What do you think?
Rate this book
Nothing Could Stop Her: The Courageous Life of Ruth Gruber
Ruth Gruber didn't want to live an ordinary life, and she wouldn't take "no" for an answer. Born to a Jewish American family in 1911, she grew up to become a renowned journalist and activist. Her career spanned seven decades and led her to places that other reporters wouldn't or couldn't go, from Nazi Germany to the remote Arctic regions of the Soviet Union. At a time when women were expected to stay at home and raise families, Ruth told the stories of people in need and fought for their rights to live in safety and freedom.
119 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2023
3 people are currently reading
46 people want to read
About the author
Rona Arato
30 books12 followersRONA ARATO was born in New York and grew up in Los Angeles. Her work has appeared in magazines and newspapers in Canada and the United States. She taught elementary school in Los Angeles and Toronto, adult creative writing for the Toronto District School Board, and has conducted business writing workshops for profit and nonprofit organizations. From 1994-1998, she was an interviewer for Survivors of the Shoa, a Steven Spielberg project that recorded the histories of Holocaust survivors. Rona Arato lives in Toronto with her husband, Paul.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
February 13, 2023
Nothing Could Stop Her is a story of Ruth Gruber, a remarkable woman who pushed the boundaries, and was determined to live life on her own terms.
She was born in Brooklyn, NY, to a Jewish family from Russia. From the young age, she displayed talent for writing and poetry. She went on to study German and exploring the world beyond Brooklyn. After receiving her Master degree in the US, she continued her education in Cologne, Germany. Despite her parents protests as situation was getting worrisome with Adolf Hitler.
She received her PhD at the age of twenty. A year in Germany opened her eyes to many things, including growing antisemitism. It put fire under her to fight for humanity. She became a reporter, first in the US, then internationally.
Her journey as a reporter shows not only how extraordinary she was, but also how much history was involved in her work, which comes to light as her story is revealed. She was set to discover about lives of women in remote areas such as Siberia. Leading her to another research about political prisoners in USSR. Later, bringing lives of hunters in Alaska. Her most passionate accomplishment was probably fighting for war refugees, followed by her humanitarian work, and covering stories of oppressed Jews.
This engagingly written story shines light on a remarkable woman, who was a true trailblazer, and achieved many things despite time not being on her side as a woman. (Ages 8-12)
Source: ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
She was born in Brooklyn, NY, to a Jewish family from Russia. From the young age, she displayed talent for writing and poetry. She went on to study German and exploring the world beyond Brooklyn. After receiving her Master degree in the US, she continued her education in Cologne, Germany. Despite her parents protests as situation was getting worrisome with Adolf Hitler.
She received her PhD at the age of twenty. A year in Germany opened her eyes to many things, including growing antisemitism. It put fire under her to fight for humanity. She became a reporter, first in the US, then internationally.
Her journey as a reporter shows not only how extraordinary she was, but also how much history was involved in her work, which comes to light as her story is revealed. She was set to discover about lives of women in remote areas such as Siberia. Leading her to another research about political prisoners in USSR. Later, bringing lives of hunters in Alaska. Her most passionate accomplishment was probably fighting for war refugees, followed by her humanitarian work, and covering stories of oppressed Jews.
This engagingly written story shines light on a remarkable woman, who was a true trailblazer, and achieved many things despite time not being on her side as a woman. (Ages 8-12)
Source: ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
February 12, 2023
E ARC provided by Netgalley
Interesting biography of a woman who was able to study and have a career starting just before WWII, which was somewhat unusual. Her Jewish heritage made it very dangerous for her to travel to Germany and Poland at the time, but she use her leverage to help people. I wish that the biography hadn't stopped in the 1940s, since Gruber's story is fascinating. I liked how it was illustrated with pictures made to look like photographs.
Interesting biography of a woman who was able to study and have a career starting just before WWII, which was somewhat unusual. Her Jewish heritage made it very dangerous for her to travel to Germany and Poland at the time, but she use her leverage to help people. I wish that the biography hadn't stopped in the 1940s, since Gruber's story is fascinating. I liked how it was illustrated with pictures made to look like photographs.
June 12, 2023
Well-written biographies like this one are the reason I love my job as a children’s librarian. I learn so much about people I haven’t previously known anything about. It’s exciting to watch the variety in biographies continue to expand and include more women, more people of color and other ethnicities, and more lesser known yet influential, courageous people. I loved learning about Ruth Gruber. So happy to learn that there was someone watching out for WWII refugees newly arrived in the US, despite the sad fact that so many were turned away and sent back to Europe.
April 27, 2023
Up until today I had no idea who Ruth Gruber was while with the amount of time when I was younger I had to dedicate to learning about different aspects of the Holocaust I am surprised that I didn't trip over her before. As such this was rather a new person and one that I was ambivalent about getting to know since so many of these more modern biographies have a secret agenda.
Nothing Could Stop Her was actually a bit intimidating for me since it was such a "big" book on a historical figure geared for children. Instead, though, each of the chapters are small yet detailed while focusing on on particular aspect in her life. As a result this is one book that can be easily read to a room of children or other little ones over an extended time if you can hold yourself back from reading it all in one go.
Rona Arato does add a few Yiddish words at the very beginning but otherwise these fade pretty quickly while at the same time no German or Russian is included, especially since German is what she wanted to learn so much. At the same time readers may find it difficult to read some portions of this book just since the location and proper names included in the book as well as the Yiddish terms aren't provided with a pronunciation guide.
Another thing that I enjoyed is the fact that the author provides the reader with some situations and you eagerly wonder what is going to occur. Instead of leaving the reader in the dark and shrugging it off as just a piece of history better forgotten as it doesn't have any direct correlation to the protagonist after she has left the scene these answers are provided to the reader.
Finally the reader will find that there are insert boxes with more information whether it is about mentioned individuals, concepts and so much more. Although they didn't quite disrupt the story to read them then come back or move forward if I had known about them I may have done two readings thus dedicating myself to the story and then coming back to get some the extra data. Furthermore there is included at the back a bit more information about Ruth Gruber after her work during World War II, a timeline of events in her life and the world around her and also a glossary for terms that readers may not know about.
The book itself has nicely colored illustrations sprinkled throughout. Some take up the whole page, others are inserts and some are half pages. They help to make the reader lighter for children who may be struggling with this subject while also helping to put a face on these historical events.
My only issue with it is that at times it seems like the book is struggling to figure out which perspective that it wants to be told in but it doesn't take away from the whole story....
For anyone who is looking for a story about a strong, smart, compassionate and adventurous woman who made her own path in a world that didn't see her as being able to this will be a read to definitely enjoy as well share. And as one reviewer said it is a bit sad that we only get to see Ruth in her earlier years so perhaps someone will choose to come out with another book exploring her life further down the line.
**I received a free copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.**
Nothing Could Stop Her was actually a bit intimidating for me since it was such a "big" book on a historical figure geared for children. Instead, though, each of the chapters are small yet detailed while focusing on on particular aspect in her life. As a result this is one book that can be easily read to a room of children or other little ones over an extended time if you can hold yourself back from reading it all in one go.
Rona Arato does add a few Yiddish words at the very beginning but otherwise these fade pretty quickly while at the same time no German or Russian is included, especially since German is what she wanted to learn so much. At the same time readers may find it difficult to read some portions of this book just since the location and proper names included in the book as well as the Yiddish terms aren't provided with a pronunciation guide.
Another thing that I enjoyed is the fact that the author provides the reader with some situations and you eagerly wonder what is going to occur. Instead of leaving the reader in the dark and shrugging it off as just a piece of history better forgotten as it doesn't have any direct correlation to the protagonist after she has left the scene these answers are provided to the reader.
Finally the reader will find that there are insert boxes with more information whether it is about mentioned individuals, concepts and so much more. Although they didn't quite disrupt the story to read them then come back or move forward if I had known about them I may have done two readings thus dedicating myself to the story and then coming back to get some the extra data. Furthermore there is included at the back a bit more information about Ruth Gruber after her work during World War II, a timeline of events in her life and the world around her and also a glossary for terms that readers may not know about.
The book itself has nicely colored illustrations sprinkled throughout. Some take up the whole page, others are inserts and some are half pages. They help to make the reader lighter for children who may be struggling with this subject while also helping to put a face on these historical events.
My only issue with it is that at times it seems like the book is struggling to figure out which perspective that it wants to be told in but it doesn't take away from the whole story....
For anyone who is looking for a story about a strong, smart, compassionate and adventurous woman who made her own path in a world that didn't see her as being able to this will be a read to definitely enjoy as well share. And as one reviewer said it is a bit sad that we only get to see Ruth in her earlier years so perhaps someone will choose to come out with another book exploring her life further down the line.
**I received a free copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.**
February 14, 2023
"I had two tools to fight injustice--words and images, my typewriter and my camera. I just felt that I had to fight evil, and I've felt like that since I was twenty years old. And I've never been an observer. I have to live a story to write it."-Ruth Gruber
This is the story of Ruth Gruber, a journalist from a Jewish American family and activist that covered places and situations that most reporters wouldn't. She went to school in Germany, attempting to get her PhD in one year, right at the time that Hitler was building power and tensions against the Jews was rising. In spite of seeing first-hand how things were, she returned to report on the conditions of women under different governments. She spent time in Germany, Poland, and the Soviet Union. She returned to the US to give speeches about the injustices she had seen, then continued to travel and tell the stories of those who otherwise wouldn't be heard, such as stories from the Soviet gulag. She went to Alaska for a year and a half, spent time in Italy after being made a general so the enemy couldn't kill her if she was captured and much more.
The book is a little over 100 pages with lots of color and illustrations, making this book a good option for kids to stretch into longer history books without it being as intimidating. It also has some informational boxes explaining things like Yiddish and other important things to give readers context they might not have. he book is written in a storytelling format, which makes it feel like reading a fiction story more than a biography. This is an excellent book to learn a little about the incredible career of an amazing woman.
This is the story of Ruth Gruber, a journalist from a Jewish American family and activist that covered places and situations that most reporters wouldn't. She went to school in Germany, attempting to get her PhD in one year, right at the time that Hitler was building power and tensions against the Jews was rising. In spite of seeing first-hand how things were, she returned to report on the conditions of women under different governments. She spent time in Germany, Poland, and the Soviet Union. She returned to the US to give speeches about the injustices she had seen, then continued to travel and tell the stories of those who otherwise wouldn't be heard, such as stories from the Soviet gulag. She went to Alaska for a year and a half, spent time in Italy after being made a general so the enemy couldn't kill her if she was captured and much more.
The book is a little over 100 pages with lots of color and illustrations, making this book a good option for kids to stretch into longer history books without it being as intimidating. It also has some informational boxes explaining things like Yiddish and other important things to give readers context they might not have. he book is written in a storytelling format, which makes it feel like reading a fiction story more than a biography. This is an excellent book to learn a little about the incredible career of an amazing woman.
November 22, 2023
This book tells a fascinating true story about a Jewish woman who worked as a photojournalist and advocated for Jews affected by the Holocaust. The text and illustrations are engaging, and her story of courage and perseverance is inspiring. I was especially fascinated to learn about her experiences in Germany at such a tumultuous and terrifying time, I also appreciated the book's honesty about the horrors of Soviet communism, at a time when so many books for young readers whitewash this or try to make it sound appealing.
This book has appeal for teens and adults as well as elementary school students. My one significant critique is that the extra information shared in text boxes sometimes majorly broke the flow of the main text. The information was helpful to contextualize things and needed to be there, but could have appeared in a less disruptive way.
I received a temporary digital copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book has appeal for teens and adults as well as elementary school students. My one significant critique is that the extra information shared in text boxes sometimes majorly broke the flow of the main text. The information was helpful to contextualize things and needed to be there, but could have appeared in a less disruptive way.
I received a temporary digital copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
April 27, 2023
What an amazing woman! I had heard of Ruth Gruber before reading this book but only a little information compared to what this book holds. Her courage is something to aspire to. She was an excellent writer, great communicator, very smart and had a heart for others. The details of her life are written in chronological order. This chapter book takes you along with her as she grows up, receives excellent education, travels the world, brings light to refugees, and shares the stories of so many. It is heartwarming, informative, and easy to read.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher Lerner Publishing Group, for the temporary digital ARC that I read and gave my honest opinion of.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher Lerner Publishing Group, for the temporary digital ARC that I read and gave my honest opinion of.
May 10, 2023
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an e-ARC an exchange for an honest review.
I thought this was a great children's biography of Ruth Gruber. A Jewish young woman who wanted to become a writer. Life was hard for her because during the time she was going to college and wanting to get a career she witnessed Nazism begin in Germany. She lived in Europe during the time of war, but she was brave and stayed to work. She was very outspoken and wanted to be heard. Ruth Gruber was such a great person and this book showcased her life for young readers. I highly recommended this both for children and adults.
I thought this was a great children's biography of Ruth Gruber. A Jewish young woman who wanted to become a writer. Life was hard for her because during the time she was going to college and wanting to get a career she witnessed Nazism begin in Germany. She lived in Europe during the time of war, but she was brave and stayed to work. She was very outspoken and wanted to be heard. Ruth Gruber was such a great person and this book showcased her life for young readers. I highly recommended this both for children and adults.
December 30, 2025
A fascinating book about a fascinating woman. "Courageous" sometimes meant "foolhardy"; the first time she said "Nothing can stop me" was in reference to her decision to go study in Germany for a year in 1931, over her parents' quite reasonable objections. But it certainly made for an interesting life!
This is a middle grade book, so it's a very quick and enjoyable read. (Though it has inspired me to find and read all of Ruth Gruber's memoirs and books, so it ended up being quite time consuming for me!)
This is a middle grade book, so it's a very quick and enjoyable read. (Though it has inspired me to find and read all of Ruth Gruber's memoirs and books, so it ended up being quite time consuming for me!)
January 21, 2023
*I read an advance copy, courtesy of netgalley. All opinions are my own.
This was an excellent narrative nonfiction book about a Jewish female journalist, active during World War 2. I found it to be perfect for a middle grader to read independently or as a read-aloud for a younger child. Difficult subjects were addressed in an age-appropriate manner, which I definitely appreciated. I loved learning about somebody I'd never heard of. Illustrations were also just right!
This was an excellent narrative nonfiction book about a Jewish female journalist, active during World War 2. I found it to be perfect for a middle grader to read independently or as a read-aloud for a younger child. Difficult subjects were addressed in an age-appropriate manner, which I definitely appreciated. I loved learning about somebody I'd never heard of. Illustrations were also just right!
October 24, 2023
This is an amazing biography of a young Jewish American girl who at an early age saw injustice and was determined to do something about it. In a time when women were supposed to be quiet and go unnoticed Ruth became a writer who travelled back and forth to Europe to expose the atrocities of the Nazis and help those in need. This inspirational story is easy to read and filled with important historical information.
March 12, 2024
3.5 stars
Ruth Gruber was a Russian-American Jew who grew up in New York. She was curious, smart, and brave. She defied discrimination in college, she went to Europe when Hitler was coming into power despite the obvious danger - but she had her reasons. She investigated pogroms, she traveled to the Arctic on a mission for the government, and more. An engaging introductory biography about a woman I had never heard of before.
Ruth Gruber was a Russian-American Jew who grew up in New York. She was curious, smart, and brave. She defied discrimination in college, she went to Europe when Hitler was coming into power despite the obvious danger - but she had her reasons. She investigated pogroms, she traveled to the Arctic on a mission for the government, and more. An engaging introductory biography about a woman I had never heard of before.
June 22, 2023
Fascinating biography of a fearless female journalist who paved the way for other women to affect change and have a voice. I loved the sprinkling of her quotes throughout the book. It made me feel like I really got to know her as a thinking, feeling person.
Read
July 30, 2023A wonderful book for middle-grade readers. I can't help wishing that it covered the full span of Gruber's amazing life (it ends in 1945). But there's a substantial author's note plus a timeline to provide further glimpses into Gruber's many accomplishments and contributions.
August 2, 2023
Great book for kids. The story was really interesting and had lots of additional asides explaining the time period. I think now there needs to be a young adult biography with her actual articles and pictures rather than just illustrations.
January 28, 2023
An interesting read about a fascinating person. It piqued my curiosity to learn more about Ruth Gruber. Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read the ARC.
March 1, 2023
Overall this is a great narrative about a Jewish woman who broke through barriers during WWII and the takeover of Germany. Such an inspiring story.
March 10, 2023
Such an amazing story of Ruth Gruber. I hadn’t heard of her so I found this book fascinating. I loved the illustrations as well.
May 23, 2023
Biography of the amazing and audacious Ruth Gruber.
June 3, 2023
Would've rated higher, but it ended kind of abruptly.
September 3, 2023
Clear, informative, engaging. My first introduction to Ruth Gruber’s life and work, but hopefully not my last.
February 25, 2025
Read this to my oldest. I would say ideal for 7-12 year olds, but my 6 year old was interested. Very inspirational story about Ruth Gruber!
May 5, 2023
I accessed a digital review copy of this book from the publisher.
The book is about journalist Ruth Gruber. It tells about her educational history through WWII. After the story portion, there is a summary of her life and work. The story was interesting and one that I had not heard before.
The book is about journalist Ruth Gruber. It tells about her educational history through WWII. After the story portion, there is a summary of her life and work. The story was interesting and one that I had not heard before.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews