An Execution in the Family - by Robert Meeropol (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

An Execution in the Family details Robert Meeropol's political odyssey from Rosenberg son to political activist in his own right, and chronicles a very personal story of self-discovery. It is the story of how he tried to balance a strong desire to live a normal life and raise a family, with a growing need to create something useful out of his nightmare childhood. It is also a poignant account of how, at age forty-three, he finally found a way to honor his parents and also be true to himself.

From the Back Cover

"Inspirational . . . moving . . . engaging . . . should be required reading."
- Michael Moore

"A riveting and deeply moving human document, filled with the ache and longing of a son bereaved by history."
- Jonathan Kozol

"Heart-wrending, honest memoir . . . Meeropol's captivating memoir deserves a spot on American history bookshelves."
- Publishers Weekly

"Touchingly sincere."
- The New York Times Book Review

"What is compelling about Robert Meeropol's poignant memoir is his utter honesty in examining the question of whether his parents were guilty of espionage. Yet, this extraordinary candor does not diminish his anger at the travesty of justice that deprived him of his mother and father. His story is a personal, anguished search for truth, even while it illuminates a tragic moment in the history of our country."
- Howard Zinn

"I was intrigued by this brilliantly honest memoir in which Robert Meeropol describes his struggle to honor his heritage as the son of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg while striving to create his own identity. He writes powerfully of his childhood years of self-muting, his adult years of self-searching. And he writes with a lawyer's acumen on the question of his parents' guilt or innocence of the crime for which they were executed."
- E. L. Doctorow

Review Quotes

"Meeropol's captivating memoir deserves a spot on American history bookshelves." --Publishers Weekly

"What is compelling about Robert Meeropol's poignant memoir is his utter honesty in examining the question of whether his parents were guilty of espionage...His story is a personal, anguished search for truth, even while it illuminates a tragic moment in the history of our country." --Howard Zinn

"Robert Meeropol tells his story in language that is direct, unflinching, meticulous and eloquent." --Adrenne Rich

"In this touching memoir, Meeropol's honest and gripping story has never been more relevant than in the present erosion of civil liberties and mistrust of dissent." --Marge Piercy

"Meeropol's work transcends victimization. Here is a clear-eyed witness to history; here is a true voice of conscience at a time of crisis." --Martín Espada, author of Alabanza: New and Selected Poems

"An Execution in the Family is both timely and revealing. It is also a disturbing reminder of how, in the name of national security, our preciously guarded constitutional guarantees can be easily trampled. It's a deeply moving account, with painfully personal insights, into one of the most controversial cases in American history-- and we must never forget." --Danny Glover

"I was intrigued by this brilliantly honest memoir in which Robert Meeropol describes his struggle to honor his heritage as the son of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg while striving to create his own identity. He writes powerfully of his childhood years of self muting, his adult years of self searching. And he writes with a lawyer's acumen on the question of his parents' guilt or innocence of the crime for which they were executed." --E.L. Doctorow

About the Author

Robert Meeropol is the founder and executive director of the Rosenberg Fund for Children (RFC) and the younger son of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg. He has been a progressive activist, author, and speaker for thirty years. Since its founding in 1990, the RFC has provided for the education and emotional needs of both targeted activist youth and children in this country whose parents have been harassed, injured, jailed, lost jobs, or died in the course of their progressive activities. Robert Meeropol lives in Massachusetts with his family.