Sweet memories as well as the haunting details of victimization and overcoming enormous obstacles for three generations of Jews in Europe and then the US.
History is about what a child feels growing up in the poverty of Post-World War I Poland. It is about what it is like to feel fear the day the Germans invaded Poland in 1939.
Reminds us of a truth the Holocaust sadly confirmed: traumatic total loss creates an absence that can only be retained as memory.
This memoir, however, is unusual. It is not only the result of a conversation between mother and daughter; it is also constructed in two voices. We learn about the past and the present, or more technically, about intergenerational transmission.
A poignant chronicle of one woman's harrowing journey across the decades.
Reading a memoir like this tells the story of so many people so that reading it can help heal a lot generations who carry this unbelievable tragedy in their lives.
It highlights the notions of sacrifice, determination, loyalty and love in various forms. Reads like a Jewish version of Angela's Ashes, by Frank McCourt.
A narrative from a generation that successfully escaped the Holocaust but endured its losses for the rest of their lives.
For me personally, the memoir was particularly moving — and relevant — since Roma's story was so similar to my father's.
The memoir resonates deeply in everyone whose life has been touched by events beyond their control.
A deeply, moving and historically rich account of a Holocaust story common to many survivors but still little known and documented.
I congratulate Suzanna Eibuszyc for her work to inspire all the new generations to come.
Essential reading for all those interested in the fate of Polish Jews in the twentieth century.
It gives the impression of Roma being the sane center in the middle of millions of ants scurrying about trying to survive in the face of incredible odds.
Unforgettable and highly recommended.
It's one of the most moving pieces that I've had the honor of sharing on The Jewish Writing Project site.
This is a haunting and brave book, it will both move and educate readers.
This is an essential primary source for scholars and graduate students.
A vividly told story of Polish Jews who suffered the oppression of both Hitler and Stalin.
Roma felt strongly that she had to pass on her legacy, and I believe likewise that it is beshert (meant to be) before these memories fade completely from their consciousness.
Will live in our hearts, reviving the spirit of those who suffered.
A young Jewish woman who faced the terrible events that shaped 20th century Polish Jewish existence and alone survived to recount a full life.
"This book is such a tremendous accomplishment. The small details of Eibuszyc's mother's survival constantly amazed me. Powerful in its simplicity, the pages are all about the smallest things--the details about finding shelter, surviving cold and hunger, and how much a person can take. … The importance of not forgetting, or ensuring that the Jewish legacy survives, that the Jewish culture and contribution to Poland are not erased."--Marcy Dermansky, Author of Bad Marie
ibidem Press