22nd December, 2025 in Restless Books

Unexploded Ordnance by Catharina Coenen

“Although women were not explicitly included in Nazi antigay laws, some lesbian women did end up in concentration camps. Rather than the pink triangle gay men were made to wear on their chests, these women wore a black one, labeling them not as “gay” but as asozial or gemeinschaftsunfähig—“antisocial” or “incapable of living in community.” The collection of essays, Unexploded Ordnance, by Catharina Coenen, brings forth depth and humanity through the horrid experiences suffered under the Nazi regime. She explores a multitude of the regime’s effects with compelling emotional honesty, including the genetic ramifications that trauma instills on future generations. These essays serve as an appeal to face the past, acknowledge its painful truths, while coming to terms with the reality that the damage from war and persecution exists long after it’s deemed over. Coenen exposes through powerful reflections on the ways our family histories shape who we are, making this work both thought-provoking and deeply moving.