Reviews
An electrifying personal story
"This book, written by Irma’s granddaughter, contains long excerpts from Irma’s elegantly written journals; the passages are annotated and contextualized by the author. For years, Irma worked as a public speaker, educating Jewish audiences about Nazi atrocities and the Zionist dream, and raising money for the resettlement of Jewish refugees."
Combining memoir and history, we get a look at human dignity and courage.
"I have heard over and over again the people are tired of reading about the Holocaust but let me assure you that this is unlike anything you have ever read before about that time in history. This is a story about community and self-reliance. Irma refused to see herself as a victim and did what he had to do to get into the position of being able to help others."
Catherine Ehrlich wrote an amazingly compelling biography about her grandmother
"I definitely recommend Irma's Passport for all, young and old. Catherine's labor of love, her grandmother's biography is truly inspiring."
The book explores how propaganda drives political divisions similar to those we face today.
"Irma’s Passport by Catherine Ehrlich is set for
release Oct. 12. The biography is the culmination of
six years of research into
her charismatic grandmother’s personal memoirs."
Refugee from Hitler Promoted Zionism in Britain and U.S.
"This memoir combines journal entries of Zionist fundraiser Irma Ehrlich with the research and narrative of her granddaughter, Catherine Ehrlich, to tell the story of a strong-willed woman who migrated to England, and later the United States, with her son, Paul, from Vienna, following the Anschluss that merged Nazi Germany and Austria."
Absolutely amazing and fascinating
“What an absolutely amazing and fascinating memoir/history/biography...It was Catherine’s plan to, as she said, “nest Irma’s stories in their proper historical landscape as things happened...History is so much more alive with personal stories and recollections such as these. While most of our stories may not be as dramatic as Irma’s... Irma’s is, and was, important on a much broader scale."
Imaginative, compelling, clear, and touching
"This beautifully written combination of a Holocaust survivor's memoir with the recollections and research of her granddaughter captures the charms of fin-de-siecle Bohemia and the devastation that followed. Imaginative, compelling, clear, and touching, the narrative of an emancipated and educated woman...deserves attention from readers of all ages."
Jeremy King
Professor of History, Mt. Holyoke College
Beautifully Composed
"Using her grandmother’s personal memoir as a starting point, Catherine Ehrlich gives us a beautifully composed and deeply researched story of a matriarch and a family caught up in the dark web of Nazi Europe. In addition to a gripping narrative, what emerges in these pages is a profile of strength and resilience that will inspire today’s readers, young and old, and stand proudly in the literature of the era."
Julie Metz
Author of Eva and Eve
A Historian's Review
"A very sensitive, well-written and researched book about the fate of a prominent Jewish family in Vienna in 1938."
Evelyn Adunka
Historian and Author, Vienna Austria
Inspiring and Satisfing
"Working with her grandmother's journals, the author chronicles the indomitable Irma Ehrlich's war-years journey from a small town in Bohemia through Prague, Vienna, and, finally, New York. But this is far more than a Holocaust story. Her granddaughter has given us historically significant testimony wrapped in a family tale, and an inspiring and satisfying story of a life of service."
Scott D. Seligman
Author of The Great Kosher Meat War of 1902: Immigrant Housewives and the Riots that Shook New York City