Welcome to Mailbox Monday, the weekly meme created by Marcia of To Be Continued, where book lovers share the titles they received for review, purchased, or otherwise obtained over the past week. Mailbox Monday currently is on tour, and this month’s host is Notorious Spinks Talks.
Here’s what I received:
We Got the Water: Tracing My Family’s Path Through Auschwitz by Jill Gabrielle Klein — from Smith Publicity for review
We Got the Water is the story of the Klein family: Herman and Bertha, and their three children, Lilly, Oli and sixteen-year-old Gabi. In the spring of 1944, along with more than 400,000 other Hungarian Jews, they were forced from their homes, rounded up, and sent to Auschwitz. The Kleins were aboard one of the very first trains of this mass deportation. Author Jill Gabrielle Klein follows her father, his sisters and their mother through Auschwitz and into slave labor camps in Poland and Germany, providing a narrative — both harrowing and inspirational — of resilience in the face of terror.
Based on extensive interviews with the three sibling survivors, We Got the Water is also told through the sisters’ own writings, composed in the midst of their ordeal: both Lilly and Oli managed to keep diaries while they were imprisoned. These remarkable historical documents paint a vivid picture of the horrors and suffering — as well as the small kindnesses and camaraderie — that defined life in the camps. Lilly’s diaries are on display at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
As it charts the author’s personal quest to reconstruct the past, the book also documents the inexorable disappearance of living Holocaust survivors, whose first-person accounts illuminate this dark period and inscribe it in our collective memory. (publisher’s summary)
The Heart of a Gypsy by Roberta Kagan — free ebook
During the Nazi occupation, bands of freedom fighters roamed the forests of Eastern Europe. They hid, waging their own private war against Hitler’s tyrannical, and murderous reign. Among these Resistance Fighters, there were groups of Romany people (gypsies).
The Heart of a Gypsy is a spellbinding love story filled with Romance, and spiced with the beauty of the Gypsy culture.
It takes place in Poland during the time of the Third Reich, while World War Two was raging. This is a tale of a people who would rather die, than surrender their freedom.
Enter into a little known world, where only a few have traveled before…The world of the Romany.
If you enjoy romance, secret magical traditions, and riveting action…you will love The Heart of A Gypsy. (publisher’s summary)
What books did you add to your shelves recently?
© 2013 Anna Horner of Diary of an Eccentric. All Rights Reserved. Please do not reproduce or republish content without permission.
These sound really good. Thanks for sharing, and enjoy!
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Thank you!
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Both books sound amazing. I knew that Romany people were also hunted down but this is from another aspect. The story of survival is always great to read about. Looking forward to your thoughts on them both.
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I haven’t read much about the Romany people, so I thought I’d give it a try.
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Oh free, that is why the cover was a bit meh. Certainly not how our Finnish Romani look
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I’m not a fan of the cover either, but the story sounds interesting.
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We Got the Water sounds really interesting. Have a lovely week 🙂
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Thanks, Sam!
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We Got the Water looks amazing. I don’t think I’ll ever tired of these kinds of stories.
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I’m with you on that. The stories are so heartbreaking, but we can learn so much from them.
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We Got Water sounds heartbreaking. I hope you enjoy your new books!
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Thanks, Kathy!
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They both sound promising!
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Yes, they do! 🙂
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I have a hard time reading books about the Holocaust. I hope you enjoy your new books Anna.
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Thanks, Diane. They are very hard to read, but there’s just something that draws me to them and makes me want to learn more. I just think the survivors need to get their stories out there, and those who perished should be remembered.
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These are all new to me. enjoy
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Thanks, Serena!
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The Heart of a Gypsy caught my eye. Hope you enjoy both books.
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Thanks, Laura!
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Both are new to me but sounds very good. Happy reading!
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Thanks, Elysium!
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We Got the Water sounds intense and chilling.
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I agree. After reading the summary, I thought about how I need to revisit the Holocaust museum. I don’t remember Auschwitz diaries there, but I was overwhelmed when I went.
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Anna, thank you for sharing both titles and reviews! Great choices and on my list!!
Blessings,
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Thanks, Noelle!
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Gorgeous covers. ENJOY your books.
Elizabeth
Silver’s Reviews
My Mailbox Monday
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Thanks, Elizabeth!
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Enjoy your new books, Anna! I hope they’re outstanding. 🙂
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Thanks, Suko!
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They both look good!
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Thanks, Mary!
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We Got the Water sounds good. I look forward to your thoughts in it. Enjoy!
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Thanks, Darlene!
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