I Didn't Tell Them Anything: The Wartime Secrets of an American Girl

by Aleena Rieger

<!--StartFragment-->When Aleena Rieger was growing up, there were certain things she wasn't allowed to talk about. Where she was born. Her family's experiences during World War II. Her mother's illness. Against great odds, the Riegers secured a future in which they and their descendants could lead ordinary lives. But to do so they had to jettison the past—and their past selves. Years flew by. Aleena had children, and then grandchildren, who wanted to know about her origins. Her parents died, which meant she no longer needed to conceal what she knew to protect them. But she also couldn't ask them to fill the gaps in her knowledge. I Didn't Tell Them The Wartime Secrets of an American Girl chronicles Aleena's efforts to uncover the missing pieces of a patchwork history—her parents' flight from Nazi-besieged Poland, forced labor in Siberia, temporary refuge in Kazakhstan, and a long journey to America made possible by their refusal to speak of the ordeals they'd faced behind the Iron Curtain. Describing the unique circumstances of one immigrant family, I Didn't Tell Them Anything captures universal themes of hope, survival, and the tenacity of the human spirit. <!--EndFragment-->

216 pages, Paperback

First published February 19, 2015

Reviews

[Erin Schroeder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing story about a Polish Jewish couple that got transported to a Siberia work camp. They managed to escape the camp then boarded a train that led them along with the wife's brothers throughout the Soviet Union and landed in Kazakhstan. In Kazakhstan, the wife gave birth to their daughter (the author of the book) and were given housing to stay in. The husband and wife's brothers went to work on the black market to support the family. After the war was over they went back to Poland and eventually ended up in a DP camp in Germany. They had family act as sponsors for their immigration to America and found themselves in Chicago. Highly recommended the book!

[Gayle Braecklein · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting story & a quick read

[Nick Hernandez · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing true story of holocaust survivors and the difficulties the family faced to avoid capture, survive, and ultimately get to America. This is a MUST READ!

[Erika Fabian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written, in a way a heartbreaking story of survival during WWII, despite its good final outcome. A wonderful lesson in survival through being adaptable and clever.