We children of Holocaust survivors live precariously, with so much trauma ingrained in us, and so many reasons to somehow break free and strive for success. While my survivor parents were adamant about telling their war stories incessantly, many others, like Sam Chaiton's parents, insisted on keeping their stories a secret. We Used To Dream of Freedom paints a poignant portrait of the devastating damage mystery and dark secrets can do to family ties. Chaiton's fearless and moving memoir is a precious gift to anyone who yearns for a better understanding of intergenerational trauma and the path to true liberation.
Jeanne Beker, author, fashion editor, and television personality
No two Holocaust survivors’ stories are alike. Each is unique unto itself. As Sam Chaiton’s revealing, artfully written, and timely memoir makes clear, this is equally true for survivors’ children raised in the shadow of the Holocaust. Chaiton’s second-generation story, singularly his own, is a conversation starter that deserves to be read.
Harold Troper, co-author of None Is Too Many: Canada and the Jews of Europe, 1933–1948
A vividly written, dramatic personal memoir of activism, artistry, alienation, and ultimately, affirmation, depicting a life lived in the murky after-shadows of the Holocaust.
Gabor Maté, M.D., author of The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness and Healing in a Toxic Culture
We Used to Dream of Freedom is a fascinating and compelling account of a life lived outside convention yet guided by the most important human values: freedom, family, compassion, memory, and self-knowledge. Frank, touching, thoughtful, and surprising, Chaiton’s memoir is a testament to the healing and understanding, and ultimately, love that is possible when a family shares the difficult stories, and speaks the unspeakable.
Gary Barwin, author of Yiddish for Pirates
No two Holocaust survivors’ stories are alike. Each is unique unto itself. As Sam Chaiton’s revealing, artfully written, and timely memoir makes clear, this is equally true for survivors’ children raised in the shadow of the Holocaust. Chaiton’s second-generation story, singularly his own, is a conversation starter that deserves to be read.
Harold Troper, co-author of None Is Too Many: Canada and the Jews of Europe, 1933–1948