FINDING RUBY

A writer investigates his grandfather’s history and uncovers his family’s dedication to the ideals of America’s communist party in this nonfiction work.

Throughout his childhood, Rothman knew that Harry Nobel, the man he considered his grandfather, was in fact the best friend of his actual biological grandfather, Rubin Schechter, known by all as “Ruby.” In 1937, Harry and Ruby traveled from the United States to Europe to join the Abraham Lincoln Brigade of fighters in the Spanish Civil War, striving to support Republican efforts to oppose Generalissimo Francisco Franco and the rising tide of fascism in Europe during World War II. Ruby never returned home to his wife Rose and his young daughter (the author’s grandmother and mother), but Harry did, and he would eventually marry Rose and raise her daughter as his own, telling the children and grandchildren that Ruby’s death during the war had been a “fluke.” Coming across a black briefcase in a basement, Rothman discovered letters and documents related to Ruby; the author learned that Ruby’s death was the result of a stubborn mule he had to lead through a storm of bullets, and, more shockingly, that all three of his grandparents found themselves caught up in the Spanish cause because of their fervent dedication to the Communist Party of the United States. Rothman, a lawyer who has mostly worked with large corporations, acknowledges that it may be difficult for contemporary Americans (himself included) to understand the allure of Communism in the 1930s, but in Ruby’s letters and the other documents he compiled, the author discovered “The kind of shining idealism, too rare in America today.” Acting as a sort of amateur sleuth, Rothman tries to reconstruct Ruby and Harry’s states of mind as they traveled to Spain, convinced that they needed to join the fray and fight against fascism—and also after Harry’s return to America, where he watched the Communist Party go up in smoke following revelations out of the USSR and the infamous Scottsboro Boys case.

Readers unfamiliar with the Abraham Lincoln Brigade or the complex details of the Spanish Civil War will find Rothman’s primary subject fascinating and easily understand how he became compelled to follow the twisted path of letters, poetry, and obituaries that he’s used to reconstruct his grandparents’ lives. Throughout the book, Rothman continuously returns to the poignant theme of questions he should have asked when he had the chance; despite his extensive research, he can only offer educated guesses as answers to his more personal questions. The author does provide an extensive analysis of the American Communist Party and its hold on young Americans of the time, whom he describes as “fighting back with righteousness against the shameful temptation of wealth.” The result is a fascinating view into the youth of America during WWII that feels specific and very different from more common wartime narratives. History lovers will also appreciate Rothman’s careful curation of primary documents, including Ruby’s poetry and haunting descriptions of the Spanish battlefield. (“Your soldier remains a dignified, thinking person. He grows in understanding,” Ruby writes to his wife in one memorable exchange.) Rothman’s writing can feel fragmented, shuttling between his higher-level analysis and a much smaller, more personal narrative, but readers seeking a fresh perspective on 20th-century history will be drawn into Ruby’s world, just as the author was.

A patchwork family chronicle with surprising insight into the intriguing role of communism in American history.