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Jan 24, 2011

Cathy rated it:

I thought this was a great Holocaust memoir and definitely worth reading. I think it is very important to never forget the Holocaust, though it is hard to "enjoy" these types of book. They are always disturbing, but I think that it is good for us to feel disturbed and remember. The Holocaust should never be swept under the rug because it is too unpleasant to think about. We need to feel uncomfortable about what happened. It was true, it was real, it was unbelievably horrific. Ser More...

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May 14, 2009

Claire rated it:

A Holocaust survivor's story, sometimes graphic, sometimes horrifying, and in a word: depressing. The problem is, the first book I ever read about the Holocaust was Corrie ten Boom's "The Hiding Place," which deals with the horrors of Hitler's regime in the light of God's love. That book, itself, is a masterpiece of grace. This becomes a problem for me because I unconsciously want every book on the subject matter to measure up to that. I realize the Holocaust will never be something th More...

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Jul 05, 2011

Debbie rated it:

I usually don't care for Holocaust stories, but I found this especially interesting for a number of reasons. It was a personal story, told from one woman's viewpoint. We saw the horrors of the holocaust through her eyes and her experiences, which made it more vivid than reading about statistics and atrocities on a grand scale. We learned about Seren's history, and her family before the Nazi's came to power, which helped underline how shocking and unexpected this was to previously well-establishe More...

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Aug 13, 2010

Jess rated it:

Since beginning this book I have pondered much on the wickedness of mankind. There is so much hatred. I have never experienced pure hatred due to who I am, based on religion, color, creed, whatever. I am thankful to have been raised by parents who taught me to love all, to follow the example of my Saviour, and to strive to be like Him--perfectly loving in all things. Although I am far from His perfection, I am thankful that love, not hate, is natural for me.
I cannot recommend this book hig More...

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Jan 03, 2012

Lora rated it:

I couldn't put it down. One of those intensely riveting personal accounts that is both heart-rending and inspiring, powerful and vivid. It can be hard at times, but the way she relates her story and her personal experiences without pity, selfishness, hardness, or despair is amazing in itself. A testament to the human will to live through suffering. After I read a story such as this, I feel like I have learned life-lessons and I am a better person for it. Helps me to remember all the little t More...

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Sep 28, 2011

Jan rated it:

I've read a lot of Holocaust books, but this one was definitely worth reading. And frankly, I will continue reading Holocaust books, because this history should never be forgotten.

Sara is Romanian. She tells the story of how life remained pretty normal, until one day she is put into prison and beaten, for no reason. She is released and resumes her life, trying to earn income enough to support her sisters, niece, and her mother who lives in a distant town. She looks Gentile, so she is o More...

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May 03, 2011

April rated it:

Another holocaust memoir, but this one takes place in Romania and Hungary. Seren Tuvel entered a force labor camp in the middle of 1944 and was then sent to Ravensbruck, a camp for women only. Ravensbruck was one of the worst camps during WWII. Seren was sent there to die, but survived. Even though she was sent there towards the end of the war, when the war was over, she weighed only 44 pounds. I enjoyed this memoir because it took place in Romania, and not Germany. Not knowing much about Rom More...

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Jun 30, 2011

Mari Anne rated it:

There is nothing terribly original about this Holocaust memoir but it is interesting none the less. The Seamstress follows the life of Saren as she navigates through life in Hungary and Romania during WW2. We continue to follow her as she is imprisoned in several different notorious concentration camps. What is truly amazing in this story is not only the fact that she survived but her sheer determination in keeping herself, her sister and her friends alive. She was kind of a Holocaust McGyve More...

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Jan 25, 2012

Elaine rated it:

Survival narratives are tricky reads as I always question how people remember what they remember, particularly in times of crisis. As far as they go, this one was a relatively easy and enjoyable read. I like the straightforward telling of this tale and appreciate the historical data the author must have researched post concentration camp experience. Only a slight sense of the overdramatic dots the telling of Seren's courageous and terrifying journey. As evidenced in the epilogue, this extra More...

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Jan 13, 2012

Rachel rated it:

I have read many holocaust books, but this memoir is one of the best. The writing isn't really terrific, but the story was fascinating. I learned many things that I wasn't aware of, even though I have read many books on this subject. I was going to give it 4 stars, but after discussing it at my Readers Rendezvous book club I realized that it deserved 5 stars, in my opinion. It was such a riveting story that held nothing back. I would recommend the paperback version, because it has a forward in More...

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Jan 17, 2011

Karen rated it:

One of the best holocaust memoirs I have read, a story of true triumph! When Sara was finally rescued in the closing days of WWII, she weighed forty-four pounds, "I felt myself being lifted up in two arms. I opened my eyes. One of the American soldiers was carrying me. I closed my eyes again. Drops of water began splashing on my cheeks and running down my neck...I realized that the soldier carrying me was crying, his tears falling on my face." She, and two of her companions, surviv More...

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Sep 20, 2009

Susan rated it:

A very moving book. A true story about a Holocost survivor who kept herself alive in part by working to keep her sister living. This echoes through many of the stories about survival. (In NIGHT, the son lives through most of his ordeal in order to keep his father alive.) I found it interesting the way survivors dealt with their memories after the war...how Seren Tuvel compares her ability to live with her sewing as being able to make something outof nothing. She also explains her fearlessne More...

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Jul 02, 2009

April rated it:

The Holocaust is one of the darkest moments of human history, if not the darkest moment. The Seamstress by Sarah Tuvel Bernstein is poignant coming-of-age memoir showcasing the indomitable human spirit. Sarah Tuvel Bernstein, herein referred to as Seren Tuvel, was a Romanian Jew. Much of Seren’s story is shaped around her large family; she was one of nine. Her father was a lumber mill manager and was what we could consider lower middle class today. Her formal education ended at elementary school More...

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Jan 31, 2009

Chrissie rated it:

Finished. A very good holocaust book, different from others ùaybe because you follow the main character from her youth. You follow Seren through many years. She is feisty! It is also very interesting to know that Sara did not tell the author everything. The missing bits are revealing. The reader knows of them because Seren's daughter has added more information and interesting comments about what it is like to be the daughter of two parents who have survived the holocaust.

Through pag More...

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Jan 13, 2011

Misti rated it:

This book is by far my favorite WW2 book that I have read. I felt that I had become very close to the characters in the book. I grew to love and appreciate the simple things of life. I just don't get how people could treat another human being so inhuman, I just really don't get it. It was all over Europe, like a plague, I don't get how Teenagers and husbands could turn in there mothers in for being Jewish and then call them filthy names.

I would recommend this book over and over aga More...

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Dec 28, 2010

Bobbie rated it:

I've read a number of books on the Holocaust, and though certainly categorized as one, full of horrifying first-person stories of what the author endured, the key word here is "endured." Yes, this is a book about the Holocaust, but more than anything it's a book about survival--physical and spiritual. It's told with almost dispassionate detail that speaks to the strength of the storyteller rather than a lack of emotion. I couldn't put this down, and when I was done, I missed Sara.

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Aug 27, 2011

Kim rated it:

Every time I read a Holocaust book, I am more and more amazed at the human spirit. Sara is a natural survivor and her mental and emotional capacity to keep going is so uplifting. I helplessly wonder at the ability that I would have at being able to survive what the Holocaust victims went through...what would keep me going? I'm really not sure that I would have survived. Yet keep going Sara did, through some of the worst experiences I've ever read.

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Jul 19, 2009

Lillian rated it:

This book was absolutely amazing! Seren Tuvel is such a strong woman to go through what she went through, and you can see that in order to cope with her past she keeps a sort of distance from it. Even while telling the details of the camps she was in, she speaks about it all as if watching from a distance. Very moving, and should be read by anyone who wants to learn more about the holocaust!

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Sep 03, 2011

Leslie rated it:

44lbs. I'll never forget that sentence.
I finished this book on the same day that I saw the movie the Help.
It is striking how awful humans are to each other. What cost so many lives in Europe in WW2, is the same hate that cause so much humility to African Americans. Our world history is quite overwhelmingly a history of evil, but also one of good triumphing over evil.

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Mar 07, 2011

Esther rated it:

One more WW 11 story. This one really got me. When the war was over, and this gal was finally rescued from the concentration camp, she was 42 lbs!!!! My daughter was 44 lbs when she started Grade 1, and she was a stick. This Jewish girl was I think 18 or 19....and 42 lbs..... We have no idea what they had to suffer!

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Sep 22, 2011

Kristina rated it:

This is one of my favorite Holocaust memoirs. Seren was always so optimistic and hopeful--determined to live. She laughed even when starving in the concentration camps. The byline about this is correct--it really is a memoir of survival. Hard to believe it was ghost written too! Louis Thornton captured Seren's life in beautiful, detailed prose. Wonderful, wonderful book.

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Aug 05, 2010

Betsy rated it:

Outstanding, to say the least. If you read only one book about the Holocaust this must be the one. I will never forget this book...the author's courage, strength, intelligence, creativity and ingenuity in the face of more odds than I could even begin to list here. There are no words to describe...just read it.

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Jan 18, 2012

Angela rated it:

What a story of survival. It's hard to comprehend how people treated others so badly because of their faith. It is a reminder for us to treat others equally even if you don't agree with them. The paperback did contain a forward that is not in the hardcover book. I think that once Sara decided to tell her story she should have included all that happened.

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Jun 25, 2011

Kasey rated it:

A wonderfully written memoir of a woman who survived the persecution of jews and the concentration camps during WWII. It is impossible to comprehend the horrors inflicted on Seren and millions of others. It is so unbelievable such atrocities occured only 65 years ago. We must not forget them. This would also make an excellent book for a high school or college assignment.

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Sep 26, 2011

Janel rated it:

This was a amazing survival story of the Holocaust. The main character Sara Tuvel was a true heroine and was sooo strong. The writing made clear visuals of her trial and the injustice served to the Jews and others. Maybe too clear that made it somewhat a disturbing view for me. I could feel her determination to take care of her family. Reading in the dead of winter really made me feel what she went through, I was really cold the whole time. The other book I was comparing this to is "The Hid More...

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Apr 27, 2009

Cori rated it:

Amazing courage, endurance and ability to not only survive herself but help others at the same time. She did not become mean or selfish even when she was starving and freezing herself. A real hero and amazing what the human spirit can do under extremely terrible conditions.

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Nov 25, 2011

Mandy rated it:

Reading this was not without difficulty. This should be expected when reading a story involving the holocaust. What I enjoyed about this book was that it wasn't only about her disturbing experiences in a concentration camp. She gave me a glimpse of who she was and what her life was like before the events of World War II. The stories she shared during her time of wrongful imprionment were unique to the typical stories you hear in your history classes or learn through movies. I also enjoyed lear More...

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Nov 11, 2008

Lori rated it:

With so much attention having been paid to the Holocaust in movies, on television, and in other books in recent years, you probably think this story has been told many times over. This book highlights a couple of things: that a well-told story is a well-told story, period, regardless of the topic. And, more importantly, that a highly personal account of the Holocaust such as this has been missing from all the other stories we've seen about this time period. While hard to read at times, the book More...

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Aug 09, 2011

Denise rated it:

The story was told simply and straigh forward. The sadness was nearly overwhelming though.
I realize it's a horrifying subject, but it still was difficult to grasp in parts. Obviously it Seren was a courageous and quite extraordinary woman.

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Jan 29, 2011

Amy rated it:

I really liked this book. I love to read about true stories. The Holocaust was so terrible, but when I read a story and someone survives and is as strong as Sarah, I am amazed at her and her ability to cope with the things that she went through. It makes me wonder if I would of survived. I would of loved to have met her.

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