With her demons

and forces her to deal with her own demons. Despite consulting her mother, husband and friend, Katin is still adamant that allowing her son to live in Berlin would be like “handing him over to the wolves” because the ground in Berlin is “soaked with the blood of the Jews”.

A little later, Katin has her work exhibited at the Jewish Museum of Berlin and once again finds herself struggling to accept that Germany is a changed nation.

Fortunately, not all of Letting It Go is grim.

The way Katin depicts herself in the book is rather endearing, as she is completely naked – both literally and figuratively. She doesn’t deny her misconceptions nor does she hide her somewhat neurotic reactions. In one part, she shamelessly shares her superficial needs when trying to look perfect for the museum gala.

She even documents how her former lover, a Turkish poet, called her “clueless” for “never having a realistic grasp” of things.

Katin draws her mother out to be the loveliest old lady in New York with an apartment littered with fresh flowers. The two share a love of martinis and chat like sisters. This could be a biased and exaggerated opinion of Katin’s, but it is sweet nevertheless.

While leaning towards the cornier side of things, Katin also shows the reader how the endless squabbling between her and her husband often lead to other moments of love and support.

On the whole, Letting It Go is a rather eye-opening read and somewhat educational for those less clued in to the events it covers – like myself. It’s one of those books that piques your interest and makes you look up stories, historical facts and documentaries you might not have been keen on before.

Beware of the unclothed middleaged lady though. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.