Morrill Memorial Library is honored to host author Irene Stern Frielich to talk about her book, Shattered Stars, Healing Hearts: Unraveling My Father's Holocaust Survival Story, on Wednesday, October 30 starting at 7:00pm in the Simoni Room.

In this multimedia presentation, Irene retraces the Stern-Herzfeld family's footsteps as they escape their comfortable home in Germany on Kristallnacht in 1938 and cross the border to the Netherlands. The family lives there in relative safety until the Nazis invade and turn their world upside down. Using photos, interviews, and audio and video recordings, Irene brings to life the period from 1938 through liberation in 1945. She introduces the people and places portrayed in her memoir, including a baker, a coffee roaster, farmers, clergy, and officials, many of whom demonstrated courage, compassion, and kindness to help her family survive.

About the presenter: Irene Stern Frielich is the daughter of a Holocaust survivor. But her father did not talk much about that experience when she was growing up. Irene set aside the unspoken secrets and emotions that permeated her childhood and focused on her education, career, and family. She is the owner of EnVision Performance Solutions, an award-winning instructional design consulting firm based in Massachusetts. She and her husband, Seth, treasure moments with their grown kids, Jonah, Josh, and Josh’s partner Addie. Irene enjoys playing flute; kayaking, biking, and snowshoeing; and she is an avid cook and home entertainer.

About the book: Irene's memoir, Shattered Stars, Healing Hearts: Unraveling My Father’s Holocaust Survival Story, came out in October 2023. The book won first place in memoir at The BookFest awards in April 2024 and second place in memoir from the National Federation of Press Women in June 2024. Irene has spoken internationally about her family’s story and has had articles about her journey and her family published in U.S., German, and Dutch media.

Copies of the book will be available for purchase and signing at the end of the program.

Registration is required for this in-person program. Please register by filling out the form below or call 781-769-0200 x2.