January reads
In honor of International Holocaust Remembrance Day on January 27th, I decided to read more Holocaust/Jewish books from my To-Read list. No matter how I rated those titles, the the subject of those books are tough and heavy to read. I might have bit off more than I thought by planning to read one story after another. Despite the awful atrocities, I always will be inspired by the bravery of those who fought to live through the genocide. We Remember.
Some of titles that I read recently:
Three Ordinary Girls [DNF]
Very clinical and dry. I really tried to finish this book but couldn’t.
Sisters of Auschwitz [2/5]
It was a tough read. I thought the writing was bad. However, after I finished this book I had found out that it was an adaption from Dutch to English. The writing may not be the author’s fault, maybe some of the language got mixed up in the translation. Despite the writing, the story itself was still emotionless and I felt like I didn’t get anything out of this one.
The Light of Days [3.5/5]
This book is a heavy read, 560 pages. I haven’t really read many books about the resistance and life in the ghettos. I learned a lot from this book. It did get clinical at some points. The author definitely did her research through to get the message across of what those heroic Jewish women had accomplished.
Signs of Survival [5/5]
This is a heart wrenching story of Jews hiding in the sewers in Poland. It was inspired by a true story. The book is told in a dual storyline with a Jewish girl and a Polish girl telling their life experiences in same town/country during the war. This book was an intense read. I had to put it down a couple times because I can’t believe that people actually lived through those experiences. The last half of book was very suspenseful, that I had to finish it in a day to find out what happened. I plan to read other books by this author.
The Dressmakers of Auschwitz [4/5]
I was very intrigued by this book about the Auschwitz’s fashion salon where some women sew clothes for Aryans. The salon was owned by the wife of a SS officer. I had no idea that something like this had existed at Auschwitz. The book also included the history of fashion before and during the war. A lot of research went into this book so it was a heavy read with a lot information. This book still reeled me in through!
Brothers of Auschwitz [3/5]
This book may be the most graphic Holocaust book I’ve read. I almost gave up because of the writing but the story kept me in the book. The brothers who went to Auschwitz shares about their experiences at the camp and their lives after the war. This is the kind book that brings out a lot of emotions and one that will stay with me for awhile.
Previously read, but highly recommend:
At the Wolf’s Table
This book blew me away! A story about one of Hitler’s food tasters. During the war, Hitler was convinced that some people were out for him, trying to poison him. That made him distrusting, so he had 10 women who were employed as his food tasters. It is based loosely on real experiences of Margot Wolk, one of the food tasters.
The Winemaker’s Wife
A story about the resistance in France. At a vineyard in France, you will read a story about the heir of the vineyard and his wife as well the winemaker and his wife. One of the wives is half-Jewish. This period is when everyone in France was worried because it was shortly after Germans invaded Poland. The heir joins the resistance. This story is told alternating between the heir’s wife back in 1940’s during this, and another woman in 2019 who is going through a divorce. Her grandmother comes and take her on a trip to France. A suspenseful and worthwhile read!
Daughter of the Reich
Intense read! A love story with a Nazi girl and a Jewish boy. The story is told from a different perspective - the daughter of a high ranking SS officer. I’ve always pondered how Hitler could lure so many people into his ideologies. This book was set a few years prior to the camps/atrocities so it shows how people in specific situations could be easily manipulated. The Nazi girl often found herself doubting what she had been raised to believe in. It is compelling story and I was glued to every page!
There are so many more stories out there that I haven’t read or heard about. I constantly am learning new things that I never learned from history books, even to this day. Let me know what titles you have read and would recommend, I will add it to my TBR list.