The Northern Line: The History of a Provincial Jewish Family

Judy Simons

ISBN 10: 1800460929 / ISBN 13: 9781800460928

Verlag: Troubador Publishing, United Kingdom, Market Harborough, 2021

Judy Simons thought to leave her grandchildren a legacy of reminiscences about her Jewish upbringing in 1950s Sheffield. But when her mother died shortly before her hundredthbirthday, Judy discovered a treasure chest of papers hidden at the back of the wardrobe. Reading them, she realised she had unearthed a gripping family saga. It transformed hermission and left her wanting to know more. The resulting research took her into immigrant ships from the Pale of Settlement, Manchester sweatshops, Victorian lunatic asylums, andthe horrors of the concentration camps. This was the unseen backdrop to her suburban childhood. The Northern Linethrows fresh light on a forgotten part of Sheffield history, the early days of its Jewish community and its role as a sanctuary for refugees fleeing from the pogroms inthe 1880s and from Nazi persecution in the 1930s. It evokes the gas-lamps of Paradise Square and the Hebrew classes where lads lay in wait each evening to throw stones at theJewboys. Writing about the past is like trying to do a jigsaw when half the pieces are missing. This book explores the challenge of how we can fill in the gaps. Drawing on diaries, letters,photographs and family heirlooms, it forms a conversation between generations that exposes poverty, injustice, fear, courage and triumph. It blends memory and social history tocreate a compelling narrative that recaptures the voices of the dead. What started out as a memoir becomes a powerful piece of storytelling about difference and survival. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged. Bestandsnummer des Verkäufers GOR011344391

Inhaltsangabe:

Judy Simons thought to leave her grandchildren a legacy of reminiscences about her Jewish upbringing in 1950s Sheffield. But when her mother died shortly before her hundredth birthday, Judy discovered a treasure chest of papers hidden at the back of the wardrobe. Reading them, she realised she had unearthed a gripping family saga. It transformed her mission and left her wanting to know more. The resulting research took her into immigrant ships from the Pale of Settlement, Manchester sweatshops, Victorian lunatic asylums, and the horrors of the concentration camps. This was the unseen backdrop to her suburban childhood.

The Northern Line throws fresh light on a forgotten part of Sheffield history, the early days of its Jewish community and its role as a sanctuary for refugees fleeing from the pogroms in the 1880s and from Nazi persecution in the 1930s. It evokes the gas-lamps of Paradise Square and the Hebrew classes where lads lay in wait each evening to throw stones at “the Jewboys”.  

Writing about the past is like trying to do a jigsaw when half the pieces are missing. This book explores the challenge of how we can fill in the gaps. Drawing on diaries, letters, photographs and family heirlooms, it forms a conversation between generations that exposes poverty, injustice, fear, courage and triumph. It blends memory and social history to create a compelling narrative that recaptures the voices of the dead. What started out as a memoir becomes a powerful piece of storytelling about difference and survival.

Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor: Judy Simons was born in Sheffield and studied at Manchester University. She is Emeritus Professor of English at De Montfort University, former editor of Sheffield Jewish Journal and author of several books of literary criticism.

Bibliografische Details

Titel: The Northern Line: The History of a ...
Verlag: Troubador Publishing, United Kingdom, Market Harborough
Erscheinungsdatum: 2021
Einband: Paperback
Zustand: Very Good