Below are some comments about Mouth of Truth from students at the University of Victoria.
STUDENT 1
Mouth of Truth really resonated with me. As I read the book, I felt as if I was on Lillian’s journey with her. I was initially surprised that she was so open about the sexualized violence she experienced, but I appreciate it so much. I strongly believe that the only way to destigmatize taboo topics such as sexualized violence is to speak openly about them, which is exactly what Lillian does both in Mouth of Truth and in her own life.
Having Lillian come to class to discuss the book was also a special experience. I really appreciated her comments about how to make academia, and particularly scholarship on the Holocaust, less “sterile and insensitive,” as she described Julian’s question in the book. Hearing her comments on this topic meant a lot to me as someone who studies sexualized violence in the Holocaust, and I plan to take her words into consideration in my own scholarship.
Mouth of Truth also made me consider the boundaries between literary genres, something I had not thought about before reading the book. What makes a book a memoir versus a novel? Are these distinctions important, and if so, why? These are some of the questions that Lillian’s book forced me to reckon with. I’m not sure that I have concrete answers, but since reading Mouth of Truth, each time I open a book I am thinking about these questions.
Thank you for a wonderful, thought provoking book, Lillian!
STUDENT 2
I personally found Mouth of Truth to be a beautifully written story of a survivor’s struggle with trauma in a world that doesn’t understand it. I appreciate that it was written with such honesty and didn’t shy away from how deeply impacted Batya’s life was. To feel incapable of fully trusting and loving one’s family is a heavy burden to bear and it shows great strength of character for Batya to make the difficult decisions necessary to unlearn behaviours developed as a trauma response.
STUDENT 3
Also, in response to your last email about Lillian and her memoir, I really enjoyed her memoir. Since I presented on it and tied it into Nora’s concept, I found so much more depth to her memories and what those memories mean. I would love to sit down and talk to her some more about her story and why she chose to write it with certain stylistic choices (like fiction). Which!! Funny enough… tide into the Suleiman article! But yes, I was so pleasantly surprised by her memoir and I became so involved in the story that I read it so quickly.
STUDENT 4
I found her book really impactful and appreciated that it was written in the way it was. I think the format of memoir-novel worked well to tell her story. She was able to share with the reader the story of Batya while also including her own feelings and thoughts as the narrator. It was incredibly honest, vulnerable, emotional. I shared the book with both of my parents, my boss, and a friend, who all thoroughly enjoyed it. We all felt deeply connected to the characters – but each of us “identified” more with someone different. (this led to a pretty emotional discussion, especially with my parents.) Really, I would just like to thank Lillian for sharing her story. I found it inspiring that through all her pain and trauma she continues to challenge herself and advocate for other survivors. I felt (feel) deeply moved by this book, and not only for myself but also those whom I’ve shared it with. It has sparked and helped to continue the conversation, that as we have seen recently, is so important.