The Lost

Noted critic and classicist Daniel Mendelsohn never knew his uncle Shmiel, who died in the Holocaust, but family members who did never forgot him, and they spoke about him to Daniel, who was moved enough to begin a search to learn of the fate of his uncle, his uncle's wife, and their four daughters. Beginning with letters written by Shmiel to his American relatives, Mendelsohn's decades-long search takes him far, including Israel, Ukraine, and Australia, where, along with his photographer brother Matt, he meets with people who knew his uncle and who provide pieces of the story of his life and clues to the circumstances of his death. Mendelsohn's telling of his search is deepened by his commentaries on Biblical tales and classical references. In his search for the lost life of Shmiel Jager, Daniel Mendelsohn recaptures the past in the story of the inhabitants of the town of Bolechow, many of whom perished and a few, all non-Jews, who survived to bear witness to history. A New York Times Notable Book of the Year for 2006.