By Gail Weiss Gaspar, MA, ACC, Author
Carrying My Father’s Torch
A Memoir
Launched as Amazon #1 Bestseller and #1 New Release
This book provides is now historical documentation at Yad Vashem, Israel, and The Mauthausen Memorial, Austria.
“This book will leave you feeling uplifted—it is a must-read for anyone who is struggling with trauma or tragic loss.” –Amazon reviewer
Finding your place in a family tree that has only one branch, the other shorn by the Holocaust, is a tricky business. Gail Weiss Gaspar grew up believing that her worth was tied to busyness and productivity, with achievement and education prized above all other accomplishments. Keenly aware that her beloved father survived Auschwitz and the brutal environment of the Mauthausen labor camp, she silenced her suffering because nothing could match what he endured.
Gail’s family had secrets, as all families do. It became her job to be the family’s secret keeper. It wasn’t until her 63-year-old father stood on stage at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and told his story that Gail understood that her voice mattered, too. This moving memoir honors the past while unshackling from it and highlights a generational journey through loss with tenderness and love.
If you have ever said to yourself, “How could I possibly break free from my family’s past?” this book is for you. When you read Carrying my Father’s Torch, you will be inspired to consider how your family legacy has impacted your life, find the courage to overcome your legacy wound and become the hero of your own story.
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About the Author
Gail Weiss Gaspar
Gail Weiss Gaspar, MA, ACC, Author is a certified coach, an executive career strategist and the author of Carrying my Father’s Torch: From Holocaust Trauma to Transformation. She has a B.A. in Psychology from Ithaca College, an M.A. in Education/Human Resource Development from The George Washington University, and Professional Certifications from both The Coaches Training Institute (CTI) and International Coach Federation (ICF).
Gail’s signature coaching program, Leading True, has guided hundreds of clients around the globe to move beyond perception of limitations and decision paralysis and become bolder leaders in their career and life. She has worked as a management consultant, a wellness consultant, in career development, as a strategic leader in companies and a project manager and fundraiser for non-profits.
As Board Chair of the Bearing Witness Program, Gail introduced Holocaust education into U.S. Catholic schools with the Anti-Defamation League. She has been a supporter of education and development outreach for the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
Gail enjoys photography, hiking, biking and running outdoors, and continues the family tradition of cooking. She lives with her husband and labradoodle near Washington, D.C.
In addition to offering private coaching, courses and speaking, Gail writes a blog and newsletter which provide actionable tips and inspirational stories for those who want to be successful on their own terms without sacrificing a fulfilling life.
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Why I Wrote This Book
Carrying My Father’s Torch: From Holocaust to Transformation is the book I was born to write. Writing has nourished me for as long as I remember. It taught me to pay attention to my thoughts and that a simple thing like pen to paper could provide immense joy. Researching and writing this book has deepened my understanding about what it means to be the hero of your own story and what it takes to bring about desired change at any age and stage.
Although I never thought of it as growing up with trauma, as a child of a Holocaust survivor and a mother who felt abandoned by her own mother, I carried their silence and shame, along with their love and devotion. I wrote the book to inspire others to take a look at how transgenerational family legacy, consciously or unconsciously, continues to limit life’s options…until the cycle is broken. I wrote the book to show that expressing what we know, and coming clean about what we don’t yet know, are keys to breaking the cycle for us and successive generations. I wrote the book to give readers a roadmap to look deeper into family patterns that keep them from living an authentic and more fulfilling life, and repurpose the pain of family legacy in a way that allows for a more authentic, confident and sovereign version to emerge.
Gaspar is a gifted writer with something very important to say.
– Amy Kaslow, Writer and Photographer of global at-risk societies, Presidential Appointee to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
This book will give you the courage to explore your own life’s experiences and the legacies you have inherited, and let these guide you.
– Hiro Boga, Award-winning author, Business strategist, Mentor
This book had me turning each page, eager to learn more about the author’s story, and myself. A must-read!