Pearl and Krug comparison

[Ashley Harbel]

As I was reading Belonging and reflecting on Sondra’s experience, there were a few things that stood out to me.
First, was the desire to know and understand our past and where we come from. In spite of the two different backgrounds and family history, both Pearl and Krug have a desire to understand what happened to their families and examine how that plays into their own personal lives and understanding of self. Another thing that stood out was mix of emotions that came from both journeys – especially the fear in what might be discovered and how their quest might be received. It was interesting to me that on both sides of this history, we have descendants trying to understand the choices that were made that impacted their families.

This desire to know and understand where one comes from is something I can relate to. My mother was first generation American – my aunts and uncle were born in the former Yugoslavia, where they lived with my grandparents. I don’t know much of their lives there, nor do I know much of my family’s history, as both of my grandparents passed before I was born. Their stories of their lives, growing up in the war, my great uncle being forced to leave to escape a prison camp, my great aunt and uncle meeting in a labor camp – I only know basic details of their lives, as these stories were never shared and now it is too late. I wish someone had asked questions and gathered stories, as I am often left wondering who my family was before coming to the United States.

[Bridgett Paddock]

Ashley,
I resonate with your discussion of your heritage. My mom is a first-generation American. My grandma and family came from Germany after WW2. I know very little of their life or our family’s history. Both books also pushed me to think about and question that unknown history.

[Author]

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