In the tumultuous 1970s while women, African Americans, and the gay and lesbian community march for equality, three sisters wrestle with the legacy of their family’s Holocaust past. Memory’s Shadow is a compelling story of sisterly conflict and loyalty, the broader politics of sisterhood, and the power of the human spirit to rise when faced with the unimaginable recurrence of tragedy.

Praise for Memory’s Shadow

“Growing up in the 1950s and 60s the Berk sisters are united by love and divided by secrets. All of them live in memory’s shadow, whether they know it or not. Memory’s Shadow is as spare as it is sweeping, taking in the minutiae of each sisters’ life, as well as the enormous historical events that buffet them.”

—Maria Meindl, author of The Work and Outside the Box

“Memory’s Shadow is a moving story that addresses the question of what makes and connects family.  It is an emotional account of three sisters and their relationships, set in historical and cultural backgrounds carefully and effectively woven into each sister’s journey.  It is writing that can’t help but prompt family reminiscing on a personal level for every reader.”
—Cissy Lacks, author of Miriam’s Way and a recipient of the PEN/Newman Award

“In Memory’s Shadow, Gail Benick sensitively deals with a common feature in Holocaust survivor families – the inability to speak about their experiences. In journal entries, the author skillfully depicts the inner world of the three sisters and their fraught relationship.”
—Renate Krakauer, author of Only by Blood

“Gail Benick’s second novel, Memory’s Shadow, is an earnest exploration of the bond between three sisters as they care for their aging father and struggle, each in a different way, with their family’s Holocaust history. A heartfelt book about facing the past and building a future.”
—Nora Gold, author of The Dead Man, Fields of Exile, and Marrow

“This book shows the ongoing impact of trauma, how it is survived and how each person must find their own path through the past.”
-Jo Sorochinsky, author of Dancing with my Father