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Address Unknown
Address Unknown | Kathrine Kressmann Taylor
34 posts | 40 read | 46 to read
A rediscovered classic, originally published in 1938 -- and now an international bestseller. Address Unknown When it first appeared in Story magazine in 1938, Address Unknown became an immediate social phenomenon and literary sensation. Published in book form a year later and banned in Nazi Germany, it garnered high praise in the United States and much of Europe. A series of fictional letters between a Jewish art dealer living in San Francisco and his former business partner, who has returned to Germany, Address Unknown is a haunting tale of enormous and enduring impact.
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Smarkies
Address Unknown | Kathrine Kressmann Taylor
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Pickpick

A short novella in epistolary form. It's crazy that this was written in the 1930s without hindsight of what actually did transpire. Within this short book, it encapsulates the mood of the time.
#1938

Cathythoughts This sounds interesting. Stacked 4w
Smarkies @Cathythoughts it's super short so a really quick read. 4w
33 likes1 stack add2 comments
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MeJeMiller
Address Unknown | Kathrine Kressmann Taylor
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Pickpick

It may be short but it makes an impact. Makes a person think about why people choose their alliances.

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RedCurly
Address Unknown | Kathrine Kressmann Taylor
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It was so short I read it last night in the bathtub (yet it was so frickin' expensive I am so mad at myself) but it was very interesting how people became nazi and make enemies from their friends

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AshRaye
Address Unknown | Kathrine Kressmann Taylor
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Pickpick

This is a powerful story. I'm surprised something like this was written during that time. It gives such a raw, honest view that usually is only seen in hindsight. I really admire the author for this piece of work.

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Karisimo
Address Unknown | Kathrine Kressmann Taylor
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Read this little gem while waiting for my son at track practice! Wow, does it pack a punch! Knowing it was written during the time of Hitler‘s rise and not as a historical book makes all the more amazing!

Thanks to @BarbaraJean and @monalyisha because this was a #auldlangspine recommendation!

BarbaraJean It‘s so powerful, especially for such a short book! This was on my list from @Blaire last year, so the #AuldLangSpine (previously NewYearWhoDis) lists keep on giving! 1y
Blaire @BarbaraJean I love to see so many people discovering this gift of a book! 1y
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rachelk
Address Unknown | Kathrine Kressmann Taylor
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I read this epistolary novella in an effort to finish up my 2022 Goodreads challenge. Kressman Taylor was from my hometown and I sadly had not heard of her. Written in 1938, the fictional letters between two friends show the growing appeal of Hitler to a previously good person, with horrific consequences. I strongly recommend.

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Karisimo
Address Unknown | Kathrine Kressmann Taylor
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So excited to be matched with @BarbaraJean for #AuldLangSpine!

I had already read and loved some of her list: Passing, People of the Book, The Night Gardener, Sea of Tranquility, Crossing to Safety. Pictured above are the titles I can't wait to read!

Thanks to @monalyisha for matching us and setting this up!!! So fun!

Karisimo More details for @BarbaraJean: I have been meaning to read Piranesi and Naomi Novik for a while, so thanks for the extra motivation! A friend irl has been begging me to read Under the Whispering Door. I had not previously heard of Address Unknown, Elatsoe, The Wanderers, or Nation, but they sound amazing and right up my alley! 1y
monalyisha 🙌🏻✨🥳 1y
BarbaraJean 🎉These are some GREAT picks. I guess I'm biased, but I loved these! I hope you do, too. Piranesi was the first book I read in 2022 & it was such a great start to the year. I have my IRL book club to thank for Elatsoe (which has beautiful chapter-opening illustrations) & Under the Whispering Door. And Address Unknown was from my #NewYearWhoDis list from @Blaire last year. It's so short but so powerful. I look forward to hearing what you think! 1y
26 likes3 comments
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Adventures-of-a-French-Reader
Address Unknown | Kathrine Kressmann Taylor
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Pickpick

I read this book probably in middle or high school, so a reread was long overdue.

This short novella shows the quick endoctrinement of a German, recently back in Germany from the United States, in the 1930s through the letters he exchanged with his Jewish business partner living in the United States. Betrayal and revenge play a big part. It's a novella that invites reflection.

squirrelbrain I love that quote! 💕 2y
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BarbaraJean
Address Unknown | Kathrine Kressmann Taylor
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Another belated review—I read this short but powerful epistolary novella back in March. It took completely unexpected and gut-punching turns for such a brief narrative, and I‘m still thinking about it months later: how quickly events can change (or reveal) a person, and the power of words to save or to destroy. This had been buried on my to-read list, but a #NewYearWhoDis recommendation from @Blaire bumped it to the top and I‘m glad it did!

BkClubCare Covers don‘t always sway me, but this one always demands a second look. 2y
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KarenUK
Address Unknown | Kathrine Kressmann Taylor
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Its unimaginable to think about reading this tiny but mighty epistolary novel when it first published in 1938. What starts as a charming correspondence turns quickly chilling. Published first in ‘Story‘ magazine then Readers digest, then as a book that sold 50K copies, a LOT back then! But then almost disappeared. At B&N, we picked this as our ‘Rediscovered Classic‘ recently and its truly an excellent choice. Foreword and Afterword are must-reads.

BarbaraBB I love that B&N does that! 2y
squirrelbrain Sounds great - stacked. 2y
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Cinfhen I read this tiny little book too….chilling!! 2y
CarolynM Sounds great! Stacked🙂 2y
KarenUK @BarbaraBB It‘s a great program… we do kids books too…. 💕 2y
KarenUK @squirrelbrain @CarolynM it‘s such a quick read, but really packs a punch. 2y
59 likes5 stack adds7 comments
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asterese
Address Unknown | Kathrine Kressmann Taylor
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Haunting, that's what this book is. Letters make powerful weapons indeed. This book was certainly ahead of its time, foreseeing the dangers of unchecked ideology, and perpetuating a cult of personality. I can't stop thinking about the story here, and I am still stunned by how it all unfolded. I cannot recommend this enough.

⭐: 5

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asterese
Address Unknown | Kathrine Kressmann Taylor
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More book mail! Saw someone post about this book last week, and when I saw that it was an epistolary work, I was intrigued. Fortunately, I found a secondhand copy online. (It's the thrill of the search for me. 😂) Not too many physical copies of this, I think? 🤔

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Christine
Address Unknown | Kathrine Kressmann Taylor
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Glad Litsy put this one on my radar. Sad that it feels so relevant again/still. It‘s a timely reminder of how impossibly brave acts of protest and resistance often are.

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Tamra
Address Unknown | Kathrine Kressmann Taylor
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😳 On the heels of The Betrayal of Anne Frank, this was startling and made all the bigger impact. I went into it blind not knowing the premise.

Yikes, what a prescient short story from 1938! Read it! It will take under an hour to read, including the Intro & Afterward.

tpixie Oh my! Thanks! 2y
Tamra @tpixie it‘s relevant for all time! 2y
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megnews
Address Unknown | Kathrine Kressmann Taylor
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Best book I read in November and possibly all year. Short. Power packed. Everyone should read it.

#12booksof2021

Andrew65 Looks good. 2y
LindaLappin interesting 2y
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Karkar
Address Unknown | Kathrine Kressmann Taylor
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Pickpick

Wow this is impactful in such a short story. Really something everyone should read.

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megnews
Address Unknown | Kathrine Kressmann Taylor
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32 books total.
16 books by Native American authors this month including 7 graphic memoirs, 5 MG, 2 YA, 1 memoir, 1 poetry.
My favorite this month was the tagged impromptu read.

MallenNC I read Crazy Brave this month also. I just finished it yesterday and am hoping to read her second memoir soon. I still need to do my review. Would you recommend any of the graphic memoirs? I‘m enjoying that format lately. 2y
megnews @MallenNC I was hoping to get to her second memoir this month but didn‘t quite get there. I liked Sugar Falls a lot. Most of these were by Canadian authors and while I enjoyed them, I‘d love to see more written by US authors. I really need more of our history in regards to Indigenous people. 2y
41 likes2 comments
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Chelsea.Poole
Address Unknown | Kathrine Kressmann Taylor
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Pickpick

This hour long #audiobook includes a foreword and an afterword which definitely helped place this epistolary work of fiction in the historical context of the beginning of Hitler‘s rise to power. We, as readers, know it‘s often best to illustrate a point with a story. This collection of fictionalized letters between friends (one in America, the other in Germany) clues modern readers into the answer to the question: “how could this have happened?”

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KristiAhlers
Address Unknown | Kathrine Kressmann Taylor
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No matter how short this story is it manages in less than 100 pages to knock you on your backside. You want to try to understand how Nazi Germany and the belief systems managed to grow is explained here. Told in letter writing form this story is heartbreaking while so very very real.

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megnews
Address Unknown | Kathrine Kressmann Taylor
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Pickpick

As I read this power-packed sucker punch short novel, first published in 1938, I thought to myself this is perfection. After reading, I found the 1939 NYT Book Review stated, ‘This modern story is perfection itself. It is the most effective indictment of Nazism to appear in fiction.‘ I have nothing else to add but: read it!

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Blaire
Address Unknown | Kathrine Kressmann Taylor
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Wow. This short epistolary novel packs a punch. Correspondence between a Jewish art dealer in San Francisco and his former gentile partner in Germany, it tracks the rise of Hitler in the early 1930s and how easily self-protection and power overtake common humanity.

mom2bugnbee I LOVE epistolary novels. 2y
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AvidReader25
Address Unknown | Kathrine Kressmann Taylor
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So many excellent books this month!

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AvidReader25
Address Unknown | Kathrine Kressmann Taylor
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Pickpick

This was a short, sharp, & powerfully brief story. It‘s fascinating to think about a world where people don‘t associate Nazis with evil quite yet. The 1930s were time of denial when it came to Germany & this book captured that perfectly. This epistolary novel gave us a glimpse into the life of an American Jewish man & his German business partner. Their correspondence was brief, but world-shattering. I know I‘ll think about this one for awhile.

MaureenMc Cozy! 🥰 2y
27 likes1 comment
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Cinfhen
Address Unknown | Kathrine Kressmann Taylor
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Pickpick

Short but impactful. Originally published in 1938 and eerily ahead of its time, a cautionary warning of how quickly a civilized society can break down. Written as a series of correspondence between 2 dear friends & business partners, one German the other Jewish. Kressmann Taylor foresaw what others chose to ignore.

TrishB Love the new pic 🐶❤️ 2y
Cathythoughts I live the new pic too 🐶 absolutely adorable 2y
Cinfhen He‘s the sweetest pup @Cathythoughts @TrishB and looks very dashing in his bow tie. He had a flower wreath at the wedding but he was NOT having it!!! He‘s much too dignified 😜 2y
TrishB Awww, Sansa hates a collar and only puts up with it for a walk! 2y
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Bookboss
Address Unknown | Kathrine Kressmann Taylor
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This short story is bound as a book, which is perfect because this story is as powerful as any novel. The story was published in 1938, and takes the form of letters between two owners of an art gallery. Max remains in the U.S. while his German partner, Martin, moves back to Germany in 1932. The letters reveal the horror of Martin‘s indoctrination into the Nazi party. It only took a half an hour to read, but this story will stay with me always.

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suvata
Address Unknown | Kathrine Kressmann Taylor
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Brilliant 80 page epistolary history lesson!

Address Unknown was first published in the United States, in Story magazine in September 1938, it caused an immediate sensation. Written as a series of letters between a Jewish American living in San Francisco and his former business partner, returned to Germany, the story, early on, exposed the poison of Nazism to the American public.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Bookboss I just put it on hold at my library! 3y
suvata @Bookboss I thought it was a very powerful book. 3y
Cinfhen I just read another review of this book!! They also raved how powerful it was ♥️ 3y
suvata @Cinfhen Well I totally agree with them. A lot of good stuff in a very small book. 3y
58 likes2 stack adds4 comments
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Lauren890
Address Unknown | Kathrine Kressmann Taylor
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Pickpick

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This is a very quick read - as in 79 pages with the introduction and afterward. Set in the early 1930s, this is written in letters between a Jewish American and his business partner living in Germany. Originally published in the US in 1938, it must have been such a warning about nazi Germany. So short but so moving, it‘s easily one of my favorites this year. I highly recommend!!

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rmaclean4
Address Unknown | Kathrine Kressmann Taylor
Pickpick

Brilliant short story. Her story telling using only letters all in 64 pages. Is amazing. Published in 1938. Her publisher did not use her first name since they thought the story was too powerful to be written by a woman. So glad I read this. Highly recommend. 4 🌟

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Ast_Arslan
Address Unknown | Kathrine Kressmann Taylor
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What a beautiful book!
It's really, really short but it has a big power in it and I think I will not easily forget this one! ❤
I wish you all a Happy New Year 🥂🍾🎊❤

#addressunknown #kressmanntaylor #WWII #letters #happynewyear

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Jeg
Address Unknown | Kathrine Kressmann Taylor
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Pickpick

Found this delightful little book in the ships library. It was written a long time ago. It‘s a short but poignant read. At the end a history of how it came to be. Very interesting. @MrsMalaprop

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GenDoyle
Inconnu cette adresse | Kathrine Kressmann Taylor
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19 lettres échangées entre 2 amis qui se lisent à une vitesse hallucinante. J'ai fini ce livre... et je n'ai eu qu'une envie, le faire lire à tous !

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Astroneman
Destinatario sconosciuto | Taylor Kressmann
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Pickpick

A journey to the roots of hatred, an intense and passionate book, which represented with a lucid clairovoyance the climate of ruthless racism in which the Holocaust matured.

#book #leggere #libro #libri #lettura #booklover #litsybook #goodreads #toread #Holocaust #kressmantaylor #destinatosconosciuto #readingchallenge2018

29 likes2 stack adds
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Libby1
Address Unknown | Kathrine Kressmann Taylor
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This is what happens when you make one teensy tiny mistake with an address... 🤦🏼‍♀️

Grateful to the UK postal system for getting the parcel back to me so I could try again!

As of yesterday TWO parcels are coming your way, @jhod . I checked the address at least 10 times to make sure it was correct this time.

Also, the tagged book is awesome. 😎

#whodunituk
@ScorpioBookDreams

jhod Ha! Amazing, thanks!! 6y
Libby1 @jhod - have they arrived?!? I hope so! 6y
jhod Think so but I wasn't in (got a red card) so they're being re-delivered on Wednesday. Will let you know when they come! Thanks! 6y
85 likes2 stack adds3 comments
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FrlSarahh
Adressat unbekannt | Kathrine Kressmann Taylor
Pickpick

Erschreckend, bewegend und gerade in der heutigen Zeit leider wieder aktueller den je