An Unexpected and Horrific Family Secret Uncovered

How would you deal with the sudden discovery that your grandfather was a mass murderer?  One that would, had he lived to see you, have killed you as well?

That was the situation that author Jennifer Teege, a German-Nigerian woman, found herself in when she was 38 and happened to randomly choose a book from the shelf that would radically alter her perception of her family and the Holocaust.  A picture in the book that she recognized as her grandmother and mother led her to a stunning discovery - her grandfather was the Butcher of Plaszow - Amon Goeth, who was the vicious Nazi commandant portrayed in the movie Schindler's List.

That discovery led Teege on a search to unearth her family's history.  This book is about that search and her personal search to find peace with her heritage.  Nikola Sellmair, an award winning journalist, adds in another narrative using interviews with friends and family as well as giving historical context to what Teege discovers during her quest.

This is an intriguing memoir and shows how profoundly the past can affect the present.  It might even lead readers to wonder how well they know their own family's background.