Anne Berest's The Postcard is praised for its evocative prose and emotional depth, offering a compelling exploration of family history and identity. Critics highlight its rich narrative and meticulous research. However, some find its pacing uneven and occasional digressions distracting. Overall, readers appreciate its poignant storytelling and historical significance.

A reader who would enjoy Anne Berest’s The Postcard is interested in historical fiction, family sagas, and explorations of personal and collective identity. Similar to fans of Kristin Hannah's The Nightingale or Anthony Doerr's All the Light We Cannot See, they appreciate deeply researched, emotional narratives that connect past and present.

The Postcard by Anne Berest is a historical fiction novel that follows Anne, who discovers a mysterious postcard bearing the names of her Holocaust-murdered ancestors. As Anne delves into her family's tragic past spanning from Russia to France and Palestine, she uncovers deep-seated traumas and questions of identity and survival during WWII. The narrative intertwines history, memoir, and fiction, exploring themes of inherited trauma, Jewish identity, antisemitism, and survival. The novel discusses graphic violence, torture, death, and sexual assault.

Contemplative / Mysterious / Emotional / Melancholic / Nostalgic

**Anne Berest**  
An unnamed protagonist who is the daughter of Lélia and mother of Clara, exploring her family’s Holocaust history to understand her identity and heritage as the author of the novel with roots in the French artistic family, the Picabias.

**Lélia Picabia**  
A professor of linguistics, writer, and archivist who reconstructs her family's Holocaust experience through historical documents, living a life detached from her Jewish roots while supporting her daughter Anne.

**Myriam Rabinovitch/Picabia/Bouveris**  
The sole Rabinovitch Holocaust survivor, known for her intelligence and education before World War II, she maintains an emotionally distant relationship with her family post-war.

**Ephraïm Rabinovitch**  
Myriam’s father, a well-educated Russian socialite and inventor who rejected his Jewish identity, failing to perceive the rising antisemitism in Europe.

**Emma Wolf**  
Ephraïm’s wife and a former piano teacher who tragically continues setting dinner plates for her lost children during the Holocaust.

**Noémie Rabinovitch**  
Myriam’s talented writer sister who dies during the Holocaust and is remembered for her creative spirit and work as a medical assistant in the transit camp.

**Jacques Rabinovitch**  
Myriam’s brother, an athlete who holds onto his Jewish faith and is gassed at Auschwitz as a teenager.

**Nachman Rabinovitch**  
Ephraïm’s father, who foresaw the dangers of rising antisemitism and initiated the family’s move from Russia to Palestine.

**Esther Rabinovitch**  
Nachman’s wife, known for her loyalty and resilience during their harsh life in Palestine.

**Vicente Picabia**  
Myriam's first husband, a troubled wartime figure whose marriage to Myriam ends following his overdose after World War II.

**Gabriele Picabia**  
Vicente’s mother, whose resistance efforts during the war aid Myriam’s escape, later recognized for her contributions.

**Jeanine Picabia**  
Vicente's sister and a heroic resistance fighter noted for her significant wartime contributions.

**Claire Noémie Berest**  
Anne's younger sister with a rebellious past, who shares a deep correspondence with Anne about their family's burdens, secure in her distinct identity.

**Yves Bouveris**  
Myriam's second husband after Vicente, who hides from the war draft and battles with unresolved mental health issues throughout his life.

Anne Berest

Adult

Novel

Fiction

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Study Guide

Before You Read

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Before You Read The Postcard | SuperSummary

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Overview

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The Postcard Summary and Study Guide

Background

The Postcard Background

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Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Book 1: “Promised Lands”

Book 1, Chapters 1-10

The Postcard Book 1, Chapters 1-10 Summary & Analysis

Book 1, Chapters 11-18

The Postcard Book 1, Chapters 11-18 Summary & Analysis

Book 1, Chapters 19-31

The Postcard Book 1, Chapters 19-31 Summary & Analysis

Book 2: “Memoirs of a Jewish Child Without a Synagogue”

Book 2

The Postcard Book 2 Summary & Analysis

Book 3: “First Names”

Book 3

The Postcard Book 3 Summary & Analysis

Book 4: “Myriam”

Book 4, Preface-Chapter 24

The Postcard Book 4, Preface-Chapter 24 Summary & Analysis

Book 4, Chapters 25-43

The Postcard Book 4, Chapters 25-43 Summary & Analysis

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Character Analysis

The Postcard Character Analysis

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Themes

The Postcard Themes

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The Postcard Symbols & Motifs

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The Postcard Literary Devices

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Important Quotes

The Postcard Important Quotes

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Essay Topics

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The Postcard

Before You Read

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