The Souvenir: A Daughter Discovers Her Father’s War

REVIEWS

“Exceptional . . . a graceful, understated memoir . . . that draws its strength from the complexities it explores.”

—The New York Times Book Review

“Ms. Steinman skillfully weaves her father’s emotional letters into the present-day storyline, sensitively taking readers through Norman Steinman’s transformation from naïve American soldier to hardened combat veteran. . . . The Souvenir underscores the indescribable way war affects not only veterans but also their families and future generations.”

—The Dallas Morning News

“The book is the story of entwined ‘gifts’ resulting from [a] personal journey—Steinman’s discovery of a side of her father she never expected to share. For many, her account could provide an understanding of how the war changed one generation and shaped the next.”

—Library Journal, starred review

“A moving memoir about reconciliation and honor.”

—Publishers Weekly

“Steinman, delving into a metal box that she found stowed away in her parents’ house after their deaths, has alchemically turned the memorabilia therein into literary gold…The awkward, yet dignified, moments when the two families finally meet are beautifully related, and when the flag is passed over to the Japanese family, one almost feels that the sounds of that war have finally been healed.“

—Booklist

“The Souvenir is a powerful testament that, regardless of time and place, the effect of war on the human spirit remains the same. Steinman’s remarkable discovery shows how war separates our common humanity. It is a journey to repair that broken bond, a journey to know  the humanity of those we have made enemies.”

—Ishmael Beah, author of A Long Way Gone

“Partly a detective story, partly a meditation on the legacy of war . . . this is a bold, unusual, and moving book.”

—Adam Hochschild, author of King Leopold’s Ghost

“The Souvenir is an intimate and powerful story of the effects of war.”

—James Bradley, author of Flags of Our Father

“Luckily for her readers, Ms. Steinman . . . interviewed not only American veterans of the Pacific war, but Japanese veterans as well. In this quest, she discovered more than just her father’s wartime souvenir; she discovered her father’s war and those experiences that shaped the life of her family in the ’50s. . . . The Souvenir is a graceful blend of history, wartime storytelling and investigative reporting that dives deep into the traumatic experiences of war. Military enthusiasts, especially veterans and their families, will find The Souvenir a proactive [and] rewarding read.”

—The Jewish Veteran