A half century after the Holocaust, Daria Abramson, suffering nightmares of the Lodz ghetto and her time with its infamous ruler, Chaim Rumkowski, turns for help to a sensitive but dogged therapist. During their intense sessions, she lays bare buried memories and faces deep feelings of guilt about the war and the death of her husband. Secrets long held by Daria spill out in fierce succession, revelations disclosed to those she loves most – her daughter, granddaughter, and Ruth, a lifelong friend and fellow survivor. In turn, those three expose their own shocking surprises. In Daria’s Secrets, we travel together with a courageous woman as she attempts to overcome the anguish of the heart’s remembrance, in order to finally live.
“Ingber’s astonishing emotional repertoire as a writer renders these characterizations of the wounded believable and memorable…The lyrical prose and deeply sensitive rendering of an elderly Jewish woman in distress make this historical fiction drama a compelling addition to the literature of the Holocaust.” – US Review of Books
“Ingber excels at creating detailed, lifelike backdrops for everyday conversations in a way that finds beauty in the mundane…creating a realistic and unforgettable cast…At turns tender and intense and anchored by nuanced characters and detailed settings, DARIA’S SECRETS is a reflective literary novel that explores the impacts of generational trauma and how therapy can help heal those wounds.” – Indie Reader
“While the Holocaust is the backdrop for her trauma, Daria’s everyday regrets about the totality of her life’s choices provide a universal and contemporary theme sure to intrigue readers.” – Blue Ink Review
“‘Daria’s Secrets’ will make you laugh, make you cry…It is impossible not to feel Daria’s pain, but also the joy and good things in her life as well by traveling her lifelong journey right beside her.” – Readers’ Favorite
“Daria’s willingness to traverse previously verboten areas of the heart and mind in order to finally resolve her long-term traumas makes for an evocative story.” – D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review
“‘Ingber writes in an effortlessly beautiful tone with vivid imagery and creates details that lead the reader on a remarkable emotional and visual journey…This book will have you reaching for the tissues from its first to its final section.” – Literary Titan
“Once again, I’m urging you to pick up this book. The themes are hard, but it is such a well-told story about an incredible individual who you can’t help but want something good for in the end.” – Reedsy Discovery