{"title":"Karen Kirsten","description":"\u003cp\u003eWelcome to the collection of works by the talented author, Karen Kirsten, whose engaging narratives captivate readers through her intricate storytelling and profound insights. Specialising in the genre of Biography \u0026amp; Memoir, her books offer a window into the uniquely human experience, reflecting both the extraordinary and the everyday.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAmong her noteworthy works is \u003cem\u003eIrena's Gift\u003c\/em\u003e, a compelling narrative that weaves history with personal accounts to provide a moving portrayal of resilience and hope. Karen Kirsten has a remarkable ability to transport readers into the lives of her subjects, offering intimate glimpses that resonate deeply and linger long after the last page is turned.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eKaren Kirsten's writing is characterised by its rich detail and emotional depth, making her books essential reads for anyone looking to explore the complexities of real-life stories told with honesty and grace. Delve into her collection to experience biographies and memoirs that enlighten and inspire.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"irenas-gift-by-karen-kirsten-9781761340055","title":"Irena's Gift","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf we seal off the past, how will we ever know the truth?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn 1942, in Nazi-occupied Poland, a Jewish child was smuggled out of the Warsaw ghetto in a backpack. That child was Karen Kirsten's mother, but she knew nothing about this extraordinary event until one day a letter arrived from a stranger.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAfter Karen eventually discovered the grandparents she loved dearly were in fact not her biological grandparents, she travelled the globe to uncover her family's past and to find the answers to baffling questions—why did her adoptive grandmother treat Karen's mother so unkindly? Why did she hide the truth that she was her mother's aunt? And why, if she appeared to dislike Karen's mother, did she risk her life to save her and bring her to Australia?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eIrena's Gift\u003c\/em\u003e weaves together a mystery, history, and memoir to tell the story of a family torn apart by war. From the glittering concert halls of interbellum Warsaw to the vermin-infested prison where a Jewish woman negotiates with an SS officer to save her sister's child, \u003cem\u003eIrena's Gift\u003c\/em\u003e is about the lies we tell to survive and what happens when those lies unravel. It is about the extraordinary resilience of three generations of women, and the sacrifices made for love.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePraise for \u003cem\u003eIrena's Gift\u003c\/em\u003e:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e'Deeply moving and beautifully written... \u003cem\u003eIrena's Gift\u003c\/em\u003e deserves to become a classic of the memoir genre.' – Lucy Adlington, author of \u003cem\u003eThe Dressmakers of Auschwitz: The True Story of the Women Who Sewed to Survive\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e'\u003cem\u003eIrena's Gift\u003c\/em\u003e interrogates the messy complexity of family, both its tenderness and nurture but also its corrosive anger and rejection. It's a disturbing investigation into the power of secrets to harm and to haunt.' – Geraldine Brooks\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e'In \u003cem\u003eIrena's Gift\u003c\/em\u003e, Karen Kirsten proves yet again that family stories and densities of human affection, when they ran up against that calamity we call the Holocaust, are as individual as fingerprints. News withheld, and what is passed on in doubt and affections, is always dramatic if it can be creatively depicted, and Karen Kirsten more than fulfils that task of narration and enchantment here.' – Tom Keneally\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e'An extraordinary story of how secrets and lies can tear a family apart.' – Maya Lee, author of \u003cem\u003eThe Nazis Knew My Name\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e'This is a story of extraordinary women, survival and sacrifice. A must read.' – Tara Moss, human rights and disability advocate, and author of \u003cem\u003eThe War Widow\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eThe Ghosts of Paris\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e'This is one of the best second-generation Holocaust books ever published. I loved it and couldn't put it down.' – Ariana Neumann, author of \u003cem\u003eWhen Time Stopped\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e'Compulsive enough to read in a single sitting, this is ultimately a story of love, healing, hope and humanity that will tug at your heartstrings.' – Sue Smethurst, author of \u003cem\u003eThe Freedom Circus\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e'To read \u003cem\u003eIrena's Gift\u003c\/em\u003e is to bear witness to a woman grappling with complex and important questions about stories, ownership, and identity. Kirsten's meticulous research makes for incredibly compelling reading... A deeply personal narrative to interrogate and reveal universal truths and a must-read memoir.' – Better Reading\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46372505026796,"sku":"9781761340055","price":36.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/2701703482815.jpg?v=1744819166"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.live\/collections\/karen-kirsten.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}