When Time Stopped: A Memoir Of My Father's War And What Remains, Neumann - B+

     In 2001, Ariana, a Venezuelan woman in her early 30's and living in London, returned to Caracas when her 80 year-old father died.  She had grown up in the aristocratic world of Venezuela's elite. Her mother's family had come from Europe centuries ago, and her father immigrated after WWII. Her father had never disclosed much about his past, but left for her a trove of archival material. Her relentless research led to her discovery of the struggles her grandparents and father went through as Czechoslovakian Jews during the Nazi terrors.

      Her father, Hans was the second son of Otto and Ella, a happily-married couple and owners of a successful paint factory in Prague. The Neumann's applied for US visas, and even converted to Catholicism, but all in vain, as the Germans occupied Prague in March, 1939. That year, the family moved to their country home in Libcice; they lost their business the following year. In May, 1942, Ella was sent to Terezin. Otto was exempted because he was on the Jewish Council and Hans because he had an exempt job. Otto was deported to Terezin in November. When Hans received a third notice, it was understood that there would be no more exemptions and he would be headed to Terezin or Poland. The manager of the paint factory hid Hans in an improvised space in the factory. A friend proposed a bold move. Come to Berlin and work with him as a chemist in a sophisticated paint/enamels factory. Armed with a fake identity, Hans, now Jan, moved to Berlin in 1943. He went to work and made himself an indispensable part of the company, a defense contractor. The firm appointed  him and his friend as firefighters for night work during the bombings of the city. Late that year, word reached Prague that Otto and Ella had been sent to Auschwitz. Hans' luck continued when he obtained permission to return to Prague in early April 1945. He survived the war, as did his brother, Lotar. After the communists took over in 1948, the two brothers moved to a welcoming Venezuela. They opened a paint factory with the same name as the one their parents' had in Prague.                                             The fascination of this book is the story of the author.  Sadly, her family's experiences in Europe have been told many, many times. At freshman orientation for international students at Tufts, someone suggested that with a name like Neumann, she must be Jewish. She was so shocked, she called her father, who hung up on her. When the Wall came down, Hans was invited to Prague and he and Ariana visited for a brief time, during which he broke down in tears at the station from which the Jews were deported, but still did not elaborate on his family's past. He did however write an extensive memoir about his time in Berlin that Ariana eventually unearthed. Her commitment, dedication and determination to research her families history is truly inspiring. This is a beautiful story of love and devotion.