations of women who are either directly or inadvertently affected by the Holocaust has been enlightening. Even though Leslie and her daughter, Mikaela, were not alive during the time of the Holocaust, they have been genetically disposed to the fear with which Rita now lives her life. I began to wonder ... "How many generations is it going to take until an offspring is born in their family without a fear of life?"Yes, bad things happen to good people. Yes, there are evil people who will use others' differences for their own personal selfish gain. While I understand the fear Rita has acquired concerning living, I don't understand how a person could let that fear control them every day. My not understanding undoubtedly lies in the fact that I've not lived through a horrific event parallel to the Holocaust. Or, in the fact that my immediate family has never lived through such an event.In essence, this book has opened my eyes and given me a deeper look into and a deeper understanding of the Holocaust victims. It has also reaffirmed my belief that we should never judge a person by how they look on the outside. We should treat EVERYONE, no matter the race, color or religion, with respect because we never know what they've been through or what they're currently going through.
    • 5/5
      This book has essentially three parts plus one smaller one. The first part is told in Rita's voice. She tells of her childhood in Poland, a country that was largely populated by Jews. Her village was virtually unaffected by the Nazi invasion for the first couple of years. When the S.S. army arrived in approximately 1942, everything changed. As a very young child she and her family stay in an attic for two years. As previously mentioned, Rita witnesses the death of her brother and mother. She is deeply affected by these deaths.In 1944, when the Russians first conquered Poland, the families emerged from the attic and went from one Displaced Persons camp to another. Isaac, her father, remarries and they immigrate to the U.S. The second section of the book (according to me) is Rita's growing up years. The family lived in New York then moved to Chicago where she eventually met Frank, her husband. They begin their family life in southern California where they add two daughters and a son to the mix. Their children grow and Leslie, the main author comes of age.Section 3 is Leslie's voice. She describes her mother's behavior and her own reaction to her mother. Both women are stunningly honest. A major theme throughout the book is that Rita never had a childhood and was never nurtured. It seemed that she sought nurturing from inappropriate sources, especially her oldest daughter.*Psychological commentary: (I mean, really, you expected it, didn't you?) Given that Rita's most traumatic experiences occurred when she was between the ages of 5 and 8, every so often her interactions with others seem childish and disproportionately immature. It makes sense, however, that when Rita was feeling stress in her interpersonal relationships, that she would revert to the child who still longed to be nurtured. The scared, lonely little girl in the attic. Carry on.It is clear that Rita is a survivor yet she does not have her own identity. She is vicariously living through her children. Leslie discovers the term "enmeshed" in her adulthood. Honestly, there were many times during this part of the book that I couldn't remember which was the parent and which was the child. Leslie finds that her childhood habit of collecting accomplishments carry over into adulthood. She is the overachiever who seems afraid to have any down time.Meanwhile, Leslie is suffering from generalized anxiety. Sorry about that. I forgot to warn you that I had another psychological commentary. Leslie also takes a trip to Poland where she is background for a cousin's documentary. There she meets the woman who kept the secret of the Jews in her attic, walked through her mother's old house, and became more keenly aware of what her mother experienced. She also discovers that children of the Holocaust survivors tend to be the hyper-achievers. They also tend to carry the grief of their parents on their own shoulders and feel responsible for their parents' happiness.Leslie eventually marries and has children. It is only when her own daughter suffers from extreme separation anxiety that Leslie sees the connection. Leslie tracks down all of her mother's living relatives who offer new insights regarding her grandmother who died and the uncle preceded her. She also tracks down her mother's stepmother who paints a significantly different picture of their relationship.This is a stunning undertaking. I found the honesty in which the book is written to be painful and genuine. It is also striking to see the contrast between the perception of a child and the perception of those who were there and remembered things differently. Perception is reality.The fourth little section is written by Leslie's daughter who is processing the burden she had cast about her shoulders without her knowledge. It is also discovered, at this time, that Leslie is still gathering her accomplishments by being on important committees. When she realizes what she is doing, she gives up her shield and concentrates on being a mother.Leslie is able to convey facts and feelings without judgment. She shares herself openly for the reader, as does her mother, and she assigns her own meaning when crucial to the experience. Much of the time, however, Leslie is objective and open to interpretation.An amazing journey.
    • 4/5
      If the sins of the father are visited upon the son, then are the sorrows of the mother to be carried on by the daughter? Reading Bending Toward The Sun by Leslie Gilbert-Lurie has made me ponder this. Bending Toward The Sun starts out with the narration of Rita, Leslie's mother. Rita and some of her family members survived the Holocaust by hiding in the attic of a family friend. Rita's tale is fascinating, I can't help but ache for her. To be honest, I did cry a bit while reading her story. Eventually Leslie takes up the narration, and the rest of the memoir is about how Rita's Holocaust survivor status has affected her life. For instance, Leslie experience severe separation anxiety growing up. She also felt pressured to become an overachiever.I think the writing could have been a bit better, but I realize that Lurie isn't a writer. She's a television executive/consultant. I guess I don't expect the narrative to be as good as that of someone who writes for a living. Interspersed throughout the book were photographs which I felt would have been less awkward if there had been some pages in the middle for them, or an appendix.Reading Bending Toward The Sun has made me think about how some may perceive the Holocaust. Obviously, we all have learned about the horrors during the time period. What about after? I mean, do we picture those who have lived through hell as ambling back home and living the same life as before. I suppose I make that mistake from time to time. Rather, surviving the Holocaust had a lasting mental effect on Rita Lurie, who battled depression her whole life. It sucks that something like this robbed someone of something so precious, childhood. I understand Rita wanted to give her children the best possible childhood, but it seems her neurosis also affected her children. After finishing this book, I wouldn't mind reading more about the children of Holocaust survivors, as it will help to expand my understanding of the impact of such a tragedy.
    • 5/5
      A beautiful memoir, written by Leslie Gilbert- Lurie. The first part of the story is about Rita and her family. The Gamss family, 14 people, hid from the Nazi's in the attic of a farmers house. During this time, they used buckets for toilets, dirty water had to be used to wash 14 people, potato soup was all they had to eat, 1 time a day and sometimes not every day.Ritas baby brother died during this time and her mother died shortly after. Two years they hid in the attic.This story is not just about the horrors and anguish of the holocaust, its about the depression and the fears and how it affected not only Rita and her family but her children and her childrens children.The last part of the book is told by Leslie and how she always had to be with her mother for fear of something bad happening to her.I highly recommend this book.
    • 4/5
      Bending Toward the Sun is an emotionally riveting and beautifully written Holocaust memoir. The first section of the book, Rita's story of hiding - living in deplorable conditions, watching as beloved members of her family died - is truly horrifying and distressing. Rita's experiences as a young girl shaped her in a profound way, and the repercussions of the extreme suffering she endured and witnessed, reverberated through the years, touching the lives of not only her children, but also her grandchildren. In the next section of the book, Rita's daughter Leslie takes center stage, laying the intimacies of her life bare to the reader in order to describe the way a legacy of fear and anxiety can be passed on from generation to generation like a faulty gene. The trauma that Rita endured during WWII and in the years following the war, wounded her psyche and handicapped her emotionally. What is particularly moving about Bending Toward the Sun, is that this family survived and prospered, with an impressive courage that is truly awe-inspiring.I very much enjoyed the concept of Bending Toward the Sun. I cannot remember ever reading a mother/daughter memoir before this time. Although it is heartbreaking in it's emotional intensity, it was essential to the healing process of this family that their story be told. The thing that I will take away from reading this exceptional memoir, is the strength and fortitude of these amazing women. I highly recommend Bending Toward the Sun to lovers of memoirs/biographies/autobiographies, as well as people interested in the history of WWII and the Holocaust.
    • 4/5
      Bending Toward The Sun tells the true story of Rita Lurie who survived the Nazi occupation of Poland in WWII by hiding in a farmhouse attic for approximately two years. While cramped up in the cold dark attic with fourteen other family members, the young Rita learned to suppress all her needs; both physical and emotional. Among these terrible circumstances, Rita's mother and younger brother died. When Poland was liberated and Rita and her family were freed, their troubles were far from over. They lived in many refugee camps while waiting to emigrate to a new country and begin afresh. They ended up being granted entrance to America where Rita was thrust into a new life that included a difficult step-mother as well as adjusting to life in a foreign place.The second part of this memoir is told from Rita's daughter Leslie's perspective. While Leslie was blessed with the security of growing up in America, the trauma that Rita had experienced as a young girl continued to have an effect upon the next generation. Due to Rita's early loss of her mother, a legacy of separation anxiety was passed down to her daughter and granddaughter. It is this generational effect of the original trauma that inspired Leslie to examine her mother's story and see if she could make sense of the way it had touched her own and her daughter's life. Leslie is a very accomplished woman but she grew up with a strong sense of guilt and concern for her mother. She took on a role of protecting her mother from any emotional upset. Leslie's description of the family dynamics gives the reader a greater understanding of how one tragic event can become an integral part of the lives that are touched by it either directly or indirectly.Bending Toward The Sun is a well written and engaging memoir that tells an amazing story. The strong characters and important themes made this a book that was well worth reading. It is a testament to Rita's strength of character that she managed to lead a full life after all she went through. She devoted herself to giving love and protection to her children and grandchildren. She had an endless ability to nurture her loved ones despite her own emotional deprivation. Though Rita was determined to overcome her troubles, she still had very serious bouts of depression at various periods of her life. It was heart-breaking to read about her depression soon before her 70th birthday. Rita was five when she went to the attic but even at age 70 she was still experiencing the devastating effects of the Holocaust. Throughout the memoir there is not just a sense of loss and tragedy, but also of hope and inspiration. In the pages of Bending Toward The Sun, Rita and her family are celebrated as survivors and inspirations for all.
    • 5/5
      Bending Toward the Sun is a mother and daughter memoir by Leslie Gilbert-Lurie and her mother, Rita Lurie. It covers both of their lives and how the Holocaust has made such a significant impact on them and on their future generation. The first part features Rita's story, from hiding in a cramped attic with her family during the War to her years in America struggling with her past and growing up without a real mother. The second part of the book, covers Leslie's life, who tries very hard to please her mother, but at the same time, tries to understand what her mother went through and realizes that Rita's painful past has somehow affected the outlook on life to Leslie, and also onto Leslie's daughter Mikaela. I thought it was an excellent memoir. Not only do you get to read the stories of two very strong willed women but there's a clear concise narration to it that actually makes the memoir very interesting and before you knew it, you were already at the end. It was a very interesting look into their lives and how the Holocaust had made such an impact on their daily routines, how they thought, how they acted, and how strongly attached they were as a family unit. I especially liked Rita's strength and her determination to be a very good mother to her children. Considering since she never really had a mother to begin with, she made an extreme effort to be loving and to give her children the childhood she never had when she was young. I thought it was very admirable and a very strong trait in her. Leslie also follows in her footsteps and tries to become a very good mother, but also it seems she has to please her mother as well, which can become extremely difficult as you see Leslie trying to struggle with it. The book shows how slow psychological healing and with facing the past and its' ghosts, it could go a long way into healing some wounds that have never had the chance of healing properly. I felt a lot for Rita, who really had no one to turn to, and to confide in, while she was in her teenage years. It truly seemed as if she was really alone in the world but again, as I said, it's very admiring how she managed to be determined to pick herself up on her feet to live her life the way she wants. Although I really had no love for Clara even though she survived through a lot of pain and misery I can't help but dislike her for her treatment towards Rita. It certainly didn't help Rita much during her childhood. Towards the end however, I felt ambivalent towards her especially when she says her point of view of things. It was hard to believe who was telling the truth or if Rita had selective memory.I have to admit, this book actually drove me to tears at the end. The letter Leslie and her sister writes to their Grandmother is very touching and although they never had a chance to meet her, is filled with love and provides some sort of closure like this book provides closure to their mother.Overall a wonderful touching memoir about the impact the Holocaust has on its' victims and their children.