The Girl in the Red Coat

AsachildinGerman-occupiedPoland,RomaLigockawasknownforthebrightstrawberry-redcoatsheworeagainstatideofgatheringdarkness.Fiftyyearslater,Roma,anartistlivinginGermany,attendedascreeningofStevenSpielberg’sSchindler’sList,andinstantlyknewthat“thegirlintheredcoat”—theonlysplashofcolorinthefilm—washer.Thusbeganaharrowingjourneyintothepast,asRomaLigockasoughttoreclaimherlifeandputtogetherthepiecesofashatteredchildhood.Theresultisthisremarkablememoir,afifty-yearchronicleofsurvivalanditsaftermath.Withbrutalhonesty,Ligockarecollectsachildhoodattheheartofevil:theflashingblackboots,thesuddenexecutions,hermotherweeping,herfathervanished…thenherownharrowingescapeandthestrangetwistsoffatethatallowedhertoliveonintothehauntedyearsafterthewar.Powerful,lyrical,anduniqueamongHolocaustmemoirs,TheGirlintheRedCoateloquentlyexploresthepowerofeviltotwistourliveslongafterwehavesurvivedit.Itisastoryforanyonewhohaseverknownthedarknessofanunbearablepast—andsearchedforthecouragetomoveforwardintothelight.