The Secret Holocaust Diaries

by Bannister, Nonna

• ISBN13: 9781414325477
• ISBN10: 1414325479
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-03-15
• Publisher: Tyndale House Pub

Summary

The Secret: Holocaust Diaries is a haunting eyewitness account of Nonna Lisowskaja Bannister, a remarkable Russian-American woman who saw and survived unspeakable evils as a young girl. For half a century she kept her story secret while living a normal American life. She locked all her photos, documents, diaries, and dark memories from World War II in a trunk. Late in life she unlocked the trunk, first for herself, then for her husband, and now for the rest of the world.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. XI
Introduction	p. XV
Prologue	p. XXI
Train to Agony
Boarding the Train	p. 3
Baby Sarah	p. 7
Life Before the War
Family Background	p. 15
Mama's Family	p. 23
Educating Anna	p. 27
Move to Taganrog	p. 31
Move to Rostov-on-Don	p. 37
A Day in the Park	p. 41
The Depression in Russia: Stalin's Power	p. 45
Winter Vacation with Babushka at the Dacha	p. 49
Our Journey by Train	p. 53
Homecoming Welcome	p. 59
Our Fun Time Begins	p. 65
Christmas Church Service	p. 71
Christmas Day: 1932	p. 79
Reflections on Childhood	p. 87
Back to Reality: 1933	p. 91
Troubled Times: 1933-34	p. 97
Changing Times: 1934-35	p. 101
Wine-Tasting Time	p. 105
Times of Uncertainty: 1937	p. 109
Remembrances	p. 115
Germany Attacks Russia	p. 121
Preparations for the Invasion	p. 127
Our World Begins to Crumble	p. 133
Papa Is Found in Hiding	p. 137
My Last Minutes with Papa	p. 145
Papa's Burial	p. 151
Life without Papa	p. 155
Surviving the German Occupation of Konstantinowka	p. 163
The Agony Continues
August 1942	p. 175
The End of the Line	p. 183
Identification Patches	p. 189
Labor Camp, Our First Assignment: 1942	p. 193
The Break: Spring 1943	p. 203
Loss of Mama: September 1943	p. 211
Survival to the End	p. 223
Last Message from Mama	p. 233
Searching for Mama: Merxhausen Hospital	p. 243
New Life
The Final Arrangements	p. 249
"October 1989: Americans"	p. 254
Afterword	p. 255
Life with Nonna	p. 257
"Is This It? Is This All?"	p. 263
Documents	p. 267
Genealogy	p. 275
Chronology	p. 277
Glossary of Names and Places	p. 289
About the Author	p. 293
Acknowledgments	p. 297
About the Editors	p. 299
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