ELSA'S CHESSBOARD

Chess becomes a lifelong source of connection in this biography of the author’s grandmother.

Growing up in early-20th-century Vienna, Elsa loves chess, though she encounters many who assume a young girl can’t possibly play the game. The portable chess set she carries everywhere becomes her way of building relationships with others, including her future husband. When World War II breaks out, Elsa and her family, who are Jewish, are forced to flee Europe for the United States. Elsa finds work in a San Francisco dress factory, where playing chess helps her develop friendships that transcend language barriers. Eventually, an elderly Elsa moves in with her daughter and granddaughters. The chess set is lost, and Elsa stops playing. Many years later, her great-grandson finds the small box in the garage. His request for a game reconnects Elsa to her past as she passes on her love of chess to a new generation. Adults will find many opportunities to introduce age-appropriate lessons on topics such as immigration, discrimination, and World War II. The pacing is strained by the chronological progression through Elsa’s long lifespan, resulting in abrupt time hops that leave awkward gaps in her story. Tenderly illustrated vignettes of Elsa’s family life fill some, but not all, of these spaces. The book concludes with an author’s note about her grandmother, accompanied by family photographs.

A lovingly layered, if oddly paced, ode to a matriarch and the universal language of chess.