The Sovereigns

The story of a close-knit family of German Jews during the Nazi era, when hatred and anti-Semitism destroyed an entire generation of families and the traditions they had created. The family's story unfolds through the eyes of the author, who tells of his grandfather, a butcher in the small German village of Warden. A man of great learning and greater faith, he made certain that each day after work his nine children - sons and daughters - gathered around the table to study the Bible and prayer book in Hebrew. As the family grew, so did its prosperity and power, and the sons, daughters and relatives became known as ""the Sovereigns"". The rise of Nazism, however, challenged their strength and pride. Under the protection of the Nazi regime, anti-Semites settled old scores, and in Aachen they often targeted the more economically successful ""Viehjuden"" (Cattle Jews). New laws soon stripped Jewish meat dealers of their rights, and Aryan competitors eagerly forced them aside. But of course that was only the beginning. Lucas's memoir, written in the aftermath of the war, is a moving testament to the power of family.