Moving and provocative, Api’s Berlin Diaries offers a personal perspective on the far reaching aftershocks of the Third Reich and the author’s own inconvenient past. (She Writes Press, 2020. 978-1-64742-003-1 pbk 978-1-64742-004-8 ebk)
“Api’s Berlin Diaries has to be one of the most touching, intriguing, and engaging historical pieces I have ever read.” Online Bookclub Review
Born in Berlin in 1942, Gabrielle Robinson became a refugee with her mother and grandmother in 1945. Only Api, her grandfather stayed behind to serve as doctor. Her father had been shot down in 1943.
Reichstag 1945
Api making house calls with Gabrielle in back, Suderburg 1946
“I want more books like this that examine the complex moral realities of the time.” https://www.instagram.com/booksandbackroads/
Clip from Api’s Berlin Diaries audiobook
AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS
Nautilus Silver in Memoir and Personal Journey
Eric Hoffer Finalist in Memoir
Montaigne Medal Finalist
Nonfiction Authors Assoc. Bronze in Memoir
Next Generation Indie Book Awards Finalist in Memoir
INTERVIEWS
Interview with Demethius Jackson
ESSAYS AND BOOK TALKS
Book Talk St. Joseph Public Library 1.12.21
Reviews
“Robinson’s honesty, courage, and intelligence are crucial in coming to grips with questions of political responsibility and collective guilt.” Helen Fremont, author of The Escape Artist
Foreword Reviews 5 stars: “As a record of post-war tribulation, Api’s Berlin Diaries is a poignant social history; as a search for an elusive, multifaceted grandfather, it’s a fascinating labyrinth.”
“This is a must-read for anyone interested in the German experience during WWII.” Ariana Neumann, author of When Time Stopped
Story Circle Book Reviews 5stars: “This is not a book I will forget any time soon. The story and the questions stay with me.”
BookLife Prize Entry Critic’s Report “Robinson's critical examination of her grandfather's diaries and the historical literature on the time period make for a fascinating exploration of one of the most examined timelines in history….Api's Berlin Diaries will subvert readers’ judgement of German civilian inaction under the Third Reich, and show that though suffering may pale in the shadow of greater suffering, it needn’t and shouldn’t, be erased.”
A grand-daughter stumbles across a hidden diary written by her grandfather in 1945 in Berlin, and thus begins the author's quest to uncover details about his past. It sounds like something from a movie trailer or the perfect plot for a historical fiction thriller...but in this case, it's not a premise, but rather the real-life experience of author Gabrielle Robinson. Jennifer Borse
2021 Montaigne Medal Finalist: Each year, the Eric Hoffer Award presents the Montaigne Medal “to the most thought-provoking books. These are books that either illuminate, progress, or redirect thought.”
MORE REVIEWS
This was a memoir unlike anything I’ve ever read. I also had to read this in parts, sit down, digest it and then pick it up again…. I loved the history of this book and the love the author has for her grandfather. If you’re looking for a memoir that has history and pulls at your heart definitely read this! jayme_reads