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The Darkest Years
Marge, our son, Richard, and I were among the three million Jews living in Poland when Adolpf Hitler and his Nazi forces invaded that country on September 1, 1939. After the Nazis were defeated more than five years later, we were among the fewer than 60,000 Jews in Poland who survived.
148 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1994
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October 5, 2014 The book that I chose to read about World War 2 is called “The Darkest Years”. This book is written by Severin and Marge Caitung. The author’s purpose for writing this book, I believe, is to inform people about the harsh times during the holocaust. By telling about the mass killings of their families and the brutal beatings, the author tries to teach us not to let these actions repeat themselves.
The theme throughout this book is to inform this generation of people to not repeat the actions of the past. The author is trying to create a clear picture of what happened back in that time period. By looking at this picture we, as the new generation, can see how the lives of people where back then and learn from it.
This book is written in the style of narration. This type of writing style is very effective, by writing this way the author is able to tell his stories and how his life progressed during this time. In the book, each section is told by either Severin or Marge. They tell about important moments in their lives and of their family’s lives. As the book progresses, as do the passages told by Severin and Marge, showing it moves in chronological order. From their home in Warsaw, to their voyage to America, the events are told in the order of which they happened.
I felt that this book is really informing and helps the reader understand how life was like for Jewish people during this time. I like this book because it has personal accounts of what happened, not just facts that a person had looked up and wrote about. The personal touch that this book offers help the reader get into the stories and feel like they are right there with them. This book reminds me of the book “Night” by Elie Wiesel. These books are similar because they are both about personal accounts of people who lived during this time period and how they survived. “The Darkest Years” is a book I would recommend to my peers because it is informing and interesting to read. It is full of intense, sad, and heart wrenching moments that help pull the reader into the book.
The theme throughout this book is to inform this generation of people to not repeat the actions of the past. The author is trying to create a clear picture of what happened back in that time period. By looking at this picture we, as the new generation, can see how the lives of people where back then and learn from it.
This book is written in the style of narration. This type of writing style is very effective, by writing this way the author is able to tell his stories and how his life progressed during this time. In the book, each section is told by either Severin or Marge. They tell about important moments in their lives and of their family’s lives. As the book progresses, as do the passages told by Severin and Marge, showing it moves in chronological order. From their home in Warsaw, to their voyage to America, the events are told in the order of which they happened.
I felt that this book is really informing and helps the reader understand how life was like for Jewish people during this time. I like this book because it has personal accounts of what happened, not just facts that a person had looked up and wrote about. The personal touch that this book offers help the reader get into the stories and feel like they are right there with them. This book reminds me of the book “Night” by Elie Wiesel. These books are similar because they are both about personal accounts of people who lived during this time period and how they survived. “The Darkest Years” is a book I would recommend to my peers because it is informing and interesting to read. It is full of intense, sad, and heart wrenching moments that help pull the reader into the book.
July 22, 2016
The Darkest Years by Severin and Marge Caitung was written to tell their story and experiences of the Holocaust so that the world won't forget what happened not just to them but all the others who were oppressed by the Germans during World War 2.
Something that could be taken away from reading this book is that ignoring a problem doesn't make it go away. I would say this can be taken from the story because many people chose to ignore the persecution of the Jews and not help them, the problem didn't go away and the terrible treatment of the Jews continued for some time.
To tell their experiences, they used a narration, telling in order what happened starting all the way when things were mostly normal, to the end when they were liberated from the concentration camps.
I chose to read this book because the Holocaust was a dark but interesting time and I wondered how something like this could happen and exactly what people who were being persecuted experienced. The Darkest Years gave a great description of what happened and more specifically the stories of several people and how they got through something as terrible as the Holocaust.
Something that could be taken away from reading this book is that ignoring a problem doesn't make it go away. I would say this can be taken from the story because many people chose to ignore the persecution of the Jews and not help them, the problem didn't go away and the terrible treatment of the Jews continued for some time.
To tell their experiences, they used a narration, telling in order what happened starting all the way when things were mostly normal, to the end when they were liberated from the concentration camps.
I chose to read this book because the Holocaust was a dark but interesting time and I wondered how something like this could happen and exactly what people who were being persecuted experienced. The Darkest Years gave a great description of what happened and more specifically the stories of several people and how they got through something as terrible as the Holocaust.
November 29, 2020
It's difficult to rate a book that is a personal account of something so horrific. Details are limited, possibly given their own minds blocking some of the atrocities they witnessed and they themselves experienced.
This is still a must read book, as I believe we all have a moral imperative to hear what truly happened during the Holocaust, especially as the last survivors are passing away. Let the world never, ever forget or repeat what happened.
May the Caitung's memories be for a blessing.
This is still a must read book, as I believe we all have a moral imperative to hear what truly happened during the Holocaust, especially as the last survivors are passing away. Let the world never, ever forget or repeat what happened.
May the Caitung's memories be for a blessing.
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