The Last Goldfish
Su Goldfish always wanted to tell her father’s story. The story of a Jewish refugee who moved to Trinidad, then Sydney, reinventing himself along the way. While still a teenager, Su finds out that her father had kept some things from her – the fact that he is a Jewish refugee, that he was divorced before he met her mother, and that he has other children. So begins her search for the rest of her family. Are there any other Goldfish out there, or is she the last one?
From the West Indies to Australia, Canada to Germany, this is a broad, sweeping story. Particularly poignant is hearing how a life could be shattered bit by bit – friends lost, synagogues burnt, and Jewish men and women arrested and sent to the prison camps. Su’s father describes some of his experiences in the prison camp reluctantly. Survivor guilt lays heavy on him, and has clouded every aspect of his life.
Emotional and moving, Su’s father’s life and family story come together with her investigation and strong storytelling.
★★★★
Reviewed by Lisa Seltzer
