Crossing the Borders of Time

A True Story of War, Exile, and Love Reclaimed

By: Leslie Maitland

Narrated by: Leslie Maitland

Leslie Maitland is an award-winning former New York Times investigative reporter whose mother and grandparents fled Germany in 1938 for France, where, as Jews, they spent four years as refugees—the last two under risk of Nazi deportation. In 1942 they made it onto the last boat to escape France before the Germans sealed the harbors. Then, barred from entering the United States, they lived in Cuba for almost two years before immigrating to New York.

This sweeping account of one family’s escape from the turmoil of war-torn Europe hangs upon the intimate and deeply personal story of the passionate romance between Maitland’s mother and a Catholic Frenchman. Separated by war and her family’s disapproval, the young lovers—Janine and Roland—lose each other for 50 years. It is a testimony to both Maitland’s investigative skills and her devotion to her mother that she successfully traced the lost Roland and was able to reunite him with Janine. Unlike so many stories of love during wartime, their's has a happy ending.

©2012 Leslie Maitland (P)2012 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“A mesmerizing memoir of one family’s shattering experience during World War II. It’s a tale at once heartbreaking and uplifting.” (Linda Fairstein, New York Times best-selling author)

Enchanting!

Everything about this book is excellent--the narration by the author is perfect. Still, I am going to buy a print copy of this book so I can better enjoy the rich descriptions and excellent writing.

Couldn't be better

If you saw this in a movie you'd say it was an impossible plot and that it could never happen in real life. The story of Leslie Matiland's mother and extended family escaping Europe in WWII is fascinating. The telling requires honesty about family members and choices that had to be made. Because she's a journalist, she puts together research and story telling and the result is riveting.

historical novel

if you want to flesh out the real life experiences that are just factually reported this book does that
it brings to life the terrible plight that overtook European Jews as a result of the Natizies . The effects of being torn from your work, life and home and set on a train to your death or an unknown journey for the rest of your life. the author takes a long time to reunite the lovers torn apart by war. most of the book traces one families escape and their assimilation into French, than Cuban and finaly the US culture
In the end the long lost lovers do connect as much as life current situation allows. The books grows on you as you read on.

LEST WE FORGET.

How grateful I am to Leslie Maitland for writing this book. It is truly one of those rare books that stay in the mind and heart of the reader
Long after the book is finished. I highly recommend buying the audio version. It becomes even more meaningful hearing the author narrate her mother's story. I appreciate Maitland's careful attention to verifying events through detailed documentation.

Meticulous writing and research

I'll be honest. I have a horrible time with books written about the Holocaust. It's just so awful to contemplate and it haunts me for days after the book is over. I was afraid of starting this book for that very reason. Knowing it had been written by a daughter was reassuring that there were survivors.

From the start, the author's training as a journalist is evident. The extraordinary level of research is obvious. She approaches the emotional aspects of the story intellectually as well. Where certain behaviors might have been reprehensible in another book, she really adds to the understanding of motivation.

I would hope that if I ever wrote a book about my family's history, I could do it with such care. Beautifully done. Great book club book.

An important story

It took me a while to truly get hooked into the experience of this story, because the author/narrator, initially, did not engage me. After I became used to her cadence, it was easier to be captivated by all fate, threw into the path of the young woman, who became the authors mother.

exelent all

I live in Czech republic.Many Jewish from our city were send to Nazi camps.special stones to remember these peaple are in our city.too.my grandfather died in Nazi camp too

a really good story

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

the narrator was very good and I'm glad she chose to read her own book, making the story that much more real and appealing.

Any additional comments?

Blackstone Audio needs to take another editing pass through this book. Many, many times a sentence was repeated, especially towards the end - where an interruption, however slight, is unwelcome.

I could not put this down!

This book added a personal account to the dry facts about the holocaust that I had learned from the past. I heartily recommend it to anyone!

Excellent, don't want it to end!

What did you like best about this story?

I love that this story is both a romance and historical. I learned alot and have gained more empathy for those affected by WWII