Synopses & Reviews
Behind one of the world's largest beauty and cosmetics companies lie some ugly secrets, which Monica Waitzfelder attempts to uncover in this compelling personal account. During World War II, as Jewish homes were being seized one after another, the Rosenfelder family was forced to flee the nation, leaving behind their jobs, their possessions, and their family home. After the fighting ended, the family discovered that they were unable to return to what had rightfully been their property; cosmetics giant L'Oreal had taken over the building and made it their head office. Refusing to recognize the building's original owners, the corporation was brought to court by the Rosenfelder's young daughter, Monica, an ordeal that she chronicles in this honest, personal tale of one family's ongoing struggle to regain what it lost during the war.
Synopsis
A legal case led by a lone woman against one of the largest multinationals. A personal and explosive true story detailing the seizure of a home under the Nazis and the ongoing attempt to reclaim it.
About the Author
"A meticulously documented thriller worthy of Forsyth or Grisham." Celia Brayfield, New Statesman"A passionate and personal work of exploration into the murky past of the largest cosmetic company in the world: L'Oreal, France. A most necessary book." Carmen Callil, author, Bad Faith: A Forgotten History of Family and Fatherland"Tells a powerful story, and asks the perfectly obvious questionwhy won't L'Oreal recognise what they did before and during the war, and compensate her mother for their house in Karlsruhe?" Rabbi Julia Neuberger"A story both gripping and horrifying, the more so because the reader cannot help admire the persistence and diligence with which the author pursued her quest, and, under the circumstances, the restrained and dignified way in which she tells the story." Hugo Vickers, author, The Private World of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor and The Kiss"Without whistleblowers of this calibre, the quality of justice for all of us would be substantially diminished." Michael Mansfield, QC