In some ways, every Holocaust story is like every other: the horrors endured, the unbelievable cruelty, watching family members die, and having to make unimaginable decisions to survive. But in other ways, every Holocaust story is unique, as is this one. Born in 1927 in Tarnograd, Poland, Mala had a happy childhood until 1939, when…
Tag: Holocaust
Review: When Time Stopped by Ariana Neumann
Review: The World That We Knew by Alice Hoffman
Mini-Reviews: Lethal White, In the Distance, I Am I Am I am, We Were the Lucky Ones
My July Reading Wrap-Up
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry

I always love reading Newbery award winners, and Lois Lowry has written many great books for children, including The Giver. So this book has been on my TBR list for a while. Considering my family’s history, learning more about the Holocaust is important to me. So many books have been written on the subject, but…
Review of Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein
Note: I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and the Disney Book Group. The book will be released September 10, 2013. Rose Justice is a nineteen year old American pilot who is ferrying Allied fighter planes in Britain for the Air Transport Auxiliary Service. Rose is young enough that, unlike her fellow…
Review: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
I feel like the last person to read this book, so there isn’t too much I can add to the conversation. This is a book that pops up on most bloggers’ “best book” list. I worried that it wouldn’t live up to such high praise, but it absolutely does. I started this book twice and…
It’s Monday, What are You Reading?
“It’s Monday! What are you reading?” is a weekly event hosted by Sheila at Bookjourney to share with others what you’ve read the past week and planning to read next. Happy Monday everyone! I for one am still recovering from our long and tortured trip back to the U.S. Let’s just say our travel day lasted…
Notes from Eastern Europe
Greetings from Budapest! It’s hard to believe our two week vacation will be drawing to a close in a few days. It’s been an exhausting and enriching experience. We’ve explored three major European cities in the last nine days, each with its own language, history, and currency. My math skills have been sorely tested on…
A Book I Didn’t Finish: Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum
I felt a little bad putting this book down halfway through — it is, after all, a book about the Holocaust. But I will just say this: even if a book is about the Holocaust, it still ought to be well-written. Those Who Save Us is about Anna and her daughter Trudie, and begins in…
Review: The Invisible Bridge by Julie Orringer
This book, which was included in the New York Times list of 100 Notable Books of 2010, is Julie Orringer’s first novel, and as she describes in the credits, it is written as a tribute to her grandparents and great uncle and aunt. This book is a sweeping story that covers World War II from…