Amir and Effi collected relatives. With Holocaust
survivors for parents and few other 'real' relatives alive, relationships operated under a "Law
of Compression" in which tenuous connections turned friends into uncles, cousins and grandparents. Life was framed by Grandpa Lolek, the parsimonious and eccentric old rogue who put his tea bags through Selektion, and Grandpa Yosef, the neighborhood saint, who knew everything about everything, but refused to talk of his own
past.
Amir and Effi also collected information about what happened Over There. This was more difficult than collecting relatives; nobody would tell them any details because they weren't yet Old Enough. The intrepid pair won't let this stop them, and their quest for knowledge results in adventures both funny and alarming, as they try to unearth their neighbors' stories. As Amir grows up, his obsession with understanding the Holocaust remains with him, and finally Old Enough to know, the unforgettable cast of
characters that populate his world open their hearts, souls, and pasts to him...
Translated by Jessica Cohen from the Hebrew Shoah Shelanu.
About the Author
 AMIR GUTFREUND was born in Haifa in 1963. After studying applied mathematics at the
Technion, he joined the Israeli Air Force. Our Holocaust was his first novel. Awarded the Sapir
Prize in 2003, Gutfreund lives in the Galilee with his wife, a clinical psychologist, and their two children.
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Winner, 2007 Rohr
Choice Award
The Critics Praise:
"Amir Gutfreund wrote a wonderful book. He has a keen eye for observation, elegance of language and a captivating sense of humor. I can't wait for his next book!" - Meir Shalev
"A remarkable book, an impressive achievement as a literary creation and in its dealing with the subject matter without cliches or condescension, with psychological and social insights, black humor and a rare ability to tell a story. I read this book in one sitting." - Haaretz
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