This collection of short stories explores the experiences of German Jews before, during, and after the Holocaust. The settings range from a small German village on the edge of the Black Forest in 1888, to a prisoner-of-war camp in rural Illinois in 1944, to Munich in 2004. Dreifus subtly reminds us of the historical and cultural context – in lightning-flash images of Kristallnacht, or the appearance of a minor character of startling historical importance, or the surprising appearance of Black September in a story about something else. What I loved most about Quiet Americans is its bigheartedness. These stories are understated and full of surprises; they are about generosity and forgiveness as well as atrocity, about kindness as well as survival. ( )

Some of the stories in Quiet Americans are connected and interrelated, but not all of them. Each individual story brings an in depth look into the minds and emotions of those who have struggled with the after-effects and after-affects of the Shoah/Holocaust, and those who have struggled with identity. Thought-provoking is an understatement in describing Quiet Americans. Each story is sensitively written, but filled with a quiet strength. Erika Dreifus has written an insightful and strong book, and shows the reader how emotions have a distinct and definite influence on the way we choose, or not choose, to remember the past in order to survive the traumas inflicted on us. Her word paintings are vivid, her prose beautiful, and filled with the resounding force of memory, its suppression of events, and its remembrance of times past.

Yet, within the strong imagery, lies a resonance of dignity, sparks of hope, and inspiring stories, that I highly recommend. ( )