No comments about HOMERUN: Krijgsgevangen, Ontsnapt, Soldaat (Dutch Edition).

1 comments about Hanna's Diary, 1938-1941: Czechoslovakia to Canada.

1. As a child of the seventies, I know not of the turbulent times that so many lived through during the War. To hear in Hanna's own words the pain of discrimination, and being labelled as subhuman, and to hear the sadness, fear and longing for her true love Hans (who she can no longer associate with as he is a Christian, she a Jewish descendant)...to hear these things in her own words from that time, transported me to that time in history. I almost felt as if I was there, sharing in her pain and not knowing the uncertain future...even though I knew what history had brought, and I was indeed using my will and hope for it not to happen (even though I knew War would be there, as well as the persecution of so many innocent people). I wished I could erase history...but from reading this story, I hope many people will learn from it. I learned that strength and faith, can see us through many hard times.

   This book was an amazing journey and I feel richer for hearing Hanna's words.

2 comments about Rescued Images : Memories of a Childhood in Hiding.

1. I consider myself to be a student of the holocaust. As such, I have read many books and look at documentaries/movies and yet with every piece of media about the subject I learn new information, new sets of experiences about this horrible time in history. This book stands out among all the rest. I won't go into detail - it needs to be read the others have detailed the experiences of this girl, and her parents (to a lesser extent) but I came away from this book understanding huge conclusions....That you didn't need to be in a concentration camp during the war to have your life ruined, to have your family torn apart, and the most monstrous of all - that while there were 6 million Jews kills, 11 million overall, each of those people would have many stories to tell and, as this book clearly illustrates and raises the question as to how many who WERE NOT in concentration camps and survived are out there to tell their numerous stories?
   
   The possible numbers are mindboggling...so to be a student of the holocaust is to take on a life-long education process of which I'm at the very beginning. But as the author I'm sure would agree, we must not forget.....



2. People of my generation or younger, born after the mid nineteen-sixties, are caught in a strange place when it comes to learning about, and relating to, the events in World War II Europe. We come too late for direct experience, yet before the greater distance of the generation following us. In a sense, we will, if we are thinking people, shoulder the task of passing on the facts, impressions, and enormous lessons from this period, but without first-hand knowledge. "Rescued Images" is a remarkable book which should do much to provide us with a tool which is both entertaining (as extraordinary as that may seem) and profoundly moving. Jacobsens gentle, yet strong voice, is made even stronger by her montages, which are simultaneously beautiful as they are emotionally raw. When she is old enough I will sit with my daughter and we will read this book together, in honor of the triumph of the human spirit, and in memory of the worst of human failings. Parents and schools should add this volume to their shelves, it will remain timeless.

5 comments about In the Mouth of the Wolf.

1. What would you do if you were one of the lucky Jews able to escape one of the Nazi's ghettos? In the Mouth of the Wolf by Rose Zar is a non-fiction memoir written about Rose Zar and her ability to do just that. Written in 1st person, Rose describes what it was like for her when the Germans invaded Poland. When Rose was 18 years old, she and her brother, Benek, escape the Piotrkow ghetto. They leave their family and everything they once knew behind to try to reach freedom. Rose lives under false papers as a young Polish girl and outsmarts any Germans who try to accuse her of being Jewish. Intelligent and brave, Rose finds many jobs to keep her fed and keep money in her pocket. Throughout the story, Rose has to face the sight of her fellow Jews being shipped off into concentration camps, and act like it doesn't affect her at all. This book is written wonderfully and I am very glad that I selected it to read. I strongly recommend this book to middle school students and older. The concept and plot might be to "grown up" for anyone below the 6th grade. Overall, In the Mouth of the Wolf is a well-written book that I strongly recommend.



2. I have just finished this true story. My son brought it home from school one day, as it was required reading material for him (of course, I didn't read it until he was done!) and I couldn't put it down. It makes you feel, deep down in your soul, for the Jews who had to survive during the Nazi reign. You feel like you are right there along side the main character as she tries to constantly be on the guard for the slightest mistake, all the while trying to make friends here and there. Those friendships never last long though, because she would have to move on yet again. She is literally living in the mouth of the enemy. She says it is the best place to hide and the last place they would look. You feel her agony as she tries to come to terms with what has happened to her family members, yet forcing herself to look past it in order to continue living one more day. It is outstanding and I highly recommend it.
   
   Carrie Lynn Jones
   Author of It All Began... When Jesus Gave Me Sneakers



3. In the book in the mouth of the wolf the runaway Jew Wanda had many close encounters with the German police and others while trying to hide out from being another victim of the holocaust. She used the knowledge that was passed down from her father to her to survive on the run. most of the book was her tring to stay out of the way and incuspecuas but she tends to get herself into loads of trouble and somehow gets lucky enough to have a friend to run to or for someone to not notice a small detail.i thought that the book was very captivating in the fact that it kept your attention through the majority of the book with little sub stories and confrentations. Although the author kind of lost track of an important character (her brother) i found it too be very reilistic the fact that she could not keep contact with anyone from her pervious life or even become intimate with anyone. But i did think that the end kind of fizzled out the ss officer caught her and let her go after 3 days in aprehention then she just lost my attention. i would encourage anyone and everyone to read this book to get a more solid understanding of what its like to be on the run for being you.



4. In The Mouth of the Wolf by Rose Zar is a suspenseful story about the life of a young lady who escapes from the Piotrok Ghetto during the holocaust to live under false papers as a Pole. Courageously, strongly and smartly she outwits anybody and anything that gets suspicious or tries to turn her in. Astonishingly, she lands a great job for a Jew on the run in Krakow as a nursemaid for the S.S. Kommandant, his wife and their newborn. She very often remembers the things that her father told her about his life. For instance, the safest place is In the Mouth of the Wolf. Working for a Kommandant in the SS Army put her directly in danger but this is why most people would not even consider the fact that she was Jewish. She constantly craves companionship and friendship but she realizes that she cannot trust anyone and although she wants to talk with and be friends with fellow Jews on the run she again remembers what her father said and that a single Jew is less noticeable than two or more Jews. She and her brother were luckier than many Jews because they did not look Jewish and therefore it was much easier for her to pass as Polish. Her boyfriend and good friend were not so fortunate and they had to stay behind in the Ghetto. She goes back to see her father and is surprised by how much he has aged during her short time away from home. Her relationships with the people she meets and runs into along her journey made this book a great read from beginning to end.
   
   In the Mouth of the Wolf was a great read and by far my most favorites. Some of the things Rose Zar explains during the course of the book almost make you feel like you are there and make you realize really how much of a JOB it was to get away and live through the Holocaust. This book was a very remarkable read. It was very descriptive and most times always filled with action. I would recommend this book to young adults because it is not the hardest book to read but has its challenges and keeps you interested throughout the whole book.



5. This book is about a teenage Jewish girl that is forced to run for her life when the word gets out that the Germans will start killing Jews in the ghettoes. Armed with only fugitive skills passed on by her father and an enormous will to live, she courageously runs from enemies all around her and eventually finds herself hidden "in the mouth of the wolf" as a maid for an SS officer.
   The book is a great read, with just enough detail to be interesting, but not to the point of becoming boring like, say, Lord of the Rings can be. The stories told are all true, as the main character is actually the author, making the book partially an autobiography. The result is that the story is more believable and heartfelt. The ending of the book is very depressing, as she goes back to the Ghetto, where she grew up, after the Russian Army had ripped through. She walks up the stairs to her old house, and she notices that everything has changed around her, but the one stair in front of the house is ironically still loose, just like she remembered.

1 comments about Holocaust Survivors [Two Volumes]: A Biographical Dictionary.

1. I was most pleased to learn of the existence of these volumes, but was disturbed by what I read. I know one of the survivors profiled, and it was apparent that the author never contacted her to fact-check the profile (even though she has a published phone number and the author had her address).
   
   Not recommended.

1 comments about The Nazi Officer's Wife: How One Jewish Woman Survived the Holocust.

1. The Nazi Officer's Wife: How One Jewish Woman Survived The Holocaust is an unabridged audiobook detailing the true story of an intelligent Jewish law student who was forced into a slave labor camp during the genocidal horrors of World War II. To survive, Edith hahn Beer had to adopt the identity of a Christian friend and hide. A Nazi Party member fell in love with Edith and helped her remain concealed throughout the war. Edith's story is now documented in the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. A profound and unforgettable true story, The Nazi Officer's Wife is deftly narrated by Barbara Rosenblat. 6 cassettes, approximately 9 hours.

No comments about Nine Suitcases.

No comments about Why The Sea Is Boiling Hot.

2 comments about In Nazi Uniform.

1. Mr. Born remembers his small part of the war in detail, mainly serving in non-combat roles during the occupation forces in Norway. Unfortunately he does remember some verifiable facts about the war incorrectly -- which casts doubt on what he writes.
   
   E.g.:
   1) He gets the name of a famous German pilot wrong. Just sloppy writing? But is it indicative of how accurate the rest of his story is?
   2) For a 1943 trip to Berlin, he writes about seeing news of V-2 rockets striking England. Neither the V-1 or V-2 were used until earliest mid 1944. Was he plain making it up, or did memories fade and he just assumed he read about rockets in 1943?
   3) For a short time he apparently served in a flak battery protecting the Tirpitz near Tromso in northern Norway. His tales of many days of -40 or below temperatures seem suspect. For the time of year he specifically mentioned (late April), weather records available online show the low temps overnight normally only -10 C, and basically never below -20. [For a 10 year span in the 1970s. I didn't find 1940's data.] So I can't prove he was wrong, but it seems like a tall tale.
   4) He mentions meeting the Lapplander people (a.k.a. Sami), and that they built igloos. My igloo knowledge is poor, but a quick search suggests that only North American northern aboriginals had acquired that particular skill.
   5) He has a story involving him and others hanging out with a famous U-boat captain while on a train trip. Perhaps he did meet some U-boat officer. But for the "famous" captain he mentioned, Kretschmer, he spelled the name wrong. Also, at the time mentioned, Kretschmer was already in a POW camp in Ontario Canada! And an online list of all U-boat captains there ever were, fails to list any with a similar name.
   
   
   My guess is that the basics of his war are true, but the occasional more adventurous episode is made up. When he makes mistakes with even mundane facts, though, it casts some doubt on the rest of his detailed memories. He seemed a sympathetic fellow and perceptive observer, so it is too bad that I just can't believe what he writes. Editors & publishers should have caught this too!
   
   Give it a miss. There are plenty of other interesting wartime recollections available.
   
   
   
   



2. Amazing story told by the man that lived it. I cannot remember what happened to me last month. Mr. Born gives us a very detailed account of his duties during the war. He was not a very good politician but managed to survive the hazards of war. A good read. I highly recommend it.
   
   Gordan Van Alstine

No comments about Traces of My Father.