Belonging, by Nora Krug

Nora Krug is a complex author—a writer, illustrator, animator, and associate professor. It is therefore not surprising that Klug’s illustrated memoir is also complex, in both content and structure. Klug’s book incorporates prose, illustration, comic pages, and photographs in various combinations. More than simply a personal biography, Krug’s narrative gives the reader insight into how guilt has become ingrained into the upbringing of contemporary German youth. In an attempt to learn and accept what members of her family did during the Holocaust, Klug goes on a journey of discovery (literally and figuratively) and shares with the reader both the details of how she went about her research (e.g. interviews with historians, family members, witnesses, children of witnesses, visits to archives), as well as reproductions of primary documents she accessed during her hunt for the truth. Although it’s impossible to be objective when trying to uncover family secrets, Klug resists the urge to accept everything at face value and expresses her skepticism when she notices discrepancies. At times, she even seems to be hyper-critical towards her family’s involvement.

Though the post-modern approach may be off-putting for some, Belonging is a fascinating mishmash which presents histories (present-day, WWII, pre-war), travelogues, popular culture, and genealogy into a colorful collage whose blending is greater than the sum of its parts. Though not a typical Holocaust-themed book (as it mostly presents the point-of-view of card-carrying Nazis and their descendants), it does relate what happened to the Jews of Karslruhe (both collectively and via personal testimony), as well as provide insight into the motivations of Krug’s forebears. Belonging would make a great addition to a library’s Holocaust collection. (Steven M. Bergson, AJL Book Reviews, Feb/Mar 2019).