Book Review: We Share the Same Sky by Rachael Cerrotti

New Release!!

Publisher: Blackstone Publishing

Release Date: August 17, 2021

Genre: Jewish Biographies

In 2009, Rachael Cerrotti, a college student pursuing a career in photojournalism, asked her grandmother, Hana, if she could record her story. Rachael knew that her grandmother was a Holocaust survivor and the only one in her family alive at the end of the war. Rachael also knew that she survived because of the kindness of strangers. It wasn’t a secret. Hana spoke about her history publicly and regularly. But, Rachael wanted to document it as only a granddaughter could. So, that’s what they did: Hana talked and Rachael wrote.

Upon Hana’s passing in 2010, Rachael discovered an incredible archive of her life. There were preserved albums and hundreds of photographs dating back to the 1920s. There were letters waiting to be translated, journals, diaries, deportation and immigration papers as well as creative writings from various stages of Hana’s life.

Rachael digitized and organized it all, plucking it from the past and placing it into her present. Then, she began retracing her grandmother’s story, following her through Central Europe, Scandinavia, and across the United States. She tracked down the descendants of those who helped save her grandmother’s life during the war. Rachael went in pursuit of her grandmother’s memory to explore how the retelling of family stories becomes the history itself.

We Share the Same Sky weaves together the stories of these two young women—Hana as a refugee who remains one step ahead of the Nazis at every turn, and Rachael, whose insatiable curiosity to touch the past guides her into the lives of countless strangers, bringing her love and tragic loss. Throughout the course of her twenties, Hana’s history becomes a guidebook for Rachael in how to live a life empowered by grief.

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My Review 🖤

I have been devouring many books lately that are based during the second World War, but We Share the Same Sky is set apart in my mind, touching me deeply. The heart and detail that Rachael put in this this story is apparent from the first words written. She has an incredible way of pulling you into the dual narrative, an incredible journey of Rachael walking the walk that her grandmother, Hana, a Holocaust survivor, walked.

I have never read such a harrowing tale! To actually meet the people that her late grandmother met, to see the same landscape, and truly immerse herself in her grandmother's life is just astounding! It made me crave to do the same with my family, and actually has inspired me to document my own parents and grandparents journeys as much as possible.

You can feel the heart and passion that went into this project, and it is so well written that you feel as if you too are on the journey. Though there is tragedy in varying forms throughout this novel, there is also a silver lining, a harrowing story of a Holocaust survivor who lost everything, yet found her way to prosperity in family and love. Beauty from the ashes...

Hana was such an incredible woman and her story was one that needed to be told. I am so thankful that Rachael took on this passion project and highly recommend We Share the Same Sky to anyone who wants to see the past and the present so masterfully intertwined, and to hear one unbelievable journey.

My Rating: ★★★★★

About the Author

Rachael Cerrotti is an award-winning photographer, writer, educator and audio producer as well as the inaugural Storyteller in Residence for USC Shoah Foundation. For over a decade, she has been retracing her grandmother’s Holocaust survival story and documenting the echoes of WWII. In the fall of 2019, she released her critically-acclaimed podcast, titled We Share The Same Sky, about this story. The podcast is now being taught in classrooms worldwide. Rachael’s memoir, also titled ‘We Share The Same Sky’ will be published on August 17, 2021 and is now available for pre-order.

❥ Connect with Rachael: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

*I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from Blackstone Publishing through NetGalley. All views and opinions expressed are completely honest, and my own.