(Nonfiction, 368 pp. 2010)
The Ephrussis were one of the wealthiest Jewish dynasties in Europe, only to lose nearly everything with the Nazi conquest of Europe. Descendent de Waal traces the family’s tale from Odessa to Paris, Vienna, and London through a collection of Japanese netsuke carvings acquired by the family in the 1870s.
- Reading Guide (includes interview, discussion questions, online resources, etc.)
- Discussion questions from Litlovers
- Article: “Edmund de Waal on Proust: The writer behind the hare” The Telegraph, April 1, 2011
- About Edmund de Waal
- Review by Elaine Margolin, Jewish Daily Forward, September 30, 2010
- Review by Michael Dirda, Washington Post, September 2, 2010
- Review by Rachel Cook, The Observer, June 5, 2010
- Review by Richard Cohen, New York Times, September 3, 2011
- Netsuke from Wikipedia
- Author biography
- Video: Edmund de Waal on netsuke and the memoir (4 min.)
