Stumbling Blocks : A Second Generation Holocaust Memoir

Stumbling Blocks is a powerful intergenerational memoir by Jennifer Krebs that explores her family’s journey from Nazi Germany to rural America. Blending personal history, Jewish identity, and emotional reflection, the book traces her father’s memories of growing up under the Third Reich and her own coming-of-age in small-town New York as the daughter of a survivor. The title refers to the Stolpersteine—brass plaques in Europe commemorating victims of National Socialism—that spark a meditation on trauma, memory, and belonging. With warmth, honesty, and a touch of wit, Krebs reflects on family legacy, the echoes of history, and the quiet resilience of survival.