My Grandfather Would Have Shot Me: A Black Woman Discovers Her Family's Nazi Past

Author(s): Jennifer Teege; Carolin Sommer (Translator); Nikola Sellmair; Adjoa Andoh (Read by)

Biography

Now in paperback: The New York Times bestselling memoir hailed as "unforgettable" (Publishers Weekly) and "a stunning memoir of cultural trauma and personal identity" (Booklist).

At age 38, Jennifer Teege happened to pluck a library book from the shelf--and discovered a horrifying fact: Her grandfather was Amon Goeth, the vicious Nazi commandant depicted in Schindler's List. Reviled as the "butcher of Plaszw," Goeth was executed in 1946. The more Teege learned about him, the more certain she became: If her grandfather had met her--a black woman--he would have killed her.

Teege's discovery sends her into a severe depression--and fills her with questions: Why did her birth mother withhold this chilling secret? How could her grandmother have loved a mass murderer? Can evil be inherited?

Teege's story is cowritten by Nikola Sellmair, who also adds historical context and insight from Teege's family and friends, in an interwoven narrative. Ultimately, Teege's search for the truth leads her, step by step, to the possibility of her own liberation.


Product Information

A stunning memoir of cultural trauma and personal identity. Booklist Fascinating reading...a thought-provoking book. The Quarterly Review A powerful account of Teege's struggle for resolution and redemption. Independent Jennifer Teege's new memoir traces the pain of discovering her grandfather was the real-life 'Nazi butcher' from Schindler's List. People magazine Unforgettable... Teege's quest to discover her personal history is empowering. Publisher's Weekly Refreshing...Teege's heartfelt commentary and Sellmair's objective narrative produce a layer of balanced interpretation and insight. New York Journal of Books Courageous... The memoir invites rereading to fully absorb Teege's painful search for answers, for a sense of identity and belonging and for inner peace. The Seattle Times Jennifer Teege's haunting and unflinching memoir shatters the kind of silence that has plagued some German families for three generations and offers a healing alternative. Washington Post

Jennifer Teege has worked in advertising since 1999. She lived for four years in Israel, where she became fluent in Hebrew. She holds a degree from Tel Aviv University in Middle Eastern and African studies. Teege lives in Germany with her husband and two sons. This is her first book. Nikola Sellmair graduated from Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich and has worked in Hong Kong, Washington, D.C., Israel and Palestine. She has been a reporter in Hamburg at Germany's Stern magazine since 2000. Her work has received many awards, including the German-Polish Journalist Award, for the first-ever article about Jennifer Teege's story.

General Fields

  • : 9781473616257
  • : Hodder & Stoughton
  • : Hodder & Stoughton Ltd
  • : 0.166
  • : 01 September 2015
  • : 197mm X 132mm X 16mm
  • : United Kingdom
  • : 01 November 2015
  • : books

Special Fields

  • : Jennifer Teege; Carolin Sommer (Translator); Nikola Sellmair; Adjoa Andoh (Read by)
  • : Paperback
  • : 1
  • : English
  • : 943.605092
  • : 240
  • : Integrated black and white images