Letters to Auntie Fori (2002) is a collection of letters, collated in a book, by Sir Martin Gilbert to Fori Nehru, explaining the history of Jewish people over the course of 5,000 years. It was published by Orion Publishing Group in 2002.[1]
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Author | Sir Martin Gilbert |
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Language | English |
Genre | History |
Published | 2002 |
Publisher | Orion Publishing Group |
Publication place | UK |
Pages | 460 |
ISBN | 0-75381-693-8 |
Background
editFori Nehru met Martin Gilbert in 1958.[2] He was a friend of her son Ashok, from university days, and later historian and official biographer of Winston Churchill.[2] When Gilbert arrived at the Nehru home that year he was unwell, and he later recounted that she successfully nursed him to recovery with rice and yoghurt.[2] They continued to keep in touch but did not see each other again until 40 years later in 1998.[2] He referred to the Nehru's as Auntie Fori and Uncle Birju, and until 1998 had no idea she was from Budapest's Jewish community.[2][3] She asked him to recommend a book about the history of Jews.[2][4] In response, he wrote her one letter every week for 140 weeks, each addressed "Dear Auntie Fori", tracing the course of Jewish history over 5,000 years.[2][5] The letters were collectively published in the book titled Letters to Auntie Fori: The 5,000-Year History of the Jewish People and Their Faith.[2][5]
Layout
editThe book is divided into four parts, preceded by acknowledgments and an introduction, and followed by an epilogue, appendix, bibliography, maps, and an index.
References
edit- ^ "Shobha Nehru, A Quiet Witness To History, Dies At 108". The Forward. 2 May 2017. Archived from the original on 24 November 2023. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Gilbert, Martin (2002). "Introduction". The Story of the Jewish People: Letters to Auntie Fori. London: Phoenix. pp. xiii–xvii. ISBN 0-75381-693-8.
- ^ Barry, Ellen (29 April 2017). "Shobha Nehru Dies at 108; Escaped Holocaust and Married Into Indian Politics". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 3 March 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
- ^ Alderman, Geoffrey (26 April 2002). "Diaspora tales". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 24 November 2023. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
- ^ a b "Sir Martin's Letters to Auntie Fori". Sir Martin Gilbert. 1 July 2020. Archived from the original on 24 November 2023. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
External links
edit- Gilbert, Martin (2002). Letters to Auntie Fori : the 5000-year history of the Jewish people and their faith. New York : Schocken Books. ISBN 978-0-8052-4188-4.