Margot: a Novel

by Jillian Cantor

Paperback, 2013

Status

Available

Call number

F CAN MAR

Genres

Collections

ADULT COLLECTION, Adult Fiction

Publication

Riverhead Books (2013), 352 pages

Description

1959. Margie Franklin is working in Philadelphia as a secretary at a Jewish law firm. On the surface she lives a quiet life, but Margie has a secret: a life she once lived, a past and a religion she has denied, and a family and a country she left behind. Margie is really Margot Frank, older sister of Anne, who did not die in Bergen-Belsen as reported, but who instead escaped the Nazis for America. But now, as her sister becomes a global icon, Margie's carefully constructed American life begins to fall apart.

User reviews

LibraryThing member emkemi23

To quote a line from "Margot," "It's not something you can like, is it?"

While the quote refers to a reaction of a character in "Margot" to the movie, "The Diary of Anne Frank," I felt the same way while reading about the constant fear and terror Margot lives with. The horror, the nightmares, the

constant hiding of identity; these are things that Holocaust survivors lived with - even in America - but it is something, I am ashamed to say, that I never thought about before.

The book is very well written, kept my attention, and will be on my mind for weeks to come. I will recommend this book to all my family and friends.

I received a free copy of Margot through Goodreads Firstreads.

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12 more

LibraryThing member muddyboy

What if Anne Frank's older sister actually survived the holocaust, changed her name to Margie Franklin and moved to the United States and even assumed a Christian persona to become anonymous in her new life. There are many pressures for her to reveal her past at her job at a legal office which

becomes involved in a Jewish discrimination suit and also when the movie version of Diary of Anne Frank is released at theaters during the course of this novel. Ms. Cantor writes in a style that is crystal clear which is wonderful. I couldn't wait to read the book when I got a chance. This book was released as a trade paperback but really deserves to be a hard cover edition. I loved it.

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LibraryThing member froxgirl

I love books that rewrite history, or those that take real characters and invent new stories for them. This is a very fine example. Margot, in Anne Frank's diary and more so in the film, was bland and studious. Cantor's version brings her from Auschwitz to a troubled life in America, where being

rescued doesn't mean getting saved. The story is well told and truly believable for what might have happened. It also is true to its 1950s setting. At times, I grew impatient with Margie (Margot), but all the while understanding that there is no judging a survivor of such total terror. Very well done.

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LibraryThing member SABC

A "what-if" story of the survival of Anne Frank's sister, Margot, who escapes to Philadelphia and works for a Jewish law firm as Margie Franklin. When the DAIRY OF ANNE FRANK become famous and even a movie, Margie, Margot, has to come to grips with reality........

LibraryThing member CasaBooks

Imagined story of Anne Frank's sister - somehow escaping, surviving, settling in America - now hiding in different way - hiding who she really is.
Easy reading. Interesting premise, with light romance added.

LibraryThing member carolynsuarez

Seeing a slice of history from a different perspective. Made me go back and re-read Diary of a Young Girl. I completely enjoyed it.

LibraryThing member Sarah_Gruwell

I found this book very fascinating. I've always been interested in Anne's older sister, Margot, probably since she's more like me personality-wise than Anne. But this author has taken this interesting individual and heightened her in such a magnificent way. Jillian Cantor really gets into Margot's

head and brings her to vivid life.

Particularly interesting to me was how Margot's past family dynamics are still shaping how she feels and act, even 14 years after the Holocaust. Her teenage romance with Peter, her mother's religiosity, Anne's gregarious nature and place in the family as the youngest, and Margot's somewhat distant relationship with her father all still have an impact on her personality and how she deals with the horrors of her past. I felt like her family were all still present in the story through her, and I really enjoyed that.

The impact the Holocaust years had on Margot intrigued me. Her mind is still struggling to deal with the actions she took to survive, her years in hiding, and the very physical reminder of her painful past, her Auschwitz number tattoo. There were a few times where I felt the author put a bit too much time in Margot's psychological meanderings, and there was a certain repetition of similar themes and problems that I felt like I had to slog through at times. Yet, at the end of the day, we're exploring the mind of a young woman who went through some of the most horrific events of this past 2th century. A bit of repeated thought patterns can be excused.

This book got me thinking and contemplating how the events of the Holocaust would affect someone's mind. I found it a fascinating case study of how an individual might deal with those horrors and overcome them to a degree. Then there's the added burden of having your past brandished about in movies and popular books, which I'm sure didn't help Margot's state of mind. But, this was a incredible journey that I enjoyed exploring. I was glad to see that Margot got some exploration and got her happy ending. Definitely highly recommended if you enjoy Holocaust-related fiction.

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LibraryThing member micahmom2002

Anne Franks sister is alive and living as a legal secretary in America.

LibraryThing member yvonne.sevignykaiser

I hate when I have written a long thought out review and it does not load properly. Uugghh!!! Will repost when I have a chance to rewrite.

Okay 2nd attempt to post review.

First off I received an ARC from Shelf Awareness.

I loved the concept of this story and although it is a work of fiction, Anne

Frank really did have a sister named Margot. Unfortunately like Anne, Margot died of Typhus at Bergen-Belsen death camp during the holocaust.

This story is what might have happened if Margot would have made it out alive or escaped during one of the two transfers. If she escaped she and Peter no longer wished to be Jewish and would become American gentiles.

It is set in 1950's New York and she is a secretary at a Jewish law firm and she is smitten with the lawyer she works for and he likes her but he could not love or be with her because she is not Jewish. A pro bono came they start working on together begins to open up old wounds for Margot. They are working on a possible class action lawsuit for Jewish factory workers who are being mistreated by the owners of the factory who sponsored them coming to the US. All the company wants is cheap labor they care nothing for the men and women who work for them. The young man's father is one of the main partners for the law firm and he forbids his son from going forward and doing any more work on this project. But he continues on with Margot's assistance until a terrible incident occurs that send things spiraling out of control and forces Margot to face her demons.

Can we ever really hide who we really are or where we come from?

This would be a wonderful book for book groups so many points to discuss.

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LibraryThing member susan0316

I doubt that there are too many people who haven't read A Diary of Anne Frank and not cried over the loss of Anne and her family in the concentration camps of Germany near the end of WWII. First the book and then a stage play and in 1959 a movie - the story is at the top of most people's list of

books about the Holocaust. Jillian Cantor takes Anne Frank's story into 'what if' territory with her book Margot! What if....Anne's sister Margot was still alive....what if she lived in Philadelphia (the city of brotherly love) as a Christian woman called Margie....what if she was still plagued with nightmares and thoughts of her family during their last years but had never contacted her father to tell him she was alive. The novel Margot takes place in 1959 as Margot struggles with how to live her life by hiding out in plain site. She has told no one who she really is but as the movie version of Anne Frank is premiering and everyone is talking about it, she finds it more difficult to hide who she is from others but most importantly from herself. Can anyone really live a contented life by denying their history and hiding who they really are? I thought that Jillian Cantor did a fantastic job of combining real history with the 'what-ifs' of fiction to make this a truly memorable novel.

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LibraryThing member annhepburn

This is really a great book. While not at all based in the actual fate of Margot Frank, the narrative is compelling beyond the initial "what if" of the premise. Margie (as she calls herself) is a sympathetic, fascinating character. A vivid portrayal of American life post-war for Jewish people.

LibraryThing member HeatherLINC

This fictionalised novel of Anne Frank's older sister after she survived the Holocaust had parts that were quite good and others that weren't. The flashbacks were particularly interesting, but I felt that the heavy emphasis on Margot's romantic fixations on both Peter and Joshua detracted from the

rest of the story. The premise was good but it didn't really deliver.

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LibraryThing member Micareads

Margie Franklin is a legal secretary in Philadelphia. She is very quiet and always wears a sweater...even in the heat of the summer. Every Friday night she goes home every night to her cat and lights her Shabbot candle. In her daily life, Margie hides who she is...Margot Frank...sister of Anne

Frank. Margie lives with the guilt of surviving the Nazis when Anne and her mother did not. Margie must deal with her shame at leaving her sister to die as well as not understanding Anne's reported relationship with Peter in the Annex when she knows that the two of them were in a relationship. Margie also has a crush on her employer and must figure out what to do with those feelings.

I was very hesitant to read this book. I have considered Anne Frank my hero since I was ten years old and know her story well. I wasn't sure that such a topic should be explored and what areas of Margot's life would be included.

I have read other Jillian Cantor novels and knew that she would handle the topic with respect and grace which is ultimately why I chose to finally read the book. That being said, it is not a book I would read again. While the life Cantor imagined is a lovely one and the thoughts Margot went through made sense, it is just too difficult for me to consider.

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