ABSTRACT
The daughter of Kindertransport child from Germany Kaethe Loewenthal, later to become the poet and writer Karen Gershon (1923–1993), presents her unique experiences of postmemory and their effects on her life. Her analysis includes an attempt to understand her mother’s writing both as a form of self-therapy and as the voice of the Kindertransport generation, a voice which has accompanied Naomi on her own journey from England to Israel in search of a viable home. The experiences of the previous generation provide life themes for the next generation, all relationships are forged in light of separation and loss. Gershon was cast out of her language at 15, when she was already a writer, forced by circumstance to teach herself to write in English. Naomi has chosen to write in Hebrew. Continuing where her mother left off, she is now writing a comprehensive biography of her mother’s life and work. This article follows the delicate thread connecting between the generations, woven into families and books, creating meaning and continuity despite – or perhaps because of – the tragedies of history.
