It vividly lays bare the injustice of inherited guilt and the perils of holding the present responsible for our past. The Heirs is a well-researched novel that will appeal to Holocaust/WWII historical enthusiasts. 'If you must read a book on Columbus,' declared the Los Angeles Times in its review of The Heirs of Columbus, 'this is the one.' Gerald Vizenor's novel reclaims the story of Chrisopher Columbus on behalf of Native Americans by declaring the explorer himself to be a descendent of early Mayans and follows the adventures of his modern-day, mixedblood heirs as they create a fantastic tribal nation. The author’s skill at threading themes throughout the story and creating multi-layered characters is remarkable. Slowly, Eleanor begins to mature and listen to the messages her mother has wanted to tell her for many years. When the Polish couple stops coming to soccer games, Eleanor feels responsible, only to learn why the Polish family moved to Houston. She tells her of her plans for her reluctant daughter’s Bat Mitzvah, wanting them to know of her Jewish heritage. She wants to know if their parents and grandparents were guilty of sending her parents and grandparents to the camps during WWII. Their son is the best athlete on the team Eleanor’s son is the worst. She barely manages before her mother’s fall and after that, her balancing act begins to crumble.Įleanor forges a friendship with a Polish immigrant couple at her son’s soccer game. Her marriage is in a crisis, as her workaholic husband leaves all the responsibilities to her. Eleanor teaches French at a local college, her children are ages 12 and 7. Her father passes away with his secrets, and her mother consistently rewards her with smiles while changing the subject. And now this.Įleanor tries for years to learn more about her parent’s lives during the war. She resolutely refuses to discuss anything about her life before America. Rose Ritter has not spoken a word of Polish in more than 50 years. The Heirs begins in an emergency-room with the protagonist Eleanor trying to sort out Rose, her elderly mother’s reversion to expressive Polish, after falling and breaking her hip, shouting at a young newly arrived Eastern European technician in the ambulance, calling her a “Nazi bitch.” This confuses Eleanor.