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Lizzi & Fredl: A Perilous Journey of Love and Faith

Dr. William B. Stanford
iUniverse (2007)
ISBN 9780595433117
Reviewed by Kam Aures for RebeccasReads (1/09)

“Lizzi & Fredl” is the biography of Dr. William B. Stanford’s parents.  When his parents were in their mid-eighties he interviewed them regarding their experiences during the war.  The process took approximately two years and the result is this wonderful 424-page memoir. 

In their mid to late twenties, Lizzi and Fredl Steiner live in Vienna.  Lizzi is working as a dressmaker and Fredl is employed as a jeweler.  The couple ends up having to flee to France in an attempt to escape Hitler.  Once in France, however, their feeling of safety is short-lived as Fredl is placed into a concentration camp and Lizzi is forced to flee from town to town in an effort to survive. 

The book covers a seven-year period beginning in 1938 and alternates between Lizzi and Fredl’s recollections of the events that took place.  I really enjoyed Stanford choosing to tell his parent’s story in this way.  Much of the time the two are apart, and it was very interesting to see what was happening to each of them as individuals.

Once I started reading “Lizzi & Fredl: A Perilous Journey of Love and Faith” I had extreme difficulty in putting it down.  I wanted to keep reading to see what was going to happen next.  Stanford’s writing expertly grabs the reader’s attention in the beginning pages and effectively holds that attention until the final pages are turned.

The manner in which Stanford tells his parent’s story almost makes you feel as if you are there.  His descriptive passages allowed me to vividly picture the events taking place.  One image that is still engrained in my mind is that of Lizzi’s mother when Lizzi and Fredl left Vienna.  Lizzi and Fredl tried to inconspicuously board a passenger train in order to secretly flee the country.  When the train was pulling away from the station Fredl caught a glimpse of someone running next to the train.  “It was Lizzi’s mother trying to say one last good-bye.  She tried to keep up with the train, frantically waving a white handkerchief.  Spying her mother, Lizzi felt her heart sink; she fought back tears, and her throat pained her as she tried to swallow her anguish.  A flood of emotions filled her heart.  It was almost unbearable.  And, tragically, she couldn’t acknowledge her mother’s presence.” (p.4)  The entire book is written in the same manner, allowing you to get a solid grasp on everything that happens.

Stanford has transformed his parent’s memories into an excellent bound work.  There are photos and copies of relevant documents throughout the memoir, which add immensely to the reading experience.  Lizzi and Fredl’s story is a powerful one and I highly recommend this excellent book!

 

  

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