Karen Kirsten
Author / Writer / Holocaust Educator
Karen Kirsten is the author of Irena's Gift, an Australian Jewish Book Award finalist, The Australian newspaper’s‚ notable book’, recipient of a BookPage starred review, and described by Pulitzer prize winning author Geraldine Brooks as ”a disturbing investigation into the power of secrets to harm and to haunt.” She is a Holocaust educator who speaks on the topics of hatred and reconciliation around the world. Karen’s essay “Searching for the Nazi Who Saved My Mother’s Life” was selected by Narratively as one of their Best Ever stories and nominated for The Best American Essays. Karen’s writing has also appeared in Salon.com, The Week, The Jerusalem Post, WIĘŹ in Poland, Boston’s National Public Radio station, The Boston Herald, The Christian Post, The Age (Melbourne), WA Today, The Brisbane Times and The Sydney Morning Herald.
Irena's Gift: How Love and Kindness Defied the Darkness of War
Karen Kirsten, an Australian-American writer and Holocaust educator, discussing her book 'Irena's Gift' and her discovery of hidden family truths. She shares her experience of learning about her grandmother's Holocaust survival, the silence surrounding her family's past, and the secrets …