As a jewish women the story was close to my heart, especially hearing stories from my mom about what they went thru as jewish wo
937581
As a jewish women the story was close to my heart, especially hearing stories from my mom about what they went thru as jewish women in Soviet Russia. It's a must read. They should put this on a reading lists at school. What a way to teach history and human behavor.
4254642
I liked her sincere narrative, and as a child of refugees myself, could identify with her sense of loss for the mist opportunities to learn more about her ancestors while they were alive.
1282681
I just finished reading Sotah last night and felt compelled to add to the comments on this page. I am not Jewish and have never been to Israel. My background is Protestant with an 18-year sojourn into fundamentalist Christianity, including a "liberal" Mennonite church. The only church I would attend now would be a Unitarian Universalist, which is accepting of all, or no, religious beliefs. So, it was impossible for me to read this book without bringing my own experiences with patriarchy, with Bible-based beliefs, and with strict moral codes to the mix. I learned about a culture within Judaism that I knew nothing about and I could relate to the beautiful structure within the family and culture, but also the limiting side of it. I thought I might put the book down halfway through, but thankfully kept on and can say the best part of this book happens after Dina is sent to NYC and then on. I loved the way the author wrapped up the story, and the ending of it. This book is thoughtful and thought-provoking. It would be of interest to women who want to live more conscious lives, question what they've been told by tradition or church, yet retain the good, and the G-d, within those institutions. I found the character of Judah to be really wonderful and, really, there seemed to be several "archtypes" within this novel.
1108108
As a mother and the "family story teller", after reading this story, I find myself being grateful for my blank walls at times and the fact that I don't really know what my ancestors suffered firsthand.
If I knew, would I really be able to put their stories into words?
Very well done!
2669476
I loved reading My Name Is Armen, Outside the Lines.  When reading its pages it made me laugh and brought tears to my eyes several times.  Her stories make me miss my mom, who passed at a young age,  and the relationship I will never have with her.  I loved reading about the close relationship she has with her mother, daughter, and grandchildren.  My heart breaks for her and the loss of her son.  The pain she must feel is the worst of the worst.  Her sense of community and growth as a woman inspire me to be a better person, mother, friend, grandmother, wife.
732465
In The Pages In Between, Erin Einhorn has written a memoir about what she finds when she searches for the Polish family that sheltered her Jewish mother during World War II.

When she was growing up in Detroit, Einhorn didn't know much about her mother's past until she wrote a paper on the topic when she was in high school. Her mother, Irena, offered only the basics: Born in the early 1940s, Irena's mother died during the war, while her father, Beresh, survived. Before he was taken away to a concentration camp, Beresh offered a local woman money and his home to live in if she would keep Irena safe. After the war, Beresh returns and makes his way with his daughter and new wife first to Sweden then to the U.S., where he made a new life.

When Erin, Irena's daughter, became a journalist, her reporter's mind refused to let go of her mother's story, and she wanted to learn more. Taking a sabbatical from her job, she moved to Poland to see if she could find her mother's rescuers. In the story of her quest, Einhorn mixes historical fact with current cultural observations with details of her journey to create a fascinating account that is very personal, yet universal in many ways as well.

The story will touch a chord with anyone who has ever wondered about the people who came before them: where did they live, what motivated them, how were their lives different from ours? There's genealogical research and observations about Jews in Poland. Einhorn takes a look at historical attitudes of Poles to Jews and how lingering feelings of distrust resulting from the Holocaust continue to this day. But she also looks at how this generation of young Poles is different from the one that came before, and she candidly assesses the differences.

I think The Pages in Between is not just the story of one woman's search for her mother's history. It taps into the yearning that many of us feel about understanding our mothers and ourselves by  looking at the events that helped shape us into who we are. I recommend it for mother-daughter book clubs with daughters in 10th grade and older.
1748167
It's always hard to rate a memoir, especially one about the author's faith, as it is such a personal story and it takes great courage to share those thoughts.  I found myself engaged with the story the whole time, I really liked the way that Heimann interwove the stories of several Catholic saints into her narrative, and I thought that she acknowledged and handled well the topic of the fact that sometimes we feel that rules outweigh God's Grace and Love, when in fact the church allows us to receive those gifts through their application.  Thinking back on the book makes me smile, and I will be sharing with friends.

FDA disclaimer - I won this lovely book through a Blog giveaway, and my copy came from, and is signed by, the author.
2762843
Martin Lemelman has created a beautiful memoir, with his mother's voice speaking to the reader (you can hear her adorable accent!) and tender drawings that recreate her life as a young Jewish girl in Ukraine, a life that was torn apart by Nazi invasion.

I almost left this book on the shelf because - sometimes you don't want to hear another story like this. But one look at the pictures and I had to read it. I could see this book would not be like any graphic novel or any holocaust novel that I read before.

Somehow you finish this book, despite the story, feeling unexpectedly happy. Why is that when there is so much sadness, when you expect only grief or rage? Well, on every page you can feel Lemelman's love for his mother and you just feel happy that this beautiful book was made for her, and that her story is shared with us.

By the way, I was reading to see whether I might share this book with young people. If you find yourself beginning to approach the story of the Holocaust, I definitely recommend Mendel's Daughter.
1341881
I have read many books and viewed many documentaries about the holocaust.  Miriam's words, for some unknown reason, touched my heart more than any previous words written or viewed.
4672783
We Were The Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter was an excellent book about the experience of a jewish family during World War II.

As I read the book, for some reason I had not realized it was a true story. And, as I read about the experiences of a single jewish family which ranged from a Russian work camp in Siberia to living with Nazi's in Poland to escaping the Nazi's in South America, I thought at one point that the author had perhaps gone too far in trying to consider all the different experiences that might have happened during this war.

I remember feeling almost embarrassed by my thought when I realized this was a TRUE story of World War II! It really is so incredible you almost can't imagine how it all happened within one family. But then, I usually feel like true stories about World War II are hard to believe.

I would recommend this book to both readers of World War II history or historical fiction based in the time of World War II. I typically read historical fiction and thought this was an incredible story.

In particular, people who want to read more books like The Woman In the Castle by Jessica Shattuck or The Alice Network by Kate Quinn should take a look at We Are the Lucky Ones.
1198071
After losing my mother to Alzheimer's overheard ago, I can attest to the wonderful experiences of caring for a mother, it e enriches your life so much, even though it is so a. Very stressful, difficult road at times. like Jo  I learned to love my mom in those final years and would not trade that experience for anything. However I did not learn any great love for the south or her religion. This was  great read I could hardly put down. I would love to hear it on Audible.
1940686
The book hits close to home with two very educated people and the fact that mothers/wives in this millenium are still struggling with some very interesting and surprising dynamics. The writing is incredibly courageous and honest. I can't wait to see how it progresses.  I NEVER read fiction, so the fact that this hooked me so quickly is a testament to your abilites as a storyteller.
3885776
Broken Birds: The Story of My Momila is by Jeannette Katzir.  It is the story of her Mother and Father as well as the lasting effect the Holocaust has on her family.  It is a very interesting book and it is not written in terms of a normal biography.  It is a poignant story of the broken bonds the siblings have  which are not that unusual for a family broken by war.  Momila comes out of the war a much stronger person than one who went into it while Tat or Daddy comes across more as a people pleaser.
Nathan or Tat had come from a small town in the Ukraine in1926.  He was the third born of Jeno Polczer and his second wife Jolin.  Jeno had married Jolin to care for his five children from his first wife.  Jeno operated a transportation business but was not very ambitious and could be found more often than not at the synagogue while his sons worked for the family. Even as a young child, Nathan worked well for the family. Jolins real income didn't come from the sale of chickens but with her income from the black market with sugar.  When Jeno was stopped while carrying a load of sugar, he told the officials that the sugar belonged to his wife.  She was taken away. While she was gone, the family was rounded up with all other Jews and taken away. They were taken to Auschwitz where he last saw his family.  He was taken to clean up the Warsaw Ghetto and then to Dachau and Maudorf.  When released by the Americans, he joined Channa, Isaac and Leja and headed for America and a new life.
Channa (Momila) and her brother Isaac fled the Warsaw Ghetto into the forest to be with the partisans.  With the help of her brother Isaac and Leja, a girl in the  partisans, Channa became an integral part of the partisans.  Luckily she survived and left for the US with her brother, Leja, and Nathan.  She and Nathan married and set about creating a new life for themselves and their children.
Jeannette tells the story of her parents and the raising of their five children.  The stories of their parents during the Holocaust is told in a swift manner as the story of their survival is more important to them as they face growing up as the children of Holocaust survivors.  Channas early story is told In a fictitious manner in Jeannettes book, Footprints in the Forest.  Broken Birds tells her true story as well as that of her family .
2815380
This heartbreaking but refreshingly honest story touched my heart. Having recently lost my dad to brain/lung cancer it hit very close to home. Prissy's honest and frank telling of her struggle helped me understand why my dad reacted the way he did in some situations. At times I cried and at times I laughed, kudos to Prissy. Her struggle with the medical community and their lack of empathy or compassion is dead on.
34125
The stories in this book will ring true - or at least evoke a sense empathy - for many Jewish girls who came of age in America over the last couple decades.  I couldn't turn the pages fast enough.  Some stories are clearly stronger than others - I liked The Living and We Have Tresspassed the best.  But the author shows true promise and I can't wait to see what she writes next!
3516393
I thank the author for putting down into words the story that so many women of our culture have shared and experienced in the loss of a child in this way. Many of us are still searching.
3082420
I grew up in a neighborhood completely devoid of Jews. It was even more confusing because my mom is Catholic, but it was my Jewish father that regularly attended services, and he would often take me along. I've always felt Jewish, but wasn't sure how or why my feelings about it were so strong. I never knew any other Jews when I was young except for my father, as all of his family had died before I was born (his parents having immigrated from Russia in the 1930s). My mom knew how strange I felt at times, and would point out to me celebrities she knew were Jewish. The idea that some of the people I admired so much were also part of this community that I so desperately wanted to know better somehow encouraged me, especially since some of the ones in this book are also half-Jewish. The stories retold in this book answered so many questions I'd had for Jewish celebrities, and were so interesting to read. The things these people tell would be interesting whether they were famous or not. I love it because we get to see a different, more personal side to them. We finally get to know their Jewishness! I couldn't put this book down. It was so well-done; the interviews are long enough to give you a good feeling for the interviewee, but short enough to make you want to keep reading. This is an entertaining book for everyone, but I think Jews will be the most interested in it; and with reason.