Elena

Gold, Miriam

£25.00

A refugee twice before she was 17, training in medicine in Sheffield during World War 2, Elena Zadik was as brilliant a doctor as she was terrible a driver (she never took a test). Following her childhood in Ukraine during the Russian civil war in a tiny Jewish family to a briefly peaceful childhood in Germany, then to the UK as lone teenage refugee in 1937, the story shows Elena breaking glass ceilings to become a doctor. Practising in working class Sheffield she sees terrible deprivation and rejoices at the founding of the NHS, to which she gives 40 years’ service. She finds belonging in a Lancastrian mill and mining town as a GP, witnessing the destruction of the 1980s on the industry and culture of the town, as her own career and life wanes. Her parents die in Auschwitz, she spends decades fighting for restitution, and then shares the money she receives among hergrandchildren.

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Publish Date: 22/08/2024

Description

This is the story of the ordinary extraordinary life of Dr Elena Zadik.

‘Each page of this book contains treasures’ – Lizzy Stewart, author of Alison

Lives were bent in the furnaces of the twentieth century, but Elena Zadik was unbroken. With a stethoscope, a jar of herring and a hearing aid occasionally switched on, she forged an extraordinary life. Elena ran through the twentieth century without looking back.

A refugee twice before she was 17, she broke glass ceilings to become a doctor during World War 2. She was as brilliant a doctor as she was terrible a driver (she never took a test). Finding community, falling in love and starting a family in Sheffield while her parents were imprisoned and killed in Auschwitz, she swam against the odds with courage and tenacity.

Miriam gathers the threads of her Granny’s story, reflecting on their unconventional relationship and how trauma travels down through the generations in this gorgeous brocade of illustration and collage.

Granny was an unintentionally hilarious woman, often difficult, always opinionated and deeply resourceful. Her hands were always busy and form the heart of this timely, irresistible graphic story of the ordinary extraordinary resilience of women.

A heartfelt and charming graphic memoir of love, family and fearless women.

Additional information

Weight 674 g
Dimensions 224 × 161 × 22 mm
Author

Publisher

Imprint

Cover

Hardback

Pages

200

Language

English

Edition

Graphic ed

Dewey

741.5 (edition:23)

Readership

General – Trade / Code: K