For those who grew up with parents and/or other family members who were Holocaust survivors, they have lived their entire lives accompanied by the Holocaust as if it were an additional living, breathing family member; a shadow cousin perhaps, always lurking in the background, ready to pounce at any given moment. Ask me, I know all about it. I’m a 2nd generation survivor, or as we’re now called … a ‘Descendant’. Incidentally, I found the title interesting, linked to the notion of escape, being a Descendant and the fact that one canot escape one’s past or one’s roots. You see, I have a phobia about whales! I kid you not! It’s a real thing. Look it up, it’s called Cetaphobia. I know that here the whale is a figurative one, and when you read the book, you’ll understand where the connection comes in. But still, I found the title immensely fascinating. For me, this was an intense and emotional read. The main character Marcia, is a school guidance counselor, having evolved from previously being a teacher. She seems to spend the majority of her time dealing with pregnant teens. She doesn’t call her Mom as often as she should, has pretty typical run-ins with her sister over the boyfriend that nobody likes, and continues her relationship with her own long-term boyfriend Jason, who everyone adores (although people do tend to wonder why they aren’t living together). But what Marcia is hiding from everyone is that she is actually, slowly and quietly, but quite definitely, losing her grip on any sort of emotional stability she once had. She is beginning to lack the ability to cope with any of the shocking news that she is hearing and seeing in the world around her – rather difficult when the Iran hostage crisis is a daily reminder of the harsh realities of life. It’s front and centre of every news bulletin and it’s all everyone can talk about. Add to that the constant background nagging of her upbringing and her mother’s incessant stories about what she’d been through, it’s no wonder that Marcia is craving some sort of escape from her own head! This is an in-depth study of spiralling mental illness and the lengths that an individual will go to, to hide it from others. The numerous studies done into the lives and upbringings experienced by descendants of survivors discuss trauma, or secondary trauma extensively: a form of post traumatic stress. This is surely what Marcia is experiencing. Her specific need to protect her mother from what she is feeling is indicative of so many second generation survivors who desperately feel that they cannot let their parents down or disappoint them in any way. So Marcia constantly tries to do the right thing, hold down her acceptable job, stay with her lovely boyfriend … all the while, screaming for a different life for herself … a life that is less safe, and vastly ‘other’ than what everyone expects from her. Rotkowitz perfectly depicts so many of the complex issues experienced by 2nd generation survivors, and she portrays them so well that I found it uncannily chilling. Those who have absolutely none of their own knowledge or experience of the subject will gain a vivid picture of what life is like for those who have grown up in a post-Holocaust home, together with survivors. This a 5-star read that should be added to the list of vital reading for those with an interest in Holocaust literature. It is made even more interesting by it’s highly original plot and in its distinctively different storyline.

Set in the 1980’s, Marcia sees the Iran Hostage crisis unfold on TV….adding to her own tensions and anxieties. Marcia is the daughter of Holocaust survivors and struggles with her mental health as being constantly bombarded with news events at home and overseas. She is such a great character, I really felt for her. Escaping The Whale is an emotion packed and incredibly moving tale of inherited trauma, life and finding your identity. It’s beautifully written with light touches of humour too. This would be a perfect read for a book club as there are so many parts just calling for discussion.

Marcia Gold is a child of Holocaust survivors. On the outside, she appears to have a perfect life as a supportive school guidance counsellor helping pregnant teens, and with the perfect boyfriend to support her. Yet, in reality, she is concealing her demons, her panic attacks, and is still constantly traumatised by her family’s past. Alongside this, her trauma becomes directly linked with the events constantly consuming the media and her life, this being the Iran hostage crisis, presenting how these conflicts and challenges are still aligned to her life, and even our lives now. She continues to deal with this all on her own, not confiding in her boyfriend, family, or friends that she has, because they are all consumed by their own needs and she does not think hers are good enough and that she doesn’t deserve any help. When she attempts to flee from everyone and everything, she realises that she cannot escape her own self or the trauma of her family that has constantly haunted her. You will follow and connect with Marcia on her journey as she attempts to navigate her job, her life and her relationships, whilst battling her own secret demons that take many forms. You will be tempted to enter the book and help Marcia as you feel like a powerless direct observer, showing the great power of the narrative and the character Rotkowitz has successfully created to be so realistic and emotional. There were so many things that I thought worked very well to create this fantastic book. As I have said in previous reviews I have written, I love it when narratives have a protagonist who is relatable or that you can truly feel their emotions and personality, which is greatly achieved with Marcia and the first-person perspective used. The reader is given detailed insights into her thought processes and her ability to conceal all of these internally, but not from the reader of course. Rotkowitz truly highlights how the second generation who have not directly lived through the traumas of their family, like the Holocaust, can still be hugely affected by the re-telling of these experiences and these events having occurred nevertheless, which I think is very important to highlight. The Holocaust may be a part of the past, something we learn in the history curriculum, but nevertheless has still left permanent trauma for many who not only directly lived during the events themselves, but also for those who have been told these experiences. I felt a huge emotional investment in this character, wanting to tell her that she is good enough and deserves help, which for me is a marker of the success of this book in creating a compelling narrative that highlights experiences of trauma and how these can affect someone’s mental health and wellbeing, yet can remain deeply concealed until they realise that they need help. The book itself was written beautifully. All of these features contributed to not only my caution to put the book down because I was so invested in Marcia’s narrative, but also why I just had to give this book five stars!

I just finished reading Escaping The Whale by Ruth Rotkowitz. I thought it was very well written, although very sad in so many ways - the fact that the protagonist was a 2nd generation child of the Holocaust, hiding so many fears, and not allowing anyone to know what she was experiencing, all the while taking place during the time period of the American hostage standoff in Iran. In the end, I just wanted to wrap my arms around Marcia to ease her pain and hug her until all of the hurt disappeared.

Beautifully written and researched book of second generation Holocaust survivor Marcia, who is living an outwardly “normal” life but inwardly suffering. As we follow her on her journey, we are drawn in to her agonies, hoping she will eventually find comfort and peace. Highly recommend!

Ruth Rotkowitz has taken me on a journey into the protagnist’s mind. Marcia Gold, a 28 year old guidance counselor, outwardly has the “perfect” life. The daughter of Holocaust survivors, she tries to survive her own demons. The reader feels her angst, despair and fear. I felt her desperation to find a normalcy in her life. It is set against the background of the Iran Hostage Crisis. It kept me fully engaged from beginning to the last word. It is with absolute confidence that I recommend this book. This is Ms. Rotkowitz’s first book, i hope there will be many more to come.

As soon as I opened the book I instantly fell in love with the depth of the characters and the incredible storyline that sucked me in. Thank you Ruth Rotkowitz for creating a book that I can reread over and over and find different things I love about it each time. I will be recommending this book to my family and friends and for my next book group read.

The author introduced me to Marcia Gold, the daughter of Holocaust survivors. We see her as a guidance counselor for pregnant teens and the girlfriend of a driven man. As you read on, you see her life slowly unraveling until she has to make some very difficult decisions about her destiny. Ms. Rotkowitz is a very prolific writer. I recommend this book highly.

A wonderfully written book about Marcia, a woman trying to find her 'center' amidst the torture of being a second generation Holocaust survivor. As she tries manage a normal life, anxiety, fear, resentment and despair continually find it's way into her life. The characters that surround her seem to add to her destructive behavior. For a first novel, Ms. Rotkowitz has done a wonderful job exploring the mind of a second generation Holocaust survivor.

Escaping the Whale was exquisitely written and intensely thought provoking, as I am sure it was meant to be. I have never read anything like it. I began it with some trepidation, but was given a character in Marcia, who was deserving of me overcoming my discomfort of this subject. The pain of Holocaust survivor guilt, is piercing and profound, encompassing every aspect of her life... escalating in intensity... The destructive behavior at the core of Marcia’s being is devastating. That she managed to live an apparently “normal” life and give guidance to her students is a testament to her strength of spirit. May she and all second generation Holocaust survivors find their “center.”

You don’t have to have been alive in 1980 to relate to the challenge of coming of age in a world enmeshed in international political brinkmanship and constantly changing definitions of freedom and belonging. Rotkowitz brilliantly demonstrates that the historical period forty years ago was a warm-up to the challenges we face now. Imagine being a young woman raised by parents traumatized by their escape from the Nazis, trying to lead the perfect life as the perfect daughter, while the entire country tensely waits for the resolution of the Iran hostage crisis. How do you take the risks needed to set yourself free from your loved ones’ debilitating trauma? While reading this deeply personal and revelatory book, I couldn’t help but think of all the second-generation trauma survivors, children of refugees to the United States and elsewhere, struggling to establish their own independence and identity today. Escaping the Whale reveals compelling answers in a harrowing yet beautiful story I could not put down.

Readers looking for a novel with psychological insight will enjoy Escaping the Whale by Ruth Rotkowitz. We never know what goes on under the veneer people present to the world. In the novel, protagonist Marcia Gold deals with anxiety and delusions while presenting a ‘normal’ face to the world. Forced to deal with a series of crises, Marcia struggles to fight her demons while keeping up an outside appearance of competence. All this takes place amidst the shadow cast by Marcia’s parents’ Holocaust experience and the Iranian hostage crisis permeating the news. A good read!

A beautifully written account of a young woman grappling with the emotional upheaval often associated with children of Holocaust survivors. Set against the backdrop of the Iranian hostage crisis of 1979-1981, the author deftly takes us into the mind of this high school guidance counselor as she struggles with trauma at her job and in her personal relationships with family and friends. You’ll want to cheer Marcia on her journey!

It’s hard to believe this riveting new novel about a young woman’s struggle with her own inner demons is the author’s debut. That’s how well Ruth Rotkowitz has created a protagonist whose desperate quest to “escape the whale” is often as dangerous and compelling as Ahab’s quest to find it.

Rotkowitz deftly address the theme of inherited trauma, artfully telling the moving story of a young woman who takes on the burden of her parents’ Holocaust nightmares. While her parents survived the Holocaust and established a new life with their three American-born children, their middle child is haunted by the tragic experiences they had faced before her birth. This fast- paced book examines topics of family, love, and self-preservation. A remarkable first novel.

In this sensitive, probing, achingly passionate novel, Ruth Rotkowitz leads us into the haunted world of Marcia Gold, a child of Holocaust survivors at a breaking point in her all-too-American life. On the surface, 28-year old Marcia succeeds beautifully. She is a gifted high school guidance counselor devoted to helping pregnant teens, and she has the perfect boyfriend for “nice Jewish girl.” But just below, everything is wrong. Marcia struggles with mysterious panic attacks she confides to no one; she believes that demons have secreted themselves into her Brooklyn apartment; she roils over the naïve girls she desperately wants to save; she obsesses over the Iranian hostage crisis that is rocking 1980 America. And when her private torment finally explodes, Marcia flees everything, her job, her lover, her home, only to discover that she cannot flee from herself and the traumatic legacy of her family’s past. A Jewish story, a woman’s story, a universal story about our struggle to defeat the demons – both human and imagined – that dare us to fight for our survival, our sanity, our humanity.