The Hare With Amber Eyes

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. What were your initial thoughts about The Hare with Amber Eyes? Did its blend of art history, memoir, and cultural narrative draw you in, or did you find it challenging? How did your feelings about the book evolve as you read?

2. Which member of the Ephrussi family did you find most compelling (Charles, Viktor, Emmy, Elisabeth, Iggie, or the author himself) and why?

3. If you’ve read other family histories such as The Yellow House by Sarah M. Broom, how does The Hare with Amber Eyes compare? What sets it apart within the genre?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. How did you respond to the sections describing the Nazi looting of the Palais Ephrussi and the family’s subsequent exile? In what ways does the survival of the netsuke offer emotional or symbolic redemption?

2. The netsuke carry generations of family stories and emotions. Do you own or remember an object that connects to your family’s past or evokes powerful memories? If so, how does it shape your sense of identity?

3. De Waal uncovers a history that his family never fully spoke about. Does your family have untold or half-remembered stories? If so, how do you feel about uncovering or preserving them?

4. The Ephrussis’ wealth and refinement fail to shield them from antisemitic prejudice. Have you ever felt pressure to “fit in” or adapt part of your identity to belong? What did that experience teach you about authenticity and self-expression?

5. De Waal treats art not as a luxury but as a vital part of daily living. Does a piece of art or craft (or a handmade object) bring meaning to your everyday life? What role does beauty play in how you connect to the world?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. How does The Hare with Amber Eyes reflect the shifting social structures of Western Europe from the late 19th century to the postwar era? In what ways does the Ephrussi family’s rise and fall mirror broader transformations in class, wealth, and mobility?

2. The Ephrussis’ pursuit of cultural and social acceptance contrasts sharply with the antisemitism that ultimately destroyed their world. How does de Waal portray the tension between belonging and exclusion in European Jewish life? How do these issues resonate today?

3. The netsuke entered 19th-century Paris through Japonisme, a Western fascination with Eastern art. How does de Waal’s narrative critique (or illuminate) the commodification of artwork from other nations? Do you approve of the author’s decision to keep the netsuke in England rather than return the collection to its Japanese origins?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. How does de Waal’s identity as a potter affect the way he reconstructs his family’s story? Choose a passage that illustrates the author’s profound connection to art.

2. The book frequently contrasts intimacy and spectacle, permanence and fragility, belonging and exile. Which of these dualities stood out most to you, and how do they help illuminate the Ephrussi family’s story and de Waal’s artistic vision?

3. How does the meaning of the netsuke evolve symbolically as they pass through different historical moments? What do they ultimately represent?

4. How does de Waal weave large-scale history (antisemitism, war, and the fall of empires) into an intimate family narrative? What distinguishes his handling of historical trauma from other Jewish memoirs you have read, such as Night by Elie Wiesel, The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank, or Survival in Auschwitz by Primo Levi?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. If The Hare with Amber Eyes were adapted into a film or limited series, how would you imagine its visual and emotional style: elegant and restrained, or lush and historical? Who would you cast as Edmund de Waal, Charles, Emmy, and Iggie, and why?

2. If you were curating a museum exhibition inspired by The Hare with Amber Eyes, what objects, documents, or sensory experiences would you include? How would you balance beauty with historical tragedy in your display?

3. The netsuke symbolize continuity through touch and care. If you were to choose one object from your own life to pass down as a family heirloom, what would it be and why? How does it connect to your personal story?