KCC Professor Elke Sabella's Book Named One of the Year's Best by The Dutch Review of Books
-
Loading... - Brown Wilson
- 15 Aug 2024
- 44 Views
- 0 Like
- 0 Comment
Elke Weesjes Sabella, an adjunct professor of history at Kingsborough Community College (KCC) and director of the KCC Holocaust Center, has received a prestigious honor for her book "Mama las Marx: Communistische Gezinnen in Naoorlogs Nederland" ("Mommy Reads Marx: Communist Families in Post-War Netherlands"). The influential literary magazine, The Dutch Review of Books, has named her book one of the best books of the year.
Sabella's book is based on interviews with 27 individuals who grew up in communist households in the Netherlands during the Cold War era. It explores their daily experiences at home, school, work, and in youth groups, delving into topics such as parental war trauma, radicalization, social isolation, and the development of ideological identity across generations.
The book was prompted by Sabella's earlier academic work, "Growing Up Communist in the Netherlands and Britain," which compared the Dutch and British communist movements. The success of "Mama las Marx" has led Sabella to pursue another oral history project, funded by the ACLS/Mellon Foundation, about white supremacist families in the U.S. Deep South, scheduled for release in 2026.
As an oral historian, author, and educator, Sabella's goal is to give a voice to "ordinary" people and document their experiences. Her work has been recognized for its accessibility and ability to engage a general audience, making complex historical topics more relatable and understandable.
The recognition from The Dutch Review of Books, which is equivalent to the London Review of Books and the New York Review of Books, is a testament to Sabella's dedication to sharing the stories of those who have been overlooked or marginalized.
