The Communist and the Communist′s Daughter

“I found this an intriguing, clear-eyed look at a corner of history, the Communist experience in America, that is usually just righteously condemned—or, occasionally, romanticized. Jane Lazarre’s vision of it is more subtle: she lived in this world as a child, and now looks back on it as a thoughtful adult.” - Adam Hochschild

"Reading Jane Lazarre's beautifully written memoir I was quickly drawn into her Jewish, immigrant left-wing family life. The story is filled with longings for the old world of Kishinev and the dreams for a perfected new world of justice and equality. The daughter writes of her father as a veteran of the Spanish Civil War, a single father pursued by the FBI, and called to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee. She brings to life their love and conflicts and his few years as a proud grandfather. She conveys the rich mixture of Yiddish language and Jewish history, the old world superstitions, the beauty and camaraderie of life in Greenwich Village of the 1950s, and centrally the deep love between a father and daughter. Her father's idealism and values are today central to the lives of her adult African American sons." - Rabbi Rachel Cowan, former director of the Institute for Jewish Spirituality

"This extraordinary memoir captures the crazy, scary, intellectually heady experience of growing up with a single father who's a true believer and a daring Communist activist. You need not have lived through the Red Scare to appreciate the impact of deeply held politics on the dynamics of family life, the contemporary relevance of Jane Lazarre's personal story, and the lyrical grace with which she tells it." - Letty Cottin Pogrebin, author of Single Jewish Male Seeking Soul Mate, and a founding editor of Ms. magazine

“Here, in these beautifully written pages, Jane Lazarre invites readers to join her on a difficult journey through memory, history, family, and self-discovery. This daughter's story of her father yields insight into our own, never-ending quest for love, justice, and understanding.” - Farah Jasmine Griffin

"Reflective and intelligent, her narrative not only chronicles the life of a complex man; it also celebrates the power of memory and love. A poignantly lyrical memoir of family and politics." - Kirkus Reviews

"The Communist and the Communist’s Daughter tells the story of a family, of the struggle between old and new homelands, and of a man trying to balance his idealism with a reality that falls short of it." - Jeff Fleischer, Foreword Reviews

"[A] collection of materials, insights, incidents, and imagery formed into a brilliant whole by Jane Lazarre's skill and patience. It ought to be a classic of twentieth century American life." - Meredith Sue Willis, Books for Readers

"This is a memoir rich in intelligent reflection of an aspect of US political history that receives little airing. It's an elegantly written and moving account." - John Green, Morning Star

"Jane Lazare has written a fascinating, intensely personal book about history, family, and the Communist Party in the United States." - Esther Cohen, Monthly Review

"Jane Lazarre intertwines the story of her father with a part of the story of hers and explores the complicated relationship between them and the strong emotions that accompany this relationship.  It is an intelligent and engaging concept, it makes you keep reading." - Maquina Lectora blog

"Making an account of one's self through memoir is hard enough, why would anyone want to tackle combining their own with that of another's? Lazarre does so to pay tribute to her father, to show herself and the world his noble intentions even though he was a flawed human being, as we all are. Ultimately, she has learned through the writing, he is so much a part of her, and she a part of him, whether that's in their living or their passing on." - Tomie Anne Bitton, American Book Review

"Lazarre paints a convincing portrait of her father as a committed idealist capable of great love – for his family and comrades, and also for those unknown to him personally, but whose lives he hoped to better." - Michael Petrou, Labour History Review