In this astonishing story that “reads like a thriller and is so, so timely” (BuzzFeed) Ariana Neumann dives into the secrets of her father’s past: “Like Anne Frank’s diary, it offers a story that needs to be told and heard” (Booklist, starred review). In 1941, the first Neumann family member was taken by the Nazis, arrested in German-occupied Czechoslovakia for bathing in a stretch of river … bathing in a stretch of river forbidden to Jews. He was transported to Auschwitz. Eighteen days later his prisoner number was entered into the morgue book.
Of thirty-four Neumann family members, twenty-five were murdered by the Nazis. One of the survivors was Hans Neumann, who, to escape the German death net, traveled to Berlin and hid in plain sight under the Gestapo’s eyes. What Hans experienced was so unspeakable that, when he built an industrial empire in Venezuela, he couldn’t bring himself to talk about it. All his daughter Ariana knew was that something terrible had happened.
When Hans died, he left Ariana a small box filled with letters, diary entries, and other memorabilia. Ten years later Ariana finally summoned the courage to have the letters translated, and she began reading. What she discovered launched her on a worldwide search that would deliver indelible portraits of a family loving, finding meaning, and trying to survive amid the worst that can be imagined.
A “beautifully told story of personal discovery” (John le Carré), When Time Stopped is an unputdownable detective story and an epic family memoir, spanning nearly ninety years and crossing oceans. Neumann brings each relative to vivid life, and this “gripping, expertly researched narrative will inspire those looking to uncover their own family histories” (Publishers Weekly).
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My mother is the only member of her family by leaving Poland by the under ground railroad to Russia who survived the Holocaust.this well written and well researched book is amazing.written by the daughter of the the main character her father.It helped me understand my mother.could not put it down.
This is a wonderfully written book that tells the story of one woman’s father and his family who were Jews in Czechoslovakia through WWII. Her father never talked about the war but after he died he left her a box of letters, personal belonging, ID cards, etc. With this information in hand, she took several years to piece together the life of her father and his immediate family. It detailed those who survived and how they did and also those who did not survive. It further went on to tell of their lives after the war and how they coped with their feelings. Excellent book and so well written
When Time Stopped is beautiful, deeply moving, and extraordinary in its reach and its depth. I felt such kinship with the way in which Ariana Neumann moved through the world in her journey. It is absolutely remarkable.
4.5 Stars
I’ve read much more historical fiction in regards to WW2 and the Holocaust than I have non-fiction. While they are often based on factual events and enlighten me on new and varying factors during that time, it’s nothing like reading well-written non-fiction like this memoir.
Ariana Neumann has taken the reader on a journey, detailing her time with her father, post WW2, when she was blissfully unaware of his traumatic past. She only saw occasional hints of it’s affect on her current day father and was often confused since he refused to talk about it.
After his death, she has now invited us into her fathers past after she herself has meticulously researched, interviewed, and acquired information to create a timeline of events starting with Hitler’s succession, through WW2, to present day and what those years meant for her father and the lives of her extended paternal family.
The author did a fantastic job of connecting the reader to her family and evoking empathy. These weren’t just faces among the many, but real individuals that the reader gets to know, root, and grieve for. When time stopped is a powerful addition to the genre.
The author did an unbelievable job unearthing information about her extended family and their lives during World War 2. Reading about the treatment and survival of so few during this time was heart breaking. Her father’s life was filled with such drama and her writing of this book was a true gift to all who read it.
I learned so much.
Semi fictional account of family history during Nazi occupation.
Haunting tale; beautifully, brutally, and sympathetically written.
What a story and it’s true
I enjoyed reading this book for it’s Historical dialog. I seem to be Interested in survival of the Holocaust & know that SOME folks won their strife. This was indeed a great book put together with saved letters from all parts of the family & friends.
Impressive research
Haunting, heartbreaking
Carefully researched history of the author’s father and his family/friends in WW II Prague and Germany. A few awkward phrases could have been made less so with more meticulous editing. Heartbreaking story.
It was hard to maintain my interest.
I learned much about a family’s struggles to survive persecution and was inspired by their courage.
Speaking of books that make me say wow, When Time Stopped: A Memoir of My Father’s War and What Remains by Ariana Neumann is an amazing look into the life of her family during World War II. I laughed, I teared up, and I learned a lot about the Neumann’s and what it was like during the war.
I was incredibly impressed by When Time Stopped. Neumann’s writing is exquisite, and I can tell that so much research went into this book. I listened to the audio, but I also purchased and read the physical book as well which I find necessary to get the full experience. The story she tells is aided by many photos, letters, and other various photocopies of things that she found on her journey to get her father’s story during the war, and it really enhanced my entire reading journey. The audio itself was excellent as well and the narrator, Rebecca Lowman, did an amazing job. I loved her voice and inflections, and it could have been the author reading her own book from the way it came to life for me.
There is so much courage in When Time Stopped and I’m so happy that Neumann shared her journey with us. Her dad was an incredible man and this book will tell you so much about life during the war. Her dad may not have been in a camp, but we also get a sense of what went on there thanks to the many stories and letters she shares throughout the book.
If you are looking for a memoir or even just a nonfiction book that talks about WWII I highly recommend When Time Stopped. It was so informative and perfectly written, and the audio was exceptional too. It may be about one family, but there is also so much more. If Neumann chooses to write anything else I am definitely here for it, and I already have another book to add to my top 10 for this year thanks to reading this! Thank you to Ariana Neumann for sharing your father’s story along with so many others.
Thank you to Libro.fm and the publisher for my advance listening copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.
I read a promo which included an excerpt from the book, which was a narrative from the author’s father about his escape from the Nazi order to be transported and his daring to choose to go to Germany to escape. The excerpt was engaging, so I read the book. The vast majority of the book is the author’s attempt to reconstruct her father’s history before the war, and her discovery of the extended family she has left. For me, those portions of the book were slow moving and I found it difficult to remember names/relationships. The excerpted portion, and others that were actually her father’s writing, did not appear until about page 200. Overall it was an ok read, but I was disappointed that it did not have the prospective or pacing of the excerpt.
When Time Stopped is a haunting tale of exploration by a daughter who wants to know her father’s history. Her father, Hans Neumann is now in Venezuela raising a daughter with his wife but his silence is noticed by Arianna. He leaves her the clues to unlock his past, the past of his family in Czechoslovakia during WWII. The author’s persistence pays off. I found this a captivating read.
Utterly riveting: Ms. Neumann’s memoir reads like a detective novel, as she unravels her late father’s complex, agonizing yet inspiring trajectory. Conjuring the lives of her relatives murdered in the Holocaust, she brings their lost world to vivid life.
Ariana Neumann’s beautiful, meticulously researched memoir is an extraordinarily moving story of a family’s lost history, a father’s well-kept secret, and a daughter who pieces it all together with courage, tenacity, and most of all, love.