The Unanswered Letter

One Holocaust Family’s Desperate Plea for Help

By: Faris Cassell

Narrated by: Kate Mulligan

"Dear Madam - You are surely informed about the situation of all Jews in Central Europe and this letter will not astonish you."

In August 1939, just days before World War II broke out in Europe, a Jewish man in Vienna named Alfred Berger mailed a desperate letter to a stranger in America who shared his last name.

"By pure chance I got your address...I beg you instantly to send for me and my wife...."

Decades later, journalist Faris Cassell stumbled upon the stunning letter and became determined to uncover the story behind it. How did the American Bergers respond? Did Alfred and his family escape Nazi Germany? Over a decade-long investigation, Cassell traveled thousands of miles; explored archives and offices in Austria, Belarus, Israel, and the Czech Republic; interviewed descendants; and found letters, photos, and sketches made by family members during the Holocaust.

This is Cassell’s account of the devastating true story of The Unanswered Letter.

©2020 Faris Cassell (P)2020 Blackstone Publishing

A must-read for any history buff

An impressive array of primary research yields this incredible story of two families intertwined by fate in a quest for truth, identity, and reconsolidation.

Amazing insight into experience of Viennese Jews

Couldn't put it down! Debunks the myths of Jews passively accepting their fate in Nazi occupied Vienna. Should be on reading lists for teens and up to teach how easily people who stand idly by are complicit in terrible atrocities.

the unanswered letter

I found the story too long and although I listened to the entire story it was a struggle. I learned some history and became invested in the characters but it just drug on and on

Amazing! A must read!

This stunning story draws you in immediately. The author skillfully weaves a family’s personal story with the historical relevance making this an engaging and important read. The Unanswered Letter is a valuable contribution to our understanding of the Holocaust. It is a story of hope, love and courage.

Painful but a much needed read

Too much detail and I needed the family tree to follow. Aside from that... outstanding!

Great story, wish for better editing

Fairs’ story and Kate’s storytelling were quite lovely. I really, thoroughly enjoyed listening to this book on my walks. Later on, Leo’s story frustrated me (went a bit long), but nothing compared to how he must have felt. Kate has a fantastic voice, but the editing was not good and took away from the experience. There was a lot of dubbed in edits, one word, recorded and placed in over and over that clearly didn’t match the tone of the passage. Definitely worth a listen though. I walked away learning more than I went in with. And that’s a great thing!

Incredible!

This book is about so much more than an unanswered letter. The detail and history uncovered during the authors research brings much more detail to what happened to Jews during WWII. I listen almost exculsively to WWII history and I learned so much from this book. I highly recommend this.

Excellent!

Well written with great historical detail. The narrator did a wonderful job of keeping our interest. Highly recommend this account of the Holocaust concerning Austria in particular.

Captivating, inspiring, and relevant.

If you’re looking for a captivating page-turner this is it. Following the author’s first hand research as she unlocks this amazing story is riveting and inspiring. This is an incredibly important and relevant story.

Heart wrenching but so good !

Made you feel the anxiety as if you were going through it yourself at the time!