The Ashes of Innocence

A Memoir

Non-Fiction - Autobiography
366 Pages
Reviewed on 03/14/2009
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    Book Review

Reviewed by Anne Boling for Readers' Favorite

This is an emotionally-charged book. Alexandra Tesluk’s childhood was one of abuse; it almost broke her spirit, but not quite. People with less resilience would have shattered under the cruelty she lived with daily. The story begins by describing life with a cold and distant mother and brutal stepfather. She continues by sharing information about her relationships with her sister, ex-husband, son, and daughter, etc. Throughout her life, she searched for her father. He was her hope in the darkest of times. She imagined him speaking with her, holding her and loving her unconditionally. Alexandra Tesluk found the peace of forgiveness.

Tesluk is a courageous woman. I hope she discovers the truth of her father someday. The Ashes of Innocence is an intimate look inside the life of a DP. We have heard and read of the cruel treatment of the Jewish people in the death camps, but rarely do we hear the story from this angle. Tesluk writes in a conversational style. I felt as though I was sitting with a friend and she was sharing with me.