The resilience of the refugee: how Kindertransport memoirs complicate understandings of “resilience”

by Stephanie Homer; Published by UCL Press (2019)

The article examines how Kindertransport memoirs challenge simplified ideas of “resilience.” By analysing autobiographical writings of former Kindertransport refugees, the author shows that their experiences do not fit neatly into heroic or triumphant narratives. Instead, the memoirs reveal emotional complexity: ongoing trauma, ambivalent identities, and the long‑term struggle to rebuild life after forced separation and displacement. The article argues that the popular use of “resilience” can obscure these nuanced realities and oversimplify refugee experiences.