'The Rest Is Memory' is a novel inspired by photos taken at Auschwitz

Summary

NPR's Book of the Day: "The Rest Is Memory" by Lily Tuck

Episode Title: 'The Rest Is Memory' is a novel inspired by photos taken at Auschwitz
Release Date: January 14, 2025
Host: Andrew Limbong
Guest: Lily Tuck, National Book Award-winning Novelist

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Introduction

In this episode of NPR's Book of the Day, host Andrew Limbong introduces Lily Tuck's latest novel, "The Rest Is Memory." Inspired by a poignant photograph from Auschwitz, Tuck delves into the harrowing experiences of a young Polish girl, Cislawa Kwoka, whose life was tragically cut short during the Holocaust.

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Inspiration Behind the Novel

Andrew Limbong [00:02]:
"You never know where inspiration might come from... writing and remembering names is a way to honor people who would otherwise be lost to history."

Lily Tuck discovered her inspiration while reading the obituary section of the New York Times. She was particularly moved by a photograph of Cislawa Kwoka, a 14-year-old Polish girl whose face bore the scars of Auschwitz. This encounter spurred Tuck to explore Cislawa's story, despite limited available information.

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Interview with Lily Tuck

Scott Simon [01:23]:
"Lily Tuck imagines the lives of Ceslawa and other Polish citizens killed at Auschwitz, both Catholic and Jewish."

Lily Tuck shares that her research was primarily based on a list from the Holocaust Library in Auschwitz, which provided basic biographical details about Cislawa, including her birth and death dates and her mother’s name. This sparse information highlighted the vast number of Polish lives lost during World War II, a narrative often overshadowed by the focus on Jewish casualties.

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Crafting the Narrative

Scott Simon [05:26]:
"That line, 'All she knows may be useless,' has been running around in my mind ever since I read the book."

Tuck discusses her approach to narrating Cislawa's story from her perspective. She emphasizes meticulous attention to language, ensuring each word carries significance and authenticity. This method allows readers to deeply engage with Cislawa's internal struggles and resilience.

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Emotional Depth and Symbolism

Lily Tuck [04:15]:
"On arrival at Auschwitz, Saslawa and her mother are taken to the bathhouse where they're made to strip naked... 'Forget your name, you're a number now.'" [04:15]

One of the most harrowing scenes Tuck recounts is Cislawa and her mother's arrival at Auschwitz. The brutal process of dehumanization—stripping them of their identities and individuality—is depicted with raw emotion. The tattooing of Cislawa's forearm with the number 26947 symbolizes the erasure of personal history and humanity.

Scott Simon [05:37]:
"How do you narrate her story through her eyes?"

Tuck explains that narrating through Cislawa's eyes involves a delicate balance of factual historical context and imagined personal experiences, creating a relatable and poignant portrayal of her ordeal.

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Honoring Forgotten Lives

Lily Tuck [06:57]:
"I wanted to sort of honor all those people who are completely forgotten by writing their names."

Tuck expresses her intent to honor the countless unnamed victims of Auschwitz by meticulously documenting their names in her novel. This act serves as a tribute to those who perished and ensures their memories endure.

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Conclusion

Lily Tuck's "The Rest Is Memory" is not just a novel but a powerful homage to the forgotten lives of Auschwitz. Through meticulous research and profound narrative craft, Tuck brings to light the individual stories lost amidst the horrors of the Holocaust. Her work underscores the importance of remembrance and the preservation of history through storytelling.

Scott Simon [07:26]:
"Thank you so much for being with us."

Lily Tuck's participation in the episode highlights her dedication to honoring the past and educating future generations through literature.

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Key Takeaways

• Inspiration from History: Tuck's novel is inspired by real historical photographs and records, emphasizing the significance of individual stories within the broader context of the Holocaust.

• Narrative Craftsmanship: The novel employs a first-person narrative to deeply immerse readers in Cislawa's experiences, blending fact with imaginative storytelling.

• Commemoration of Lives: By documenting the names of countless victims, Tuck pays tribute to those who might otherwise be forgotten, highlighting the enduring impact of memory and history.

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"The Rest Is Memory" serves as a poignant reminder of the atrocities committed during World War II and the enduring importance of remembering each individual's story. Lily Tuck's dedication to honoring these memories through her novel provides a compelling and necessary contribution to Holocaust literature.

Transcript

[Andrew Limbong]

Hey, it's NPR's Book of the Day. I'm Andrew Limbong. You never know where inspiration might come from. For National Book Award winning novelist Lily Tuck's new novel, the Rest Is Memory, inspiration came from reading the obituary section in the New York Times. The book is about a young Polish girl killed at the Auschwitz concentration camp. Her name was Cislawa Kwoka. She was a real person, but Tuck couldn't find much about her besides the basic biographical information. But we know her name, and that's important because as Tuck tells NPR's Scott Simon in this interview, writing and remembering names is a way to honor people who would otherwise be lost to history. That's after the break.

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[Scott Simon]

Lilly Tuck saw a photo of a girl about a decade ago, 14 years old, face bruised, eyes stony and shown in striped concentration camp garb wearing the number with which the Nazis replaced her name. Her name is Cislawa Cuoca. And in a new novel, Lillytuck imagines her life and those of other polar citizens killed at the Auschwitz concentration camp, some Catholic like Ceslava, and many, many Jews. Her novel the Rest is Memory. And Lily Tuck, the National Book Award winning novelist, joins us now from NPR in New York. Thanks so much for being with us.

[Lily Tuck]

Thank you.

[Scott Simon]

How did you see this photo?

[Lily Tuck]

I always read the obituaries in the New York Times, not because I'm morbid, but because I think they're like little history lessons. And as you mentioned, about 10 years ago, I read the obituary of someone called Wilhelm Brass. Wilhelm Brass was the official photographer for Auschwitz.

[Scott Simon]

He was a prisoner, too, we should explain.

[Lily Tuck]

Yes, he was a prisoner and he was Polish and half Austrian, and he ended up taking 40,000 pictures of the prisoners who came into the camp. Obviously, he survived. But included in his obituary, which I read, was these three pictures of Saslawa Cuoca. And I was so Struck by this innocent, very beautiful little face and the lost life, that I cut out the pictures and I put them in a box where I keep things that might be of interest. Later, when I finish my last novel, I looked through my things and found the photograph and decided that I would try and write about her.

[Scott Simon]

And what could you find out? What could be known versus what you had to imagine for a novel?

[Lily Tuck]

I found out very little about her. I had a book that was published by the Holocaust Library in Auschwitz that lists all the names of the people who ended up in Auschwitz from her area in Poland. So I knew the date of her birth and her death and her mother as well. But I knew very little about her except where she came from. Mostly what I learned was how many Poles died during World War II. And a lot of people mostly know that the Jews were exterminated and died in Poland, but they don't realize how many Poles died as well during the war.

[Scott Simon]

I'm going to ask you to read a section and we'll caution people it will be difficult to hear. It's when Zaslawa and her mother arrive at Auschwitz, right?

[Lily Tuck]

On arrival at Auschwitz, Saslawa and her mother are taken to the bathhouse where they're made to take off their clothes and strip naked. A guard rips out the opal earrings from Katasina's ears, then shaves off all her body hair. It is the first time Saslawa sees her mother naked and she looks away. Her mother is ugly and unrecognizable. After a hot steam bath that scalds her flesh and a cold shower that freezes it, she's given a stripe blue and gray pants and shirt to match that are too large for her. In a pair of wooden clogs, Saslawa is then tattooed on her left forearm. Forget your name, the guard tells her. You're a number now. 26947. It is also the first moment that 14 year old Seslawa realizes that all she knows may be useless.

[Scott Simon]

That line, that last line, has been running around in my mind ever since I read the book. All she knows may be useless. That's because none of what she knows can help her survive.

[Lily Tuck]

Right?

[Scott Simon]

How do you narrate her story through her eyes?

[Lily Tuck]

The way I would narrate whatever I'm trying to write. I mean, it's just paying attention to language, really, to each word. And I try to make each word significant and true to what I'm trying to say.

[Scott Simon]

Snow keeps entering the story. What does Slaslawa See, in snow she tries to gobble it.

[Lily Tuck]

Right, right, right. It starts out that every time it snows, she tilts her head back and takes the snow in her mouth. I mean, drinks the snow and she thinks it's a drink from heaven. When she arrives at Auschwitz, it's snowing and she does that. And the guard sees her and he hits her. I don't want to give away the end, but at the end, again, it snows in Auschwitz. I made this up. I don't know whether it snowed on March 13, 1943, when she died.

[Scott Simon]

There are a lot of names in this novel. You seem to feel it's important to know that although this is a novel centered on Ceslawa's story, there were many, many, many people who were executed at Auschwitz.

[Lily Tuck]

Yeah, I wanted to sort of honor all those people who are completely forgotten by writing their names. And there's a list of, say, all the writers who perished in Poland during the war. And that's incredibly moving. I've never heard of most of them. I've heard of Bruno Schulz, of course, but it was a way of, again, sort of honoring and respecting all these people who died by by saying their names.

[Scott Simon]

Lily Tuck's new novel, the Rest Is Memory thank you so much for being with us.

[Lily Tuck]

Thank you for inviting me.

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