Book Review: The Children of Willesden Lane

The Children of Willesden Lane, Beyond the Kindertransport: A Memoir of Music, Love, and Survival, written by Mona Golabek and Lee Cohen (2002, Warner Books, Inc., $13.95 in paperback) is not a book I normally would have read. I tend much more towards thrillers and murder mysteries, but this book was recommended by a librarian who was recruiting for a new book club. I ended up not having time to read it before the club meeting, but I really wished I would have. It would have been a wonderful opportunity to hear if others were as moved by this true story as I was.

Set in Vienna at the outset of World War II, the book traces the journey of Lisa Jura as she lives through Kristallnacht and is sent alone to England by her parents, who can only afford transport for one of their five family members. Mona Golabek, Lisa's daughter, relates what one presumes is an oral history related by her mother over the years. It is both intense and incredibly moving. The horrors of Jews living in Austria are related factually, but briefly, in the first few chapters. We see Lisa's beloved father being beaten, neighbors being arrested, and conditions in general deteriorating for the Jews. Showing these historical facts as a personal history really brings to life the horrific conditions inflicted by Hitler's SS.

When it becomes clear that the atrocities are going to continue to spiral out of control, a Jewish relief organization arranges for children to be taken by train from the European mainland to foster homes and hostels in Great Britain. Lisa's parents have to make the heartrending decision of which of their three daughters can take the last available spot on the next train. Because of her prodigious piano talent, Lisa is chosen. Placed first as a nanny in a wealthy country home, Lisa is unable to practice her beloved piano. Although she is treated well by her employer, Lisa knows this is not the life she is destined to lead. She saves enough money to buy a bicycle and a train ticket to get to London, where she convinces a woman running a hostel for 30 other children to take her in. As it happens, the woman's son, who was recently blinded, was also a piano prodigy, but now is unable to play. Lisa sneaks to the piano one day, and is stunned to find out that the woman is not angry, but rather encourages her talent. Lisa misses her family in Austria terribly, but makes several close friends at the hostel. Set against the background of the London Blitz, the beauty of Lisa's music is even more poignant. With the help of her friends in London, Lisa is able to try out for a prestigious music school. I don't want to spoil the ending, so I will stop there.

One of the dominant themes throughout the book is perseverance. When Lisa is being put on the train for England, her mother tells her to always hold on to her music. It quickly becomes clear that the music is what keeps Lisa sane through the insane circumstances in which she finds herself. As much an historical novel as a personal and tragic account, The Children of Willesden Lane grabs you on the first page and keeps you turning pages and wishing for more.

Mona Golabek, Lisa's daughter, states in the forward that a piano lesson with her mother "was much more than a lesson in music - - it was a lesson in life - - filled with extraordinary stories of love, passion, struggle, and survival." Ms. Golabek takes these lessons and turns them into a must read for people of any religion who are interested in tenacious faith in the face of unspeakable tragedy.