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Raking Light from Ashes
Find light in the darkest hour
Lala, a young Jewish girl, loses her entire family during the dark days of the Holocaust in the Warsaw Ghetto. Thanks to the kindness of a Polish family, Lala manages to survive the war, taking on an assumed identity. By a twist of good fortune and unbelievable coincidence, she is found after the war and eventually immigrates to Israel in 1950 to live with her Israeli relatives.
A child’s struggle to comprehend a world gone madRelli Robinson’s true story of survival offers a fascinating panoramic human drama that extends from the dark days of the Second World War to the independent State of Israel. A gripping and inspiringly optimistic narrative based on real life experiences, you'll enjoy every page of this fascinating journey of hope.
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Published February 16, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
February 23, 2020
good story.. interesting characters and storytelling. i liked the characters and the writing. very good
September 10, 2017
Raking Light from Ashes is by Holocaust survivor Relli Robinson. It is a remarkable story of rescue and love. Relli was only four when she was taken by her parents out of the Warsaw Ghetto to the home of Janine and Jozef Abramowicz. Here they left their beloved daughter in hopes that she could be saved. Janine and Jozef renamed her Lala and raised her as a Polish girl. When she was ten, Janine died and Relli was once more an orphan. Luckily for her, her Father’s family in Israel was looking for her, hoping to bring her to Israel. Relli did not want to become Jewish again and resisted the family. She was lucky enough to have people to care for her when Jozef was unable to. Eventually she goes go to Israel and is reunited with her family.
This story is one of tragedy after tragedy but where hope continues to peak out from the clouds. Although the story is about Relli, it also gives the details necessary for Yad Vashem to give the Abramowiczs the title of Righteous Gentiles for their role in saving Relli. This memoir is written in such a way that you really get a feel for the young girl as she finds her way through life. She survived by living under a different name. Her story is simply amazing.
This story is one of tragedy after tragedy but where hope continues to peak out from the clouds. Although the story is about Relli, it also gives the details necessary for Yad Vashem to give the Abramowiczs the title of Righteous Gentiles for their role in saving Relli. This memoir is written in such a way that you really get a feel for the young girl as she finds her way through life. She survived by living under a different name. Her story is simply amazing.
July 25, 2017
Story is multilayered
I rated this book a five. The author tells more than a story. It is incredible. One of the best.
I rated this book a five. The author tells more than a story. It is incredible. One of the best.
November 20, 2019
A story of hope and survival
Excellent story of how a young girl survived Hitler's rein with the help of friends and family. Hope is always there.
Excellent story of how a young girl survived Hitler's rein with the help of friends and family. Hope is always there.
May 6, 2017
As with other books in this genre, I was eager to read and learn more. I don't know why I am so fascinated with the times surrounding the horrible events that took place. But I can't seem to get enough of the personal stories of the people who survived through it. It amazes me that people argue whether these things have happened in history or whether they are made up. And it is through the countless stories like this that come forth and are shared with the world that the truth is shown. They DID happen and there are PEOPLE behind these stories that were eye witnesses to the horrors around them, who lived every day and night in fear, and whose lives were scarred by the events of the era. It must be one of the hardest things in the world to even TELL your story, whether verbally or in written format like this book. But I thank those people for doing so because it is truly heartwrenching and I can't even begin to say how much I admire them for not only living through it, but for reliving it through the sharing of their story with others.
This is a lengthier read, but one that was absolutely wonderful. I found I couldn't put it down. I saw the life of this little girl unfold before me. My heart ached for her pain. My eyes teared up a few times at her loss and fear. And I continued to read and read though I had other things I needed to be doing.
I don't know why other Amazon reviewers said this book could use more editing. I loved Robinson's writing style. I was able to see the story unfold through each snippet, and saw the aftermath of what happened in the short blurb at the end of each chapter. The only thing that stood out to me as being different and not of the norm was the use of italics for speech rather than quotation marks. I was able to figure out who was speaking, but I am used to italics being used for thoughts, not speech. Once I realized what the author was doing, I had no problem following the stories. I saw no other issues with the writing, not in mechanics or grammar. The stories progressed naturally and did not jump around or leave me with questions.
This is a must read if you are one who has questions about the Holocaust and what happened to the Jewish people during World War II. This will open your eyes to the truth of what happened to some people, showing you the life of one family who had to live in fear, change names, move away temporarily, and so much more. Heartwrenching at times, but well worth reading.
This is a lengthier read, but one that was absolutely wonderful. I found I couldn't put it down. I saw the life of this little girl unfold before me. My heart ached for her pain. My eyes teared up a few times at her loss and fear. And I continued to read and read though I had other things I needed to be doing.
I don't know why other Amazon reviewers said this book could use more editing. I loved Robinson's writing style. I was able to see the story unfold through each snippet, and saw the aftermath of what happened in the short blurb at the end of each chapter. The only thing that stood out to me as being different and not of the norm was the use of italics for speech rather than quotation marks. I was able to figure out who was speaking, but I am used to italics being used for thoughts, not speech. Once I realized what the author was doing, I had no problem following the stories. I saw no other issues with the writing, not in mechanics or grammar. The stories progressed naturally and did not jump around or leave me with questions.
This is a must read if you are one who has questions about the Holocaust and what happened to the Jewish people during World War II. This will open your eyes to the truth of what happened to some people, showing you the life of one family who had to live in fear, change names, move away temporarily, and so much more. Heartwrenching at times, but well worth reading.
August 26, 2019
‘The secrets of love cannot be explicitly deciphered’
Israeli author Relli Robinson has studied at both the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and UCLA. Her memoir – RAKING LIGHT FROM ASHES – captures her history from 1939 in Warsaw, where living under an assumed identity with her Polish rescuers, she was the only member of her family to survive the Warsaw Ghetto. She immigrated to Israel in 1950, where she lives today, in the city of Haifa.
There are many books about the atrocities of World War II and the Holocaust and each has served as a reminder to never allow such events to ever occur again. What sets Relli’s book apart from the others is her vivid recreating of moments and events of her personal journey of having lived through and survived those traumas.
Her book is very real, offered in actual events or episodes, each followed by an ‘Afterward’ passage in which Relli reflects, and she sets the tone in the opening pages – ‘Today, at seventy years old, I can’t take my eyes off my image at seven days old. Embraced in my parents’ arms, peeking through big eyes into the seventh day of my life. Mommy and daddy look straight at the camera, and time becomes frozen and freezes all things: a reality dipping in blossoms, a life with the promise of love and color. My parents’ embracing arms imbue me with confidence. But the blossoms have wilted, life was murdered, the colors faded, and love was transformed into longing. Only the confidence of the embrace lives on.’
While it is imperative that the reader travel through this remarkable life story with Relli’s excellent prose, the overview of the book is offered as an incentive: Lala, a young Jewish girl, loses her entire family during the dark days of the Holocaust in the Warsaw Ghetto. Thanks to the kindness of a Polish family, Lala manages to survive the war, taking on an assumed identity. By a twist of good fortune and unbelievable coincidence, she is found after the war and eventually immigrates to Israel in 1950 to live with her Israeli relatives. This is a true story of survival - a child’s struggle to comprehend a world gone mad – a story that extends from the dark days of the Second World War to the independent State of Israel.’
A remarkably inspirational story from a survivor who continues to speak to students in universities, colleges, high schools and to adults in her extensive seminars, this book is both educational and an eloquent paean to peace and light. Highly recommended.
March 23, 2017
Each Holocaust survivor has a unique and individual story. However, these survivors’ stories didn’t end in 1945. They continue through to the present day. Their testimonies provide us with an understanding of how the events of the Holocaust have shaped their lives and are an ongoing testimony to the strength of the human spirit.
This book is a compelling true story about Lala, a young Jewish girl who loses her whole family amid the dim days of the Holocaust in the Warsaw Ghetto. Because of the compassion of a Polish family, Lala miraculously survives the war by taking on an assumed identity. By a twist of fate and astonishing coincidence, she is later found after the war and eventually immigrates to Israel in 1950 to live with her remaining relatives.
Relli Robinson's actual story of survival offers an interesting all encompassing human dramatization that stretches out from the dim days of the Second World War to the autonomous State of Israel. A holding and inspiringly idealistic account based on her own personal experiences, you'll appreciate each page of this entrancing voyage of hope and inspiration. This really is a remarkable story.
This book is a compelling true story about Lala, a young Jewish girl who loses her whole family amid the dim days of the Holocaust in the Warsaw Ghetto. Because of the compassion of a Polish family, Lala miraculously survives the war by taking on an assumed identity. By a twist of fate and astonishing coincidence, she is later found after the war and eventually immigrates to Israel in 1950 to live with her remaining relatives.
Relli Robinson's actual story of survival offers an interesting all encompassing human dramatization that stretches out from the dim days of the Second World War to the autonomous State of Israel. A holding and inspiringly idealistic account based on her own personal experiences, you'll appreciate each page of this entrancing voyage of hope and inspiration. This really is a remarkable story.
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February 26, 2024TheFussyLibrarian
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August 21, 2021Raking Light From Ashes: A WW2 Jewish Girl’s Holocaust Survival True Story: World War II Survivor Memoir Book 6 is written by Relli Robinson. This is the story of a little girl who in her lifetime has had seven first names and changed her personal, national, and religious identity two-and-a-half-times, lost her “parents” three times, and changed living places multiple times. During all of this upheaval, she kept her sense of identity.
Relli was born in Warsaw to a Jewish family shortly before the start of World War II. Her Father was in textiles and her mother a homemaker and member of the Communist Party. They were forced to live in the Warsaw ghetto along with her maternal grandfather. Given a chance to smuggle their daughter out of the ghetto and hide her in a safe place, her parents did just that. At three and a half, she became LaLa, the Polish daughter of Jozef and Janina Abrahamowich. When it became too dangerous in Warsaw for Janine, she and Lala moved to a friend’s cherry farm until the end of the war. After the war, she and Janina went back to Warsaw where they found Josef alive; but her parents had been murdered at Trawniki. They also learned she had family in Israel.
This is just a few of the changes in her life between 3 and a half to 6 years. She eventually ends up in Israel, and the United States, and back to Israel. In her book, she tells, through the eyes of her young self, the changes she went through. The reader doesn’t get the details of what is going on around her and with the war; but you still know it is there and is affecting her. Throughout her life, she doesn’t ever get rid of that childish view of her surroundings. She is too busy trying to figure out who she is. She is also constantly trying to figure out who her parents really were besides her parents. She has only a vague memory of them.
The reader is compelled to continue reading once you begin reading. Her descriptions of incidents and places makes you feel like you are actually there. As she grows up, you feel like she would at those particular ages. You feel the confusion , fright, loneliness, and confusion as she has no idea what is going on as adults don’t always tell her.
Relli was born in Warsaw to a Jewish family shortly before the start of World War II. Her Father was in textiles and her mother a homemaker and member of the Communist Party. They were forced to live in the Warsaw ghetto along with her maternal grandfather. Given a chance to smuggle their daughter out of the ghetto and hide her in a safe place, her parents did just that. At three and a half, she became LaLa, the Polish daughter of Jozef and Janina Abrahamowich. When it became too dangerous in Warsaw for Janine, she and Lala moved to a friend’s cherry farm until the end of the war. After the war, she and Janina went back to Warsaw where they found Josef alive; but her parents had been murdered at Trawniki. They also learned she had family in Israel.
This is just a few of the changes in her life between 3 and a half to 6 years. She eventually ends up in Israel, and the United States, and back to Israel. In her book, she tells, through the eyes of her young self, the changes she went through. The reader doesn’t get the details of what is going on around her and with the war; but you still know it is there and is affecting her. Throughout her life, she doesn’t ever get rid of that childish view of her surroundings. She is too busy trying to figure out who she is. She is also constantly trying to figure out who her parents really were besides her parents. She has only a vague memory of them.
The reader is compelled to continue reading once you begin reading. Her descriptions of incidents and places makes you feel like you are actually there. As she grows up, you feel like she would at those particular ages. You feel the confusion , fright, loneliness, and confusion as she has no idea what is going on as adults don’t always tell her.
June 13, 2020
"Each of us has a name given by God and given by our parents."
This book is a memoir written by woman who has answered to many names during her lifetime. Born Relli Glowinski in pre-WWII Poland, Relli was given the name "Lala" at four years old when her Jewish parents found her a safe place to live.
Lala grows up with a couple who are members of the Communist Party and raise Lala as their own daughter. The first part of the book follows Lala's growing up years during the war-torn streets of Warsaw. She later learns that her parents have been killed by the Nazis, making her an orphan for the first time.
When her adoptive mother dies suddenly, Lala's life is once again uprooted. She finds out that she has relatives in the new nation of Israel, who want to have her leave Poland and move to Israel. Since Lala/Relli has been raised in a culture far removed from the Jewish culture, it takes her some time to accept her heritage.
The book is a unique look at the horrific circumstances surrounding growing up as a Jewish girl in Poland. The author bears her emotions throughout the book and slowly introduces the reader to her extended family. The inclusion of letters, journal entries, and photographs gives the reader a glimpse into the life of people who lived through this time.
I was given the chance to read this book by the Candid Review group and chose to review it.
This book is a memoir written by woman who has answered to many names during her lifetime. Born Relli Glowinski in pre-WWII Poland, Relli was given the name "Lala" at four years old when her Jewish parents found her a safe place to live.
Lala grows up with a couple who are members of the Communist Party and raise Lala as their own daughter. The first part of the book follows Lala's growing up years during the war-torn streets of Warsaw. She later learns that her parents have been killed by the Nazis, making her an orphan for the first time.
When her adoptive mother dies suddenly, Lala's life is once again uprooted. She finds out that she has relatives in the new nation of Israel, who want to have her leave Poland and move to Israel. Since Lala/Relli has been raised in a culture far removed from the Jewish culture, it takes her some time to accept her heritage.
The book is a unique look at the horrific circumstances surrounding growing up as a Jewish girl in Poland. The author bears her emotions throughout the book and slowly introduces the reader to her extended family. The inclusion of letters, journal entries, and photographs gives the reader a glimpse into the life of people who lived through this time.
I was given the chance to read this book by the Candid Review group and chose to review it.
November 13, 2020
What I expected: A true story about a Jewish child surviving Hitler, the Holocaust and WW2.
What I got: A patchy narrative that is essentially just a collection of memories broken into chapters, alternating with scant detail or too much detail. Also the book likes to hammer home that relli as a child was amazing/the best ever. This happens so often, that when I got to the priest chapter I just skimmed it because I could tell how that chapter was going to play out(my eyes rolled so much they nearly fell out of my head). The earlier chapters of the book are really good(and very sad) but as the book goes on it starts to become more dull. I'm happy that everything worked out for Relli in the end but I would not recommend this book.
What I got: A patchy narrative that is essentially just a collection of memories broken into chapters, alternating with scant detail or too much detail. Also the book likes to hammer home that relli as a child was amazing/the best ever. This happens so often, that when I got to the priest chapter I just skimmed it because I could tell how that chapter was going to play out(my eyes rolled so much they nearly fell out of my head). The earlier chapters of the book are really good(and very sad) but as the book goes on it starts to become more dull. I'm happy that everything worked out for Relli in the end but I would not recommend this book.
April 3, 2021
An intriguing survival story
This book differs from most Holocaust stories I have read as Relli’s parents gave her to a Polish couple to raise during the war. It is an incredible recap of her journey through life, being separated from her parents at the age of four, living as a Polish girl and eventually reconnecting with her fathers family in Israel and returning to her Jewish roots. Definitely a must read.
This book differs from most Holocaust stories I have read as Relli’s parents gave her to a Polish couple to raise during the war. It is an incredible recap of her journey through life, being separated from her parents at the age of four, living as a Polish girl and eventually reconnecting with her fathers family in Israel and returning to her Jewish roots. Definitely a must read.
January 14, 2020
A biography of light and the resilience of the human spirit
An excellent story of survival during one of the darkest periods of recent history. The impact of love of love in the life of a very determined child, of survival under some of the worst circumstances imaginable. Yet through all and over many years the light of the human spirit shines through.
An excellent story of survival during one of the darkest periods of recent history. The impact of love of love in the life of a very determined child, of survival under some of the worst circumstances imaginable. Yet through all and over many years the light of the human spirit shines through.
August 19, 2021
Relli is a Beauty for Ashes Story
This book by Relli Robinson was one I couldn't put down. Relli, a/k/a Lala, a Jewish girl from Warsaw during the Nazi reign of terror, tells her story brilliantly. With so many emotional hard stops, she tells her story with grace, humor and candor. I really loved this book!
This book by Relli Robinson was one I couldn't put down. Relli, a/k/a Lala, a Jewish girl from Warsaw during the Nazi reign of terror, tells her story brilliantly. With so many emotional hard stops, she tells her story with grace, humor and candor. I really loved this book!
May 1, 2022
The book, Raking Light from Ashes, is unusual in that this account follows the life of a toddler given to a Gentile couple to protect and to raise as their own child. This little girl endures great confusion but is very confident and stubborn in her beliefs and feelings. The book gives a lot of space to her ultimate survival and great success of a new life in Israel.
January 13, 2020
A personal history
Well written. I would suggest this to my sister. We have love reading the histories of heroes. The holocaust will never be forgotten.
Well written. I would suggest this to my sister. We have love reading the histories of heroes. The holocaust will never be forgotten.
May 5, 2020
A Heartfelt Memoir
I enjoy stories about WWII, this is an exceptional account of one person's journey. I would recommend everyone read it.
I enjoy stories about WWII, this is an exceptional account of one person's journey. I would recommend everyone read it.
April 27, 2021
Survival during the Holocaust.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 9, 2017
I've had a great interest in the Holocaust, trying to understand how it could have happened and why the German citizens didn't stop it, since I read Anne Frank's Diary when I was twelve. As an adult I've read many, many personal and historical accounts. All of them, for one reason or another, heart rending, but none of them able to explain or appease my question...why/how could these innocent people, an entire religion, become the target of such inexplicable hatred and horror?
Just a few years ago, when doing some research for my own book about my family, to my surprise I discovered that my paternal grandfather was Jewish...but when he came to America from Holland as an 18 year old boy, he made up his mind he would never disclose that information to anyone, including my grandmother, a WASP from a wealthy family, nor any of his eventual four children. He lived until I was a married woman with a child of my own...I spent many wonderful days with him...but he never spoke of his past nor his family. And, sadly, I never asked.
His story is a complicated one...and a very sad one as well...his only sister and her husband, were shot and killed at Auschwitz...and their child, a young boy, escaped Holland all alone before their deaths. The story of his escape was both incredible and harrowing...almost unbelievable. Later, after marrying with his own children, he wrote an account of his escape. Not a book for publication, but only for his children and other family members. It was not well written...it didn't allow the reader to really know him...to feel his fear...or his sadness. It was a book of facts. I feel the same about "Raking Light from Ashes."
While full of heartbreak, and incredible coincidences, Relli Robinson did not let me "feel" her; to "feel" her emotions. I wanted to "see" her "insides," and to experience everything she had endured. Ms. Robinson came close to "letting me in" only when she told of Lala's sleeping in the hall of the apartment she had shared with her adopted parents before her mother died. But she wrote little about her grief at losing yet a second mother, nor her anger/hurt regarding the man who had been her father since she was a baby, when he abandoned her. I wanted more.
I have no doubt Ms Robinson is an incredible woman...someone I'd like to know...but this book doesn't ever allow me to know HER. It lacks emotion, and reads more like a book that was meant for people who already know her...her family.
Just a few years ago, when doing some research for my own book about my family, to my surprise I discovered that my paternal grandfather was Jewish...but when he came to America from Holland as an 18 year old boy, he made up his mind he would never disclose that information to anyone, including my grandmother, a WASP from a wealthy family, nor any of his eventual four children. He lived until I was a married woman with a child of my own...I spent many wonderful days with him...but he never spoke of his past nor his family. And, sadly, I never asked.
His story is a complicated one...and a very sad one as well...his only sister and her husband, were shot and killed at Auschwitz...and their child, a young boy, escaped Holland all alone before their deaths. The story of his escape was both incredible and harrowing...almost unbelievable. Later, after marrying with his own children, he wrote an account of his escape. Not a book for publication, but only for his children and other family members. It was not well written...it didn't allow the reader to really know him...to feel his fear...or his sadness. It was a book of facts. I feel the same about "Raking Light from Ashes."
While full of heartbreak, and incredible coincidences, Relli Robinson did not let me "feel" her; to "feel" her emotions. I wanted to "see" her "insides," and to experience everything she had endured. Ms. Robinson came close to "letting me in" only when she told of Lala's sleeping in the hall of the apartment she had shared with her adopted parents before her mother died. But she wrote little about her grief at losing yet a second mother, nor her anger/hurt regarding the man who had been her father since she was a baby, when he abandoned her. I wanted more.
I have no doubt Ms Robinson is an incredible woman...someone I'd like to know...but this book doesn't ever allow me to know HER. It lacks emotion, and reads more like a book that was meant for people who already know her...her family.
May 15, 2017
1/1943, WWII Holocaust Warsaw Ghetto (6 Krochmalna St.)
The life/times of Lala Abramowicz (aka Relli Głowinski, Franka/Michał’s daughter, Jewish, aka Halinka Kowalski, Halinka Abramowicz, Relli Głowinski, Relli Robinson, Hebrew U, Jerusalem, geography, UCLA MS geography) & several family members.
I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review. Only an honest one.
A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very well written WWII Jewish family memoir book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another WWII Jewish family memoir great movie, or better yet a mini TV series. A very easy rating of 5 stars.
Thank you for the free author; readingdeals; Amazon Digital Services LLC; book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)
The life/times of Lala Abramowicz (aka Relli Głowinski, Franka/Michał’s daughter, Jewish, aka Halinka Kowalski, Halinka Abramowicz, Relli Głowinski, Relli Robinson, Hebrew U, Jerusalem, geography, UCLA MS geography) & several family members.
I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review. Only an honest one.
A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very well written WWII Jewish family memoir book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another WWII Jewish family memoir great movie, or better yet a mini TV series. A very easy rating of 5 stars.
Thank you for the free author; readingdeals; Amazon Digital Services LLC; book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)
May 21, 2017
Book Review originally published here: http://www.iheartreading.net/reviews/...
Raking Light From Ashes is an amazing book, a true story of survival that shows a fascinating view into human life, into the sacrifices people can be forced to make, into the horrors of the Holocaust and what true courage means.
World War II was horrible. We all know that, but to read about it, a true account of what happened, makes it all the more gruesome. A little girl, torn apart from her family, who manages to survive the war thanks to the kindness of a Polish family. Raised with new parents, raised with a new name, but still in the middle of the war that destroyed her family.
It was a touching read that brought me to tears. To think there are still people going through these horrors nowadays just make me sick. I wish we lived in a world with peace for everyone. It’s sad that this still hasn’t been accomplished.
This book tugs at your heartstrings, but it’s also very inspiring.
Raking Light From Ashes is an amazing book, a true story of survival that shows a fascinating view into human life, into the sacrifices people can be forced to make, into the horrors of the Holocaust and what true courage means.
World War II was horrible. We all know that, but to read about it, a true account of what happened, makes it all the more gruesome. A little girl, torn apart from her family, who manages to survive the war thanks to the kindness of a Polish family. Raised with new parents, raised with a new name, but still in the middle of the war that destroyed her family.
It was a touching read that brought me to tears. To think there are still people going through these horrors nowadays just make me sick. I wish we lived in a world with peace for everyone. It’s sad that this still hasn’t been accomplished.
This book tugs at your heartstrings, but it’s also very inspiring.
November 3, 2019
Fascinating sort of survival. I highly recommend this book.
June 12, 2017
An Amazing Tale, as Heroic as the Founding of Israel
This tale is full of heroism in two families' efforts to save a young girl in Poland while occupied by Nazi Germany. Her parents hand her over to a family beyond the Warsaw ghetto walls, arranged by a mutual acquaintance. The trust required must have been absolute on the part of Relli's parents. The bravery of her adoptive parents and their extended family was truly heroic, after all, many Poles were happy to betray others protecting the defenseless. The scene on the train in which Janina has to trust Relli in the hands of a Wermacht officer is breathtaking. The betrayal after Janina dies is heartbreaking.
Everything that occurred to bring about the reunion of Relli with her family is almost enough to make a believer out of a nonbeliever. And that final story about Pan Alexander is a fine way to end this tale. This tale is as uplifting as Schindler's List.
This tale is full of heroism in two families' efforts to save a young girl in Poland while occupied by Nazi Germany. Her parents hand her over to a family beyond the Warsaw ghetto walls, arranged by a mutual acquaintance. The trust required must have been absolute on the part of Relli's parents. The bravery of her adoptive parents and their extended family was truly heroic, after all, many Poles were happy to betray others protecting the defenseless. The scene on the train in which Janina has to trust Relli in the hands of a Wermacht officer is breathtaking. The betrayal after Janina dies is heartbreaking.
Everything that occurred to bring about the reunion of Relli with her family is almost enough to make a believer out of a nonbeliever. And that final story about Pan Alexander is a fine way to end this tale. This tale is as uplifting as Schindler's List.
November 19, 2019
What an incredible story - Relli tells her life story so well. It is a terribly sad tale of survival against all odds through WW2. Her bravery and positive attitude to everything she encounters is amazing.
I cried through most of the book, laughed too, but this book has had a profound effect on me.
Relli/Lala, thank you for putting your life story into print, so that this can be shared.
Absolutely a must read!
As an afterword, I would just like to say that it was amazing to read at the end of the book that your Father's family can from Konin in Poland. My Grandfather and his family also came from Konin (most coming to the UK before the war (although many perished/were murdered in the Camps). I have another book (Konin: A Quest, written by Theo Richmond, whose family were also from Konin), which includes interviews with some of my family (the Fox family and Kavalek/Kaye family). I am positive that at some stage our families must have crossed paths.
I cried through most of the book, laughed too, but this book has had a profound effect on me.
Relli/Lala, thank you for putting your life story into print, so that this can be shared.
Absolutely a must read!
As an afterword, I would just like to say that it was amazing to read at the end of the book that your Father's family can from Konin in Poland. My Grandfather and his family also came from Konin (most coming to the UK before the war (although many perished/were murdered in the Camps). I have another book (Konin: A Quest, written by Theo Richmond, whose family were also from Konin), which includes interviews with some of my family (the Fox family and Kavalek/Kaye family). I am positive that at some stage our families must have crossed paths.
October 14, 2019
I read a lot of books about the people who survived Hitler. I do not know why I am compelled to do so. In this book I learned of Lithuania. My family has been searching from where my grandpa’s family came from.
He would never tell us and upon coming to the US changed their last name. But in my great grandmas house hung a picture of a royal woman coming down a staircase. She always told my mom she would be as beautiful as that woman. They took a German name but know they were not from Germany. My grandpa, her son would say and my spelling for it is bad hawts mow ma. Meaning as I was told by my mom his daughter meant be quiet. He told my mom to stop asking. You and ma are safe. So with much curiosity we want to know where they traveled over mountains to a boat which took them to Louisiana, from there to Oshkosh, Wisconsin. So I am very interested in the horrible war.
He would never tell us and upon coming to the US changed their last name. But in my great grandmas house hung a picture of a royal woman coming down a staircase. She always told my mom she would be as beautiful as that woman. They took a German name but know they were not from Germany. My grandpa, her son would say and my spelling for it is bad hawts mow ma. Meaning as I was told by my mom his daughter meant be quiet. He told my mom to stop asking. You and ma are safe. So with much curiosity we want to know where they traveled over mountains to a boat which took them to Louisiana, from there to Oshkosh, Wisconsin. So I am very interested in the horrible war.
October 15, 2017
Using a false identity allowed Lana to survive the holocaust and the devastation found in the Warsaw Ghetto. Jania and Jozef Abramowicz literally save her life and kept her safe during World War II. She recalls the fear and sacrifices her adopted family and other faced in Poland. This memoir begins at the age of four and continues up to her immigration to Israel in the 1950s. While the book could benefit from additional editing, it is provides another perspective of the destruction genocide has on individuals, families, and those willing to risk safety to save others.
LibraryThing Member Giveaway randomly chose me to receive this book. Although encouraged, I was under no obligation to write a review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
LibraryThing Member Giveaway randomly chose me to receive this book. Although encouraged, I was under no obligation to write a review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
April 25, 2020
This is a moving memoir. I enjoyed reading about Relli’s life. She rose above all her circumstances. I enjoyed reading about all the different people in her life. I thought it was very well written and it was easy to read. I enjoyed seeing all the pictures too. I think this woman had an amazing spirit to survive and she did more than that. The sacrifice her parents made was very selfless and it saved her life. I can’t imagine being in that situation let alone having to make that decision. I think all her parents were heroic (both her birth parents and her adoptive parents). It’s horrifying that she had to live through this part of history let alone it being a part of history at all. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys memoirs and learning about this time in history.
December 7, 2017
Past and Future Converge.
This book brings an understanding of Polish life that isn't often told. It is the orderiness of normal life amidst a totally abnormal life during the horrors of occupation. It talks of how some of the Polish people went beyond themselves to hide their Jewish friends and neighbors despite the perils to themselves. Then the story integrates the story of the new nation, Israel and the struggled that were overcome as the nation grew and became recognized by the other nations of the world. This is an amazing book!
This book brings an understanding of Polish life that isn't often told. It is the orderiness of normal life amidst a totally abnormal life during the horrors of occupation. It talks of how some of the Polish people went beyond themselves to hide their Jewish friends and neighbors despite the perils to themselves. Then the story integrates the story of the new nation, Israel and the struggled that were overcome as the nation grew and became recognized by the other nations of the world. This is an amazing book!
October 28, 2019
I never give 5 Stars on principal
... but Relli has created in this book such life-changing learning in such graphic depth, it's a pity the scale stops at 5. Thank you for this amazing watershed experience!
... but Relli has created in this book such life-changing learning in such graphic depth, it's a pity the scale stops at 5. Thank you for this amazing watershed experience!
March 26, 2017
Outstanding!
For everyone who needs a clearer understanding of what life was like in hiding for all those Jewish children not captured during WWII, this is it.
An amazing and riveting memoir of a child/young woman caught between two worlds, and the two separate people she must be to survive. Incredible journey!
For everyone who needs a clearer understanding of what life was like in hiding for all those Jewish children not captured during WWII, this is it.
An amazing and riveting memoir of a child/young woman caught between two worlds, and the two separate people she must be to survive. Incredible journey!
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