17 Comments
User's avatar
Emily's avatar

Generosity, kindness, empathy, family bonds and incomprehensible tragedy. Thank you for sharing this. BTW - My grandparents also lived in Santa Barbara for awhile and my aunt and uncle lived in Sherman Oaks. We share a lot of California ties, it seems.

Expand full comment
Anna Schott's avatar

Thanks Emily, I love how small this big world is

Expand full comment
Randy Osborne's avatar

So many people, their lives large and rich -- and lost, with some saved. Thanks for this.

Expand full comment
Rob Tourtelot's avatar

Truly incredible, Anna. So glad you shared these amazing, harrowing stories and letters. I’ll be thinking about this for a long time.

Expand full comment
Anna Schott's avatar

Thanks, Rob

Expand full comment
mary g.'s avatar

Beautiful.

Expand full comment
Anna Schott's avatar

Thank you

Expand full comment
Susan Coyne's avatar

Thank you for sharing this.

Expand full comment
Anna Schott's avatar

Thank you, Susan

Expand full comment
Ana Bosch's avatar

This made me tear up. The letters were heartbreaking. Thank you for sharing this story.

Expand full comment
Emily's avatar

I also teared up.

Expand full comment
Maria (Linnesby essays)'s avatar

Cried my way through this one.

Expand full comment
Stephanie Sweeney's avatar

Incredible stories.

Expand full comment
Anna Schott's avatar

Thank you

Expand full comment
David Roberts's avatar

Thank you for sharing this story, Anna. As the Talmud saying goes, to save a life is to save a world.

Expand full comment
Anna Schott's avatar

It's a good saying and kind of expresses the feeling that made me want to share my dad and Paul's stories

Expand full comment
Deirdre Lewis's avatar

I love all of this so much! Especially the pic.

Expand full comment