Ten Green Bottles: The True Story of One Family's Journey from War-torn Austria to the Ghettos of Shanghai
304
Ten Green Bottles: The True Story of One Family's Journey from War-torn Austria to the Ghettos of Shanghai
304Paperback(First Edition)
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Overview
Delve into the deeply moving story of Ten Green Bottles, a testament to the fierce human spirit to survive against all odds. Based on the raw and riveting life-stories shared by Nini Karpel to her daughter Vivian Jeanette Kaplan, the narrative explores the grim times when ordinary people became heroes.
Born amidst the romantic charm of Vienna in the 1920s, Nini cherished her idyllic life. However, as the 1930s saw Hitler rise to power, an undercurrent of hate swept the city, and antisemitism, an unimaginable horror in the socially advanced world of Vienna, became a reality.
In search of refuge, the Karpel family found themselves in Shanghai, China, about seven thousand miles away from home. The city was a bewildering mix of dramatic contrasts, with rampant diseases and poverty for many, and unbelievable wealth for a few.
For Nini's family, this incongruent place became their new home and sanctuary amidst the raging war. Immerse yourself in this heroic tale of survival that travels from the grandeur of Vienna to the chaos of Shanghai, resonating with the strength of human endurance.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780312330552 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | St. Martin's Publishing Group |
| Publication date: | 10/14/2004 |
| Edition description: | First Edition |
| Pages: | 304 |
| Sales rank: | 956,609 |
| Product dimensions: | 5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.80(d) |
About the Author
Reading Group Guide
To Nini Karpel, growing up in Vienna during the 1920s was a romantic confection. Whether schussing down ski slopes or speaking of politics in coffee houses, she cherished the city of her birth. But in the 1930s an undercurrent of conflict and hate began to seize the former imperial capital. This struggle came to a head when Hitler took possession of neighboring Germany. Anti-Semitism, which Nini and her idealistic friends believed was impossible in the socially advanced world of Vienna, became widespread and virulent.
The Karpel's Jewish identity suddenly made them foreigners in their own homeland. Tormented, disenfranchised, and with a broken heart, Nini and her family sought refuge in a land seven thousand miles across the world.
Shanghai, China, one of the few countries accepting Jewish immigrants, became their new home and refuge. Stepping off the boat, the Karpel family found themselves in a land they could never have imagined. Shanghai presented an incongruent world of immense wealth and privilege for some and poverty for the masses, with opium dens and decadent clubs as well as rampant disease and a raging war between nations.
Ten Green Bottles is the story of Nini Karpel's struggles as she told it to her daughter Vivian so many years ago. This true story depicts the fierce perseverance of one family, victims of the forces of evil, who overcame suffering of biblical proportion to survive. It was a time when ordinary people became heroes.
1. In many ways Nini was a typical Austrian in her upbringing. What did she especially love about her youth in Vienna?
2. What Jewish cultural teachings impacted on her during childhood and adolescence that lay a foundation for her feelings towards her religion?
3. Nini's journey took her to self-discovery. From isolation to a world-view how did her outlook on the rest of humanity change because of the events of her life?
4. Nini attended a seder at Poldi's family's home. During the reading of the Haggadah she had a feeling of impending doom. The Passover tale is a foreshadowing of events that will take place. Consider the similarities between her life and the Exodus story. How many can you think of?
5. The book is written in a visual way. Words are used as pigments to depict the events that take place. Think of the story in terms of light and dark as a painter or film-maker might do. If light represents hope and dark is sadness what has the writer done to express the mood in descriptive terms?
6. The title "Ten Green Bottles" is enigmatic. It can be interpreted in various ways. Thinking of the actual words of the song that it is derived from, what other aspects of the title are present in the book? Think of the number ten, significant in various ways and then of the idea of broken glass. Even the color green is important. How are the words of the title evident throughout the book?
7. The book has been written as an exploration of the senses. How many can you find? Give examples of ways that the reader is invited into the pages to relive the experiences of the protagonist.
8. One aspect of the book is that of the strong female heroine. How is Nini the central figure in the survival of the family? Are there other strong women in the book? How do they take control of their destinies?
9. There are inanimate objects that play important roles in the story. What are they and what do they have to "say"?
10. Between them Nini and Poldi are hinges by which the Axis powers swung. They were involved with each of the three: Germany, Italy and Japan. How were these seemingly average people affected by the grand scheme of the waring nations? What did they do to take control of their own lives when they seemed destined to become victims?
11. Nini and Poldi looked for help to get them through the most difficult of their ordeals. How did Herr Berger, Herta Weinstein, Leon Druck, and Mother Laula influence them and change their outlook on life?
12. Nini's father wrote a poem that had eerie foreshadowing elements. How did the words that he wrote years before the Nazi takeover and the war years provide comfort and advice to Nini when she needed guidance?