Out of the Shoebox: An Autobiographic Mystery By Yaron Reshef

Yaron Reshef apologizes for the sometimes choppy reading of the text. For a large part the book is taken from his notes as he is on his discovery journey. He truthfully states that approach sometimes led to contradictory information or restating some information from a new resource. As an amateur genealogist, I can appreciate the real struggle he went through in the beginning of his quest. About halfway through the book those rough elements smooth out as information is coming in greater quantities and in less time. In the end you realize you have been taken on an emotional trip that leaves you with tears of sadness for the story told and tears of gladness for Yaron's discovery.

The most remarkable observation pairs the reaction of the WWII era population to the holocaust and the reaction of the populations one and two generations later. I don't think those images will be soon shaken from my memory. History, Mystery, Nonfiction This book was recommended to members of a Facebook group for genealogists, and I am glad I read it.
If you are looking for a strong narrative, you may be bored by the way the story is told. If you are familiar with a research process, you will understand the frustration when you cannot find the proof you need and the elation when evidence shows up in unexpected places. Reshef begins with his research diary and he adds transcriptions of diaries and his remembrances of family stories when his mother had difficulty in disclosing and discussing what happened to people she loved.
I recommend this book to all genealogists and keepers of family history. Out of the Shoebox: An Autobiographic Mystery An amazing journey

This is a highly personal tale of an Israeli unraveling his family's past. Most of them died in the Holocaust in the Ukraine. The saga unfolds with the help of civil servants and regular folks. This book like all books about the Holocaust touch my life in more ways them one. I was honored to meet another family who who endured so much, so that we might remember, that life will go on. I received this as a promotion to facilitate an honest and unbiased review.

Even though I read many genres of books, my favorite genre to read is non-fiction about the Holocaust, survivors, and how they overcame what they went through. It fascinates me. I just don't understand how anyone let things get so out of hand, turning a blind eye for so long, not to mention those who think it never happened no matter how much is written or even if they are shown video footage of the atrocities the prisoners of the Holocaust endured.

I grew up very near to a family who survived the Holocaust, at least the mother anyways, I was too young and never asked what happened. All I remember is the tattooed numbers on her arm, that she was in her 90's and loved to see me dance, so dance is what I did, it brought her much joy.

This book like every Holocaust book I have read has taken me in completely to a different time and place. This book is filled with mystery that unfolds as you read along. Amazing emotion and surprises are throughout the book. This will be a page turner for those who love history, non-fiction, mystery, and a roller coaster of emotions.
Out of the Shoebox: An Autobiographic Mystery - written by Yaron Reshef, translated by Nina R Davis and Shira E Davis, and published in 2014 by CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. Reshef's pathway to this memoir began with a notification that there existed a lot in Israel purchased by his father, and proof was needed to establish ownership. He jumped right into full-blown research as one discovery led to another, with a lot of serendipity. Along the way he found, A connection that makes the historical chronicles part of your own personal narrative. His research encompassed his family's lives in Poland, Vienna, Palestine and Israel and he writes eloquently of his emotions as different events are revealed. A few years ago, when my mother was ninety nine years old, she confessed that she never forgave herself for living while her whole family perished in the Holocaust. The stories of the atrocities and betrayals have been told often, but each time it's difficult to read about and understand. Reshef's genealogical investigations uncovered his own family's part in history in fascinating detail and the book is a meaningful addition to the literature covering that time. Out of the Shoebox: An Autobiographic Mystery

Very interesting memoir about the author's surprise at learning his father had owned property prior to World War II that was sitting in limbo, awaiting the author's (and his sister's) action to claim it. This reads like a diary but a bit faster paced. I enjoyed it because of the plain language and the history of an area about which I hadn't even known before this book. I borrowed it through the Kindle Prime Lending Library but would have paid for this self-published work had I been required to do so. History, Mystery, Nonfiction This seems like it should be dry reading. It's about Mr Reshef searching for more information on his family's history. In reality, the story is captivating and he captures the reader's interest; we want to know more about his family history as well. I enjoyed unraveling the mystery along with him, and the historical aspect is particularly pertinent as we are losing the generation that lived through that time period.

Mr Reshef, thank you for sharing your story and your family's story with us. Out of the Shoebox: An Autobiographic Mystery Reading this book reminded me of how important it is to know your family history--not just your genealogical tree but to actually know the stories behind the people. The style of this book feels like you are just reading the author's journal as he is on his search, it's not polished but feels real. English I received Out of the Shoebox in ebook version in exchange for my honest opinion. I'm not usually one who reads books about history or autobiographies. In fact, skimming through the description of this book, I was under the impression this book was a mystery, so I agreed to take a look.

The book starts out with Reshef receiving a phone call about a mysterious lot. The book goes back to the time of the Holocaust and Reshef's experiences with his family. He has to solve a mystery that took shape in the 1930's and gradually unfolded in the present. A mysterious lot, a forgotten bank account, a people long gone - along with their memory which were obliterated during the Holocaust. All of these rise to the surface, bearing with them memories and emotions previously hidden away in the shoebox.

What's really cool is that there are pictures included - from the shoebox - giving you more of a visual image of what's being told in the story. While the book has the action and mystery of a detective novel, it is strung together from the photos and stories about real people. It tells of one man’s journey through his family’s reveling, wonderfully heartbreaking past.

Reshef sets out to solve a mystery and is able to succeed at his task, and his determination is aspiring. It is an optimistic novel, and if you like historical autobiographies, this is definitely a book you shouldn't miss!
Kindle Edition Reading this book was a memorable and enlightening experience and I thank the author for making it available to me. I read until late last night and finished this afternoon, with trips to the computer to see certain areas and events I knew little about.

Yaron posted this this morning:It was an amazing day. More than 30,000 readers downloaded my free eBook Out of the Shoebox from Amazon and the book reached No 1 Best Sellers in Kindle Store. Most of the readers were people with love and passion for genealogy and for family stories. This is a dream come true for every author, to have readers like you.

In the afterword the author explains that he told the story as it happened rather than reconstruct it into book format. I admit that some cultural aspects of his life is Israel and exactly where Chortkow Poland is, was, and became required look ups but he did it exactly in the correct fashion.

The truths that came to him were stark but the memories, stories and truths that were hidden from him were striking also. He had to wrest information from his past and from people and places who were determined to hide it.

Not only was his life changed but he impacted others in the telling of it and sharing of events and places. Did his father come to him in the night or was he always with him,through every day of all those years? I feel that I know and thank you Yaron for letting me share this journey with you.



Kindle Edition

Out of the Shoebox is a fascinating journal that reads like a detective story, comes across as an imaginative quest into the past, yet is the true personal story of the writer, Yaron Reshef. An unexpected phone call hurls Reshef into an intensive two-year journey, during which he has to solve a mystery that took shape in the 1930s and gradually unfolded in the present. A mysterious lot, a forgotten bank account, a people long gone â€" along with their memory which were obliterated during the Holocaust. All of these rise to the surface, bearing with them memories and emotions previously hidden away in the shoebox. “I had no intention of writing a book. I had no need to write a story in general nor a story about my family and the Holocaust in particular. But life being what it is, sometimes things happen in mysterious, even surprising ways. Stuff that used to take center stage moves to the background, and background stuff moves downstage and center. That’s what happened in my case.” (Yaron Reshef) Out of the Shoebox: An Autobiographic Mystery