Trevor Cohen combines a lifetime of research with his own intimate recollections of childhood in 1940s and 1950s Melbourne, detailing memories of the war years, Wesley College, sporting endeavours, holidays, celebrations and his heart-warming experiences growing up in his bustling Australian-Jewish family. The Greatest Gift traces Cohen’s story through several generations to the present.

In his foreword Professor Geoffrey Blainey AC describes the book as “exceptionally frank judged by the standards of most family histories” and he notes that Cohen presents “a story of friction as well as friendships” and encouraged its publication for a wider audience.