Caroline Topperman’s Your Roots Cast a Shadow takes the reader through rich, intersecting timelines of her family’s history. She interweaves anecdotes based on her own family’s recent move from Vancouver to Warsaw with stories about her grandparents’ lives in Poland and the countries to which they migrated during the war. The result is a fascinating exploration of cultural identity, historical narrative, and the complexity of human relationships.
The book is an impressive archival project that uncovers intimate details about Topperman’s relatives’ lives in relation to the significant historical events that defined them. For instance, letters from Topperman’s maternal grandmother show readers the emotional toll of war and displacement on her psyche as well as her deep fears for her children’s futures; excerpts from her maternal grandfather ’s book provide first-hand accounts of events such as the Ludlow Massacre and the German invasion of the Soviet Union.
This book is relatable and poignant, not only for Jewish descendants of Holocaust survivors but also for readers from diverse backgrounds exploring their own cultural identities. Topperman explains, for example, how her family’s Polish traditions were “all over the place” and how she continues to grapple with what it means to be culturally Jewish despite not feeling a connection to Judaism as a religion. The author notesthat her Jewish identity, which she describes as rooted “deep in [her] bones,” continues to evolve as she uncovers more about her family’s history and the history of the Jews in Europe more broadly.
Some of the most intriguing and disturbing parts of the book are moments when the author delves into Jewish life in modern Warsaw. She expresses disappointment that many non-Jews in Poland are not educated on the Holocaust, and discomfort that, as in many European countries, synagogues in Warsaw are flanked by armed guards. Indeed, Topperman doesn’t shy away from diving into some of the uglier experiences she has had in Poland, from navigating unpleasant situations at work to confronting far-right extremism. These insights make the book a compelling read for those interested in learning more about modern European society, Jewish history, and the pursuit of justice and freedom within our complex geopolitical landscape.
Though at times her anecdotes get a bit rambling, one of the greatest strengths of this book is the author’s vulnerability. For example, she describes her embarrassing but relatable public meltdown in the streets of Warsaw over bad coffee. She confesses to times when she regrettably fell short of calling out bigotry. Her willingness to open up about past and ongoing familial conflicts, uncomfortable reunions, and unsettled grudges reminds us that relationships with family, both extended and immediate, are complicated and painful but often worth maintaining.
As Topperman notes, “the problem with memories is that they don’t always have clean transitions” and her book showcases that although the notion of objective, historical truth is somewhat a fantasy, the act of searching for something that resembles it is a rewarding way to affirm and develop one’s own sense of personal identity and cultural belonging.
