As a young woman, Anna Sput-Stern was caught in the midst of the German invasion of Poland in the Second World War, and was to suffer the pain of exile, labour camps, illness and indescribable loss.
‘On the Other Side of the River’ is a collection of stories based on the experiences of Anna and those around her during and after the Holocaust. Divided into two parts, the first part recounts stories about the immense hardship suffered by ordinary people during the War, while the second focuses on life after the War, and the difficulties – and occasional humour – faced by displaced people forced to settle in new countries and cultures.
These are life stories written with compassion and insight, and with the quiet authority of one who writes from one’s own experience. While the tragedy of what has been endured is never far from the surface, a compelling sense of optimism runs through the collection, as does an unshakable conviction in the strength of the human spirit.