The Lubinski family—Polish refugees who have been living in a Displaced Persons Camp in Germany—comes to New York six years after World War II ends, hoping to build a new life. Soon after their arrival, however, a neighbor is arrested by the FBI for suspected involvement in the Rosenberg spy case—and they find themselves in the midst of one of the most notorious court cases of the Red Scare. With the cloud of the Holocaust still looming over their parents, both the girls and their parents experience the difficulties of adjusting to American culture, as well as the burgeoning fear of the Cold War.
Years later, the discovery of a former Nazi hiding in their community brings the Holocaust out of the shadows. As the girls get older, they begin to wonder about their parents’ pasts, and they begin to demand answers. But it soon becomes clear that those memories will be more difficult and painful to uncover than they could have anticipated.
The Takeaway Men explores the impact of immigration, identity, prejudice, secrets, and lies on parents and children in mid-twentieth century America.
Author: Meryl Ain
Publication Date: August 4, 2020
