I DIDN'T SAY GOODBYE

New York; E. P. Dutton, 1984. Hardcover. Publishers cloth. 8vo. 179 pages. 22 cm. First American edition. With an afterword by Bruno Bettelheim; "Je ne lui ai pas dit au revoir" translated from the French by Ros Schwartz. "Twenty-eight French men and women who lost one or both parents - and sometimes their entire families - in the Holocaust talk here for the first time about their devastating experiences. They were able to confide in Claudine Vegh not only because she was a psychiatrist-in-training, but because she herself had lost her father in the Holocaust, and had experienced similar suffering. ... In his afterward, Bruno Bettelheim discusses the role that mourning plays in coming to terms with the death of loved ones. For these children, mourning wasn't possible; they had to deny their feelings in order to survive. Although this denial allowed them to marry, have children, and hold jobs, it robbed them of the chance to grieve for their losses. At last, these interviews afforded the opportunity to mourn; and for those interviewed, as well as for the reader, they are an unforgettable experience. " (dustjacket description) Subjects: Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945) - France - Personal narratives. Jewish children - France - Biography. Holocaust survivors - France - Biography. Jews - France - Biography. Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945) - Psychological aspects. Very good condition in good jacket. (HOLO2-102-31).