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Alicia: My Story
WINNER OF THE 1989 CHRISTOPHER AWARD •� Here is a thrilling, uplifting story of true-life heroism unequaled since the publication of Anne Frank's diary—a story that the young must hear and their elders must remember. Take Alicia's hand—and follow.
“This memoir is heartbreaking. I hope it will be read by Jews and non-Jews alike.”—Elie Wiesel, author of Night
Her name is Alicia. She was thirteen when she began saving the lives of people she did not know—while fleeing the Nazis through war-ravaged Poland.
Her family cruelly wrenched from her, Alicia rescued other Jews from the Gestapo, led them to safe hideouts, and lent them her courage and hope. Even the sight of her mother's brutal murder could not quash this remarkable child's faith in human goodness—or her determination to prevail against overwhelming odds.
After the war, Alicia continued to risk her life, leading Polish Jews on an underground route to freedom in Palestine. She swore on her brother's grave that if she survived, she would speak for her silenced family. This book is the eloquent fulfillment of that oath.
Praise for Alicia
“Profoundly observed . . . remarkably lived . . . ferocious bravery.� � The New York Times Book Review
“As exciting as it is inspirational. In fact, a good bit of My Story reads as if it were written by one of our better writers of fiction.� � The Pittsburgh Press
“A compelling voice, lucid prose . . . a luminous testimony to the heroism and humanity of one remarkable person.� � San Francisco Chronicle
“Straightforward . . . energizing and inspirational.� � Newsday
“This memoir is heartbreaking. I hope it will be read by Jews and non-Jews alike.”—Elie Wiesel, author of Night
Her name is Alicia. She was thirteen when she began saving the lives of people she did not know—while fleeing the Nazis through war-ravaged Poland.
Her family cruelly wrenched from her, Alicia rescued other Jews from the Gestapo, led them to safe hideouts, and lent them her courage and hope. Even the sight of her mother's brutal murder could not quash this remarkable child's faith in human goodness—or her determination to prevail against overwhelming odds.
After the war, Alicia continued to risk her life, leading Polish Jews on an underground route to freedom in Palestine. She swore on her brother's grave that if she survived, she would speak for her silenced family. This book is the eloquent fulfillment of that oath.
Praise for Alicia
“Profoundly observed . . . remarkably lived . . . ferocious bravery.� � The New York Times Book Review
“As exciting as it is inspirational. In fact, a good bit of My Story reads as if it were written by one of our better writers of fiction.� � The Pittsburgh Press
“A compelling voice, lucid prose . . . a luminous testimony to the heroism and humanity of one remarkable person.� � San Francisco Chronicle
“Straightforward . . . energizing and inspirational.� � Newsday
433 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 1, 1988
310 people are currently reading
13.8k people want to read
About the author
Alicia Appleman-Jurman
13books57followersAlicia Appleman-Jurman (born 9 May 1930, Rosulna, Poland [present-day Rosil'na, Ukraine]) was a Polish-born Israeli–American memoirist, who wrote and spoke about her experiences of the Holocaust in her autobiography, Alicia: My Story.
(from Wikipedia)
(from Wikipedia)
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July 25, 2019
Raised from the age of five in Buczacz, which was roughly a third Jewish at that time, Alicia was sheltered relatively well from the anti-Semitism that plagued her town, as well as the rest of Europe. She had many friends, both Jewish and Christian.
After the Hitler-Stalin Pact of 1939, whereby the two genocidal dictators divided Poland between them, Buczacz fell into the Soviet zone. The Soviets began a forced Sovietization drive, and deported thousands of people to slave labour, or their deaths, who they saw as 'enemies of the Soviet Union'.Alicia recalls being offended and hurt, on behalf of her Christian friends, for whose religion she had deep respect, when the Madonna and Child were removed from their customary spot in the classroom and replaced by scowling portraits of Lenin and Stalin.
Alicia's second-oldest brother Moshe was shot by the Soviets after returning to Poland, from the harsh conditions in Russia, where he had gone for education.
In June 1941, the Germans broke their pact with the Soviets and swept through eastern Poland on their way to Russia - Operation Barbarossa had begun. The Germans, however, had an even worse plan than the Soviets had had for Europe's Jews: it was known as Endlosung (aka The Final Solution).
Alicia's father was shot, alongside 600 other Jewish community leaders, shortly after the Nazi invasion.
Alicia, and her mother and brothers were forced to leave their beautiful home, and to settle in the ghetto.
They lived under harsh laws whereby Jews were forced to wear armbands with stars of David.
Jews who tried to leave the ghetto or to enter the synagogue would be executed.
Alicia's brother Bunion was then executed by the Nazis.
While visiting a Jewish family in the town, 12 year old Alicia was arrested by the Nazis along with thousands of other Jews, but escaped from the train to the death camps, together with a band of other young people.
After Alicia's brother Zachary was shot by the Nazis She swore on his grave that if she survived she would speak for her silenced family.
This book is a powerful and unforgettable fulfilment of that oath.
It keeps us engaged and emotionally involved on every page, as we read of her struggle to survive, her irrepressible spirit, her many brushes with death. She never gave up her will to survive nor her humanity for fellow victims of the Nazis, many of whom she helped to rescue, many of whom died before her eyes.
She witnessed such horrors as babies being shot in their cribs by the Nazis.
While many of the Polish and Ukrainian neighbours helped the Nazis and joined in the killings, there were always those few that helped to keep their Jewish fellow humans alive, including a Polish family on whose farm Alicia worked.
After the war, Alicia's struggle was not over.
She was imprisoned by the Soviets and took part in the secret operation to smuggle Jews to the Land of Israel, across Europe, at a time when the British were keeping the Holocaust survivors out, often with brutal and violent .
Alicia was on the ship Theodor Herzl, carrying young Holocaust survivors to Israel, in 1946, when it was rammed by British frigates, after which British soldiers then boarded the ship and attacked the survivors, beating to death six young Jews and allowing others to drown while trying to escape.
This courageous girl, had struggled as part of the Jewish nation .against tyranny and hate!
After the Hitler-Stalin Pact of 1939, whereby the two genocidal dictators divided Poland between them, Buczacz fell into the Soviet zone. The Soviets began a forced Sovietization drive, and deported thousands of people to slave labour, or their deaths, who they saw as 'enemies of the Soviet Union'.Alicia recalls being offended and hurt, on behalf of her Christian friends, for whose religion she had deep respect, when the Madonna and Child were removed from their customary spot in the classroom and replaced by scowling portraits of Lenin and Stalin.
Alicia's second-oldest brother Moshe was shot by the Soviets after returning to Poland, from the harsh conditions in Russia, where he had gone for education.
In June 1941, the Germans broke their pact with the Soviets and swept through eastern Poland on their way to Russia - Operation Barbarossa had begun. The Germans, however, had an even worse plan than the Soviets had had for Europe's Jews: it was known as Endlosung (aka The Final Solution).
Alicia's father was shot, alongside 600 other Jewish community leaders, shortly after the Nazi invasion.
Alicia, and her mother and brothers were forced to leave their beautiful home, and to settle in the ghetto.
They lived under harsh laws whereby Jews were forced to wear armbands with stars of David.
Jews who tried to leave the ghetto or to enter the synagogue would be executed.
Alicia's brother Bunion was then executed by the Nazis.
While visiting a Jewish family in the town, 12 year old Alicia was arrested by the Nazis along with thousands of other Jews, but escaped from the train to the death camps, together with a band of other young people.
After Alicia's brother Zachary was shot by the Nazis She swore on his grave that if she survived she would speak for her silenced family.
This book is a powerful and unforgettable fulfilment of that oath.
It keeps us engaged and emotionally involved on every page, as we read of her struggle to survive, her irrepressible spirit, her many brushes with death. She never gave up her will to survive nor her humanity for fellow victims of the Nazis, many of whom she helped to rescue, many of whom died before her eyes.
She witnessed such horrors as babies being shot in their cribs by the Nazis.
While many of the Polish and Ukrainian neighbours helped the Nazis and joined in the killings, there were always those few that helped to keep their Jewish fellow humans alive, including a Polish family on whose farm Alicia worked.
After the war, Alicia's struggle was not over.
She was imprisoned by the Soviets and took part in the secret operation to smuggle Jews to the Land of Israel, across Europe, at a time when the British were keeping the Holocaust survivors out, often with brutal and violent .
Alicia was on the ship Theodor Herzl, carrying young Holocaust survivors to Israel, in 1946, when it was rammed by British frigates, after which British soldiers then boarded the ship and attacked the survivors, beating to death six young Jews and allowing others to drown while trying to escape.
This courageous girl, had struggled as part of the Jewish nation .against tyranny and hate!
March 20, 2008
I've read a number of Holocaust stories, but none from the perspective of someone in eastern Europe who lived through atrocities outside of the concentration camps. Alicia's story is unforgettable, as is Alicia herself--her courage and kindness at such a young age. My copy has a handwritten note from Alicia (not to me, but to a student)and a phone number to contact her to speak at no charge to any group.
April 10, 2008
I loved this memoir. Alicia is a twelve-year-old Jewess living in Poland during the occupation of Germany, and her recollections of events surrounding the Holocaust are amazing. Just a child herself, she is reponsible for the rescue of dozens of people during this time because she has courage and conviction. I love this story most for its apparent coincidences of good fortune--which I believe are manifestations of Heavenly Father's loving care for His suffering children. Read this book!
January 25, 2008
I first read this when I was 9 or 10 because my mom read it for a book club and told me about it and I wanted to read it, so I read all 400 pages and I LOVED IT. I've probably read it 4 more times since then. It's a true story so that makes it even better. What this girl lived through during World War II is amazing, and it really touched me, and all of her heroic deeds are inspiring. One of my favorites of all time.
January 27, 2011
Alicia, a memoir of a young Holocaust survivor from Poland, arrived into my hands via the Divine and the Half Price Books history clearance shelf. A $.25 paperback, it appears unread. Drawn inexplicably to the book last night, I opened the cover to discover a personal inscription from the author dated February 1, 1991, almost 20 years ago today.
"To dear ______, a tragic page in history was written for my generation, G-d willing you will write your page with happiness, love, Shalom, and a celebration of human dignity. With all my love, Alicia Appleman-Jurman" (The signature is accompanied by some illegible Hebrew(?) letters/symbols).
I read long into the night. My subsequent dreams were of walking naked in an unbroken line of people, cold, dirty, covered with lice, my hair shorn, spirit and body broken, only to have a Catholic friend pull me out of line at the last moment exclaiming, “But you’re not Jewish!�
As a child, Alicia Appleman-Jurman found comfort in the portrait of the Blessed Mother and Child that graced the schoolroom where she attended classes prior to the war. The paintings were removed and replaced with Stalin/Lenin during the Russian occupation. Later, when the Madonna and Child were returned to the classroom by conquering Germans, Alicia pondered the meaning: “The Madonna and Child were back in their place. My armband with the Star of David was slipping as I worked, so I took it off and placed it near the Madonna. Shouldn’t she, too, be wearing an armband? Wasn’t she missing the Jewish children?�
Alicia’s innocent and insightful observation is a powerful reminder to us that Jews and Christians share a common bond in history. How ironic that as the Germans attempted to destroy the Jewish people this beautiful symbol of Jewish motherhood remained untouched. As children of God, brothers and sisters, we are all Jewish.
The Forward of Alicia is also quite moving. It is written by the author's Jewish American husband who fought with American Forces to liberate Europe from evil. He and his wife met in Israel after the war.
“Jews who survived the war are driven. They cannot forget, and they cannot bear the thought that the world will not remember. As they grow older, it becomes more and more important to them that no one be permitted to forget. This is what the survivors owe the dead. It is the means by which survivors hope to prevent history from repeating itself.�
We are, each of us, called to remember. And it is our duty to write the pages of our generation with “happiness, love, Shalom, and a celebration of human dignity.�
“I pray that all [readers of Alicia], Jew and non-Jew alike, may unite in the resolve that evil forces will never again be permitted to set one people against another.�
Alicia Appleman-Jurman
"To dear ______, a tragic page in history was written for my generation, G-d willing you will write your page with happiness, love, Shalom, and a celebration of human dignity. With all my love, Alicia Appleman-Jurman" (The signature is accompanied by some illegible Hebrew(?) letters/symbols).
I read long into the night. My subsequent dreams were of walking naked in an unbroken line of people, cold, dirty, covered with lice, my hair shorn, spirit and body broken, only to have a Catholic friend pull me out of line at the last moment exclaiming, “But you’re not Jewish!�
As a child, Alicia Appleman-Jurman found comfort in the portrait of the Blessed Mother and Child that graced the schoolroom where she attended classes prior to the war. The paintings were removed and replaced with Stalin/Lenin during the Russian occupation. Later, when the Madonna and Child were returned to the classroom by conquering Germans, Alicia pondered the meaning: “The Madonna and Child were back in their place. My armband with the Star of David was slipping as I worked, so I took it off and placed it near the Madonna. Shouldn’t she, too, be wearing an armband? Wasn’t she missing the Jewish children?�
Alicia’s innocent and insightful observation is a powerful reminder to us that Jews and Christians share a common bond in history. How ironic that as the Germans attempted to destroy the Jewish people this beautiful symbol of Jewish motherhood remained untouched. As children of God, brothers and sisters, we are all Jewish.
The Forward of Alicia is also quite moving. It is written by the author's Jewish American husband who fought with American Forces to liberate Europe from evil. He and his wife met in Israel after the war.
“Jews who survived the war are driven. They cannot forget, and they cannot bear the thought that the world will not remember. As they grow older, it becomes more and more important to them that no one be permitted to forget. This is what the survivors owe the dead. It is the means by which survivors hope to prevent history from repeating itself.�
We are, each of us, called to remember. And it is our duty to write the pages of our generation with “happiness, love, Shalom, and a celebration of human dignity.�
“I pray that all [readers of Alicia], Jew and non-Jew alike, may unite in the resolve that evil forces will never again be permitted to set one people against another.�
Alicia Appleman-Jurman
August 16, 2014
I was given this book as a fourth grader and read it every year through high school. I love her story.
I spent the day with Alicia when I was in high school and she was to speak to our school. I went to pick her up in San Jose at her home; I remember her saying Goodbye to her husband and noting that it was filled with love. We got to talk in the car ride to my school (about an hour) and she told me how she speaks with kids of many different backgrounds, even to Palestinian children and loves all of them and is so saddened by their suffering. She also mentioned speaking more recently to kids of the Bosnian conflict (this was in 2000). She spoke to our school saying, "Germans weren't the enemy. Hate is the enemy, and the only thing that can overcome hate is love." We went to lunch afterwards and when she noticed I didn't like my food, she cut her hamburger in half and put it on my plate. Then, knowing what a big fan I was, she handed me a hard back book version of her book, mentioned that she had to get it from her daughter, so to please not loan it to anyone and keep it safe because there weren't any more, and took pictures with me. She is an amazing human being and genuinely loves and shares with everyone. She is someone who has truly overcome her trials with love.
I spent the day with Alicia when I was in high school and she was to speak to our school. I went to pick her up in San Jose at her home; I remember her saying Goodbye to her husband and noting that it was filled with love. We got to talk in the car ride to my school (about an hour) and she told me how she speaks with kids of many different backgrounds, even to Palestinian children and loves all of them and is so saddened by their suffering. She also mentioned speaking more recently to kids of the Bosnian conflict (this was in 2000). She spoke to our school saying, "Germans weren't the enemy. Hate is the enemy, and the only thing that can overcome hate is love." We went to lunch afterwards and when she noticed I didn't like my food, she cut her hamburger in half and put it on my plate. Then, knowing what a big fan I was, she handed me a hard back book version of her book, mentioned that she had to get it from her daughter, so to please not loan it to anyone and keep it safe because there weren't any more, and took pictures with me. She is an amazing human being and genuinely loves and shares with everyone. She is someone who has truly overcome her trials with love.
October 9, 2013
One of my absolute favorite books. I had the honor of speaking to Mrs. Appleman-Jurman on the phone several years ago. A good friend of hers was my mother's co-worker at the time. I was absolutely starstruck but she was so incredibly kind and thankful. I picked this book up in 9th grade by accident and it changed my outlook on life, no joke. Her story is heartbreaking an inspiring. She made me understand the real meaning of family, love, and forgiveness.
April 2, 2008
What a moving book. I have read a number of Holocaust books but this is the first book I read, that described the events and horrors in Poland. The fight to live and the sacrifice of her mother were profound. It is a great history lesson with many life lessons as well. It made me appreciate my country, family and freedoms.
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December 16, 2008Referencing Alica as a survivor of the Holocaust is to do her a huge disservice. Her diligence, determination and love for others is of the highest ethics, nearly beyond compare. It is impossible for me to put into words the admiration and respect she has many times highly earned in her long ordeal of a nightmare where most would just perish. During, at the close of and after WW11 she rose above even her own need to survive by making huge personal sacrifices very close to the point of her death to assure others of substance, shelter, motivation and personal warmth. It is impossible for me to sum up her achievements here as it is my admiration for her. It is rare indeed for an author to state more beyond brave facts about themselves so underscored of personal merit. All the world should be her stage not just to tell her story but more importantly to best understand the proper motivation of the facts of life accordingly.
December 23, 2011
I read this book last year and did a book review in my history class on it. This story like Anne Frank is based off of a true story of a young girl living through the Holocaust. Unlike Frank, Alicia was younger and not as fortunate to have the support of her family. Throughout most of the story Alicia traveled alone just trying to stay alive. Unlike many of the stories I previously read about the Holocaust, this story was about a girl still living in the open world and how difficult it was for her to adapt. Starvation became second nature to her. Constant hiding was her key to survival. The whole story itself seemed so surreal. To imagine a brave little girl not even in her teenage years, being able to overcome immense devastation yet continue on the quest for freedom. Miraculously Alicia escaped the Jewish destined death several times. Along the way Alicia passed on her bravery and ambition to others. I can recall receiving chills as I felt the pain, the hope and all other emotions that were evoked from the book’s excessive details. This book is an inspirational story that can restore hope in anyone who chooses to read it. Due to the powerful content of this book I believe that this will be a story that I always remember and encourage others to read.
July 15, 2017
The courage and determination of this girl was incredible and her memoir broke my heart. A must-read.
October 16, 2023
What a strong person.
December 24, 2021
Rated four stars (not five) because it is so difficult—horrifying, depressing, painful� to read. Published in 1988, it is the true story of a woman who was a child in Poland during the Holocaust years. It is another little piece of Holocaust history I hadn’t read much: the child’s point of view, the focus on Eastern Europe, and on life outside the concentration camps.
It is an amazing story of survival by strength, determination, resilience, intelligence. She spends more than a year on the run, hiding out in forests, doing field work by the day in return for a piece of bread and a cup of sour milk, a lot of it completely on her own. She moves from place to place, covers her tracks, assesses which people to trust. She is constantly hungry and in pain, she gets beaten and kicked more than once, suffering broken ribs, tooth knocked out, and other damage. Her father is killed at the beginning of the book, then one by one her four brothers. She finds the corpse of one brother hanging and digs a grave for him herself. Finally her mother is shot to death right in front of her.
Through all this and lots more she remains determined to survive. So that should make this an inspirational story, right? But for me that was out weighed by the graphic display of man’s inhumanity to man (and woman and child). What is particularly painful to realize is that mostly all these atrocities were not committed by Nazi soldiers, or even Germans. They are done by Polish police, Ukrainian police, Russian soldiers (who are supposed to be allies). Ordinary Polish and Ukrainian people over and over report Jews to the police who will deport/and or kill them. People who have known Alicia all her life, whom she thought were her friends, betray her. It is clear that some of the people reporting Jews do it so they can then move into the house this vacated (see also Sarah’s Key).
I used to think how could these things have happened. How could ordinary people commit these atrocities. But now I am seeing it happening in our own country. Ordinary people who claim to support the police (“Blue Lives Matter�) attack them with tasers and flag poles. Filled with hate and blood lust, they roam the Capitol chanting hang Mike Pence, kill Pelosi. They threaten to kill poll workers for doing their jobs. People once again parade with swastika flags. Anti-semitism, racism, hatred of trans people all seem to be on the rise and more socially acceptable than ever in my life time, even from elected people in US Congress. Police kill 1000 civilians a year many of them unarmed African Americans doing nothing but driving while black, walking while black.... and we average two mass spree killings (four or more people other than the shooter shot and injured) every day. No longer hard to believe another Holocaust could happen.
It is an amazing story of survival by strength, determination, resilience, intelligence. She spends more than a year on the run, hiding out in forests, doing field work by the day in return for a piece of bread and a cup of sour milk, a lot of it completely on her own. She moves from place to place, covers her tracks, assesses which people to trust. She is constantly hungry and in pain, she gets beaten and kicked more than once, suffering broken ribs, tooth knocked out, and other damage. Her father is killed at the beginning of the book, then one by one her four brothers. She finds the corpse of one brother hanging and digs a grave for him herself. Finally her mother is shot to death right in front of her.
Through all this and lots more she remains determined to survive. So that should make this an inspirational story, right? But for me that was out weighed by the graphic display of man’s inhumanity to man (and woman and child). What is particularly painful to realize is that mostly all these atrocities were not committed by Nazi soldiers, or even Germans. They are done by Polish police, Ukrainian police, Russian soldiers (who are supposed to be allies). Ordinary Polish and Ukrainian people over and over report Jews to the police who will deport/and or kill them. People who have known Alicia all her life, whom she thought were her friends, betray her. It is clear that some of the people reporting Jews do it so they can then move into the house this vacated (see also Sarah’s Key).
I used to think how could these things have happened. How could ordinary people commit these atrocities. But now I am seeing it happening in our own country. Ordinary people who claim to support the police (“Blue Lives Matter�) attack them with tasers and flag poles. Filled with hate and blood lust, they roam the Capitol chanting hang Mike Pence, kill Pelosi. They threaten to kill poll workers for doing their jobs. People once again parade with swastika flags. Anti-semitism, racism, hatred of trans people all seem to be on the rise and more socially acceptable than ever in my life time, even from elected people in US Congress. Police kill 1000 civilians a year many of them unarmed African Americans doing nothing but driving while black, walking while black.... and we average two mass spree killings (four or more people other than the shooter shot and injured) every day. No longer hard to believe another Holocaust could happen.
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June 12, 2016 I don't like to give a rating to an autobiographical account. I will say that Alicia's story is one that I am so glad I read. She is an amazing, kind, feisty, incredibly brave and resilient child. This was such an interesting book for the true life experience of a holocaust survivor that does NOT involve an account of a concentration camp. Alicia's story tells of her experience as a Polish Jew during WWII with as much tragedy and suffering as any, and after as she and the other survivors deal with so much loss, and their sense of displacement and their desire to find a place where they will not only be free from persecution, but free from the horrible memories that can't be erased in their homelands.
October 10, 2010
This woman is the ultimate survivor, is now one of my heroes and has a remarkable story that I'm so glad she had the courage to tell.
This is an autobiography about a Jewish, teenage girl, Alicia, in Poland during WWII. There are tons of stories out there about concentration camps and stories of hiding, like Anne Franks' Diary, but this one was a different perspective of the ghetto and surviving off the land as well as what trying to get back into life was like for the few survivors.
The book is compelling, heart-breaking, and definitely a must read. May we never again repeat these horrors. Read it, seriously. This book changed my life.
This is an autobiography about a Jewish, teenage girl, Alicia, in Poland during WWII. There are tons of stories out there about concentration camps and stories of hiding, like Anne Franks' Diary, but this one was a different perspective of the ghetto and surviving off the land as well as what trying to get back into life was like for the few survivors.
The book is compelling, heart-breaking, and definitely a must read. May we never again repeat these horrors. Read it, seriously. This book changed my life.
February 8, 2022
This is rather a difficult book to review.
I found it very interesting…and told a slightly different side of a jewish girl trying desperately to survive under WW2 , although she didn’t end up in any of the camps her struggle and hardships where just as tragic. Some shocking revelations about the way the jews where treated even after the war.
I found it very interesting…and told a slightly different side of a jewish girl trying desperately to survive under WW2 , although she didn’t end up in any of the camps her struggle and hardships where just as tragic. Some shocking revelations about the way the jews where treated even after the war.
January 16, 2018
Alicia is a young girl that lives in Buczacz with her family. The holocaust starts and killing happens, part of her family is killed in the process. She is moved to another town and their she works hard to provide for her mother and brother. She is taken away from her family many times but miraculously she is able to come home. While trying to hide from the Germans and Ukraine she helps many other Jewish strangers. In the process of her and her mother hiding, her mother is killed. Which leads her to be an orphan and have to survive on herself. In the course of 5 years she suffers until she is able to semi-relax with some very helpful people. Then she decides that is time for her go back to her hometown, which in the process she ends in prison. Finally she is set free where she able to do her life; she falls in love and gets married.
My favorite character in the book is Alicia because she is one of the strongest person I have read about. She is a girl who even without hope she does not let things bring her down. My favorite part in the book is when Alicia says she will not let anything kill her; she will not let anything bring her down she will fight until the Nazis get the punishment they deserve. This is my favorite because even after she has been beaten to the point of almost dying she still manages to have the energy and courage to not let herself lose hope. In the book there are many tragedies, so many I could not stop crying but the part that changed the mood when she is going back to Israel in a ship, and she is stuck with many children. To make the children less anxious of the length of the trip she makes a “calendar� out of her pants. She takes away an inch every day to show the children how many days have past. She lets them touch to see how short is has gotten. The funniest part is when she says that she’s careful about the boys touching her “calendar� because they get to touchy. This story is so good that it will keep you wanting more you would want to know what happened to everybody how or what she do next.
Even when you like a book a lot you always manage to have something that you don’t like. This book does not leave you hanging at the end; but it does leave you hanging from detail. This book is full with people and scenes and in them I wish she would describe the places she would enter or how small or big things where. I also did not like that she had written it after the war and a few years later making her experience sound less emotional. If her story was written back then maybe it would show her writing in a different position or with a different attitude. I also did not like how it was all rammed up. The author focused on telling her story rather then putting detail on what was happening; maybe that might also come by because the book was written after it all happened.
Over all I gave this book a four star rating because it was good book. The way she told her story and her experiences in the holocaust were well written. I really liked this book because it did not make me bored; it actually made me not want to put the book down. I went from chapter to chapter learning about Alicia. I would totally recommend this book to anyone who wants to know a little about the past. You will also learn a little about languages and cities from Europe. This book will not only fill you with knowledge about the past but also give you one more person to look up.
My favorite character in the book is Alicia because she is one of the strongest person I have read about. She is a girl who even without hope she does not let things bring her down. My favorite part in the book is when Alicia says she will not let anything kill her; she will not let anything bring her down she will fight until the Nazis get the punishment they deserve. This is my favorite because even after she has been beaten to the point of almost dying she still manages to have the energy and courage to not let herself lose hope. In the book there are many tragedies, so many I could not stop crying but the part that changed the mood when she is going back to Israel in a ship, and she is stuck with many children. To make the children less anxious of the length of the trip she makes a “calendar� out of her pants. She takes away an inch every day to show the children how many days have past. She lets them touch to see how short is has gotten. The funniest part is when she says that she’s careful about the boys touching her “calendar� because they get to touchy. This story is so good that it will keep you wanting more you would want to know what happened to everybody how or what she do next.
Even when you like a book a lot you always manage to have something that you don’t like. This book does not leave you hanging at the end; but it does leave you hanging from detail. This book is full with people and scenes and in them I wish she would describe the places she would enter or how small or big things where. I also did not like that she had written it after the war and a few years later making her experience sound less emotional. If her story was written back then maybe it would show her writing in a different position or with a different attitude. I also did not like how it was all rammed up. The author focused on telling her story rather then putting detail on what was happening; maybe that might also come by because the book was written after it all happened.
Over all I gave this book a four star rating because it was good book. The way she told her story and her experiences in the holocaust were well written. I really liked this book because it did not make me bored; it actually made me not want to put the book down. I went from chapter to chapter learning about Alicia. I would totally recommend this book to anyone who wants to know a little about the past. You will also learn a little about languages and cities from Europe. This book will not only fill you with knowledge about the past but also give you one more person to look up.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 1, 2019
This was possibly the most inspiring survivor story from the Holocaust that I've ever read. Alicia's story is truly amazing, and she is extremely brave. She is also angry, and is not afraid to express her anger, something that saves her life on more than one occasion. Her story is like a fairy tale, complete with village witches, prince charming rescuers, and kind old men she meets by chance. There are many times in the book where she has the choice between an easy way out and a difficult, unknown outcome, and she always chooses the unknown, especially because it often involves helping someone else. She is unselfish and even after surviving the atrocities, she starts her own orphanage because she sees nobody is caring for the Jewish orphans who survived the concentration camps. Although she has a rough time, provenance often comes to her aid: she meets the right people at the right times, and she is saved from certain death more times than I could count, sometimes by her own wits and sometimes by miraculous helpers. She also saves many lives during this book, even at high risk to herself, and manages to keep those around her from betraying others when they are likely to do so. The most difficult part of the book was when the Russians liberated the area and everyone went home, only to have the Germans retake that area shortly after and kill most of the remaining Jews, who were once again betrayed by their neighbors. There is also some information about the Ukrainian/Polish tensions, and how it was another layer of prejudice on top of the anti-Semitism. She never stops fighting and always has a mission, it seems; even at the end of the book, she is honed to a purpose, and does not stop moving.
This was an amazing memoir of bravery and compassion. Alicia is an inspiration, especially being a teenage girl during the time - one would think that she would be powerless and unable to effect much change and should only focus on herself, but she never fails to help others when she has the opportunity, and the strength of her will and her words zaps some sanity back into the people around her, and shames those who have no morals.
A great book to end the year with, and highly recommended.
This was an amazing memoir of bravery and compassion. Alicia is an inspiration, especially being a teenage girl during the time - one would think that she would be powerless and unable to effect much change and should only focus on herself, but she never fails to help others when she has the opportunity, and the strength of her will and her words zaps some sanity back into the people around her, and shames those who have no morals.
A great book to end the year with, and highly recommended.
April 20, 2021
Alicia, another incredible and brave survivor
November 9, 2022
Hatred is a disease that destroys!
Her survival story is a must for those who enjoying reading about the holocaust!
Her survival story is a must for those who enjoying reading about the holocaust!
January 14, 2023
This is among the top 5 I have ever listened. Alicia is a hero in every sense of the meaning.
May 16, 2024
I read this book in high school and I still think about it 20 years later.
June 10, 2021
Well told story of pain and I can’t imagine the heartbreak the author had to go through reliving the details of her past while writing.
September 12, 2023
Fascinating and uplifting. It kept me very interested.
August 26, 2018
Too painful to review.
May 17, 2021
How in the world am I JUST NOW reading this book! I’ve not read a true story this riveting since Unbroken.
The real life story of a young Jewish woman who is trying to survive in occupied Poland. She works for the survival of her family only to watch them die around her one at a time.
At some point she gives up, decides she doesn’t want to live with out them and takes risks in order to purposely be killed... and yet somehow through bravery and her own brilliance survives and saves many other lives with her!
The real life story of a young Jewish woman who is trying to survive in occupied Poland. She works for the survival of her family only to watch them die around her one at a time.
At some point she gives up, decides she doesn’t want to live with out them and takes risks in order to purposely be killed... and yet somehow through bravery and her own brilliance survives and saves many other lives with her!
July 22, 2017
Alicia Jurman delicately portrays the horrors experienced by her and her family at the hands of the Russians, Nazis and even citizens of Eastern Europe. It's stunning to read about all of her close calls to death, and how she miraculously survived. I've noticed this theme in other WWII survivor accounts as well.
While the story was well-written, I have two reservations that prevent me from eating this book as five stars. First is that the book opens with Alicia as a nine-year-old girl and closes at age seventeen. Because the book contains dialogue from all of those years and because the book was written so many years later, it makes me wonder how vividly she recalls the actual words. A lot of the ideas that Alicia shared with others as a young child seemed more like thought processes you would expect from adult.
The second reason that I couldn't give this book five stars is because there was a pervading feeling of helplessness and despair throughout the entire book. I kept expecting her to reference her faith and her God as the force that pulled her through and miraculously saved her time and again. But all the way until the very end, it was always her own ingenuity and bravery that saved her, or often the kindness and mercy of those around her. A few times Alicia cited traditional Jewish songs or Hebrew phrases that were meaningful, but that's all. Alicia constantly reiterated her bitterness and hatred for everyone who had wronged her and her people. She never spoke of finding peace or offering forgiveness. It's as though she's never been able to move past these horrible experiences and fully enjoy the life that was preserved for her.
I view this book in stark contrast with The Hiding Place, which has different, although equally horrific events. The Hiding Place always offered hope in darkness, joy in others (despite the environment), trust in a God of Deliverance, and forgiveness beyond mortal capacity. If someone could only read one of these two holocaust accounts, there is no question which one I would recommend.
I am grateful that Alicia recorded the events of her war years so that we all can learn from them. Everyone should study the Holocaust, if only for the reason of ensuring that it never be repeated against any group of people again.
While the story was well-written, I have two reservations that prevent me from eating this book as five stars. First is that the book opens with Alicia as a nine-year-old girl and closes at age seventeen. Because the book contains dialogue from all of those years and because the book was written so many years later, it makes me wonder how vividly she recalls the actual words. A lot of the ideas that Alicia shared with others as a young child seemed more like thought processes you would expect from adult.
The second reason that I couldn't give this book five stars is because there was a pervading feeling of helplessness and despair throughout the entire book. I kept expecting her to reference her faith and her God as the force that pulled her through and miraculously saved her time and again. But all the way until the very end, it was always her own ingenuity and bravery that saved her, or often the kindness and mercy of those around her. A few times Alicia cited traditional Jewish songs or Hebrew phrases that were meaningful, but that's all. Alicia constantly reiterated her bitterness and hatred for everyone who had wronged her and her people. She never spoke of finding peace or offering forgiveness. It's as though she's never been able to move past these horrible experiences and fully enjoy the life that was preserved for her.
I view this book in stark contrast with The Hiding Place, which has different, although equally horrific events. The Hiding Place always offered hope in darkness, joy in others (despite the environment), trust in a God of Deliverance, and forgiveness beyond mortal capacity. If someone could only read one of these two holocaust accounts, there is no question which one I would recommend.
I am grateful that Alicia recorded the events of her war years so that we all can learn from them. Everyone should study the Holocaust, if only for the reason of ensuring that it never be repeated against any group of people again.
Read
March 13, 2012This story was about the time of the Holocaust. The writer of this book, Alicia Appleman, went through many hardships while living during this time. Alicia was a Jew, and she was the only girl out of many other boys in her family. All of her brothers got sent away except for the youngest who later on died. There were many people who helped her, but Alicia is the main character. Alicia just tried her hardest everyday to stay alive. She experienced many hardships. The worst was probably just seeing every one of her family members die one by one. She had to go through many hardships, but she never gave up. My favorite character was probably Alicia because she showed many hero characteristics while going through everything that she had to go through.
I can't really relate to any of the characters. They had things so much worse back then, and especially being a Jew during this time made the hard times even harder. I have been on my own before, but not in the same way that Alicia has. She was totally alone through some of the hard things she had to go through. I can't imagine how this was for the people who experienced this.
I liked this book even though it was really sad. This book kind of makes you realize how bad this time was. My favorite part was when you find out at the end that Alicia helps hundreds of other people who are experiencing the same thing she had to go through. She helps children and adults escape through an underground passage. My least favorite part was when Alicia finds her mom again and they get caught and the Nazi's try to aim for Alicia, but shoot her mother instead because they missed. It is probably one of the saddest parts of the book.
I would recommend this book to other people because even though it is a really sad book, it is also really good and it was an interesting book to read. I think that a person who likes to hear true stories would like this book. I think that it was a great book, even though the actions in it were horrible.
I can't really relate to any of the characters. They had things so much worse back then, and especially being a Jew during this time made the hard times even harder. I have been on my own before, but not in the same way that Alicia has. She was totally alone through some of the hard things she had to go through. I can't imagine how this was for the people who experienced this.
I liked this book even though it was really sad. This book kind of makes you realize how bad this time was. My favorite part was when you find out at the end that Alicia helps hundreds of other people who are experiencing the same thing she had to go through. She helps children and adults escape through an underground passage. My least favorite part was when Alicia finds her mom again and they get caught and the Nazi's try to aim for Alicia, but shoot her mother instead because they missed. It is probably one of the saddest parts of the book.
I would recommend this book to other people because even though it is a really sad book, it is also really good and it was an interesting book to read. I think that a person who likes to hear true stories would like this book. I think that it was a great book, even though the actions in it were horrible.
July 24, 2013
This story has been proven repeatedly FALSE with hard documents and actual facts by Holocaust, literary, and history scholars around the world. DO NOT READ "ALICIA" OR GIVE IT ANY CREDENCE. Again, this is historical FICTION.
That's why there's been such a huge push to get it out of school curricula. Ms. Jurman became persona non grata and was no longer welcome as a speaker at major Holocaust museums. She learned her place and to stay away since she's been found out and discredited. So she continues her ruse by speaking to schools ignorant of the facts, in an intensely desperate claw for fame. I shudder at the thousands of people who have unwittingly believed her lies - and still do! It is a cold betrayal to all Holocaust survivors and victims, their families, and to readers. And to my dozen murdered cousins in Belarus.
Perhaps more interesting than the story she presents is how someone could become so disturbed as to create a life and build a career on horrifying lies. I spent five years helping Holocaust survivors file financial restitution claims from Germany, etc., witnessing over 300 oral testimonies. The most banal details of the Holocaust are what I know about, not what the public knows, not what is sanitized for your protection. For me, to think anyone would LIE about these types of experiences... I take personal offense. I am very glad I will never waste my time in her presence. I am sorry to be the bearer of such terrible news, but everyone who has read/wants to read this book needs to be educated about the facts. It's merely a psychological study of someone with severe mental illness, someone who is a pathological liar.
There are many wonderful Holocaust memoirs to read that are 100% true and I recommend them highly. Start with "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank. Not only is there a ridiculous amount of documentary evidence of the truth of her story, I have been able to speak personally with her two best friends from childhood and Miep Gies, the woman who hid Anne. It happened, it's a very true story.
That's why there's been such a huge push to get it out of school curricula. Ms. Jurman became persona non grata and was no longer welcome as a speaker at major Holocaust museums. She learned her place and to stay away since she's been found out and discredited. So she continues her ruse by speaking to schools ignorant of the facts, in an intensely desperate claw for fame. I shudder at the thousands of people who have unwittingly believed her lies - and still do! It is a cold betrayal to all Holocaust survivors and victims, their families, and to readers. And to my dozen murdered cousins in Belarus.
Perhaps more interesting than the story she presents is how someone could become so disturbed as to create a life and build a career on horrifying lies. I spent five years helping Holocaust survivors file financial restitution claims from Germany, etc., witnessing over 300 oral testimonies. The most banal details of the Holocaust are what I know about, not what the public knows, not what is sanitized for your protection. For me, to think anyone would LIE about these types of experiences... I take personal offense. I am very glad I will never waste my time in her presence. I am sorry to be the bearer of such terrible news, but everyone who has read/wants to read this book needs to be educated about the facts. It's merely a psychological study of someone with severe mental illness, someone who is a pathological liar.
There are many wonderful Holocaust memoirs to read that are 100% true and I recommend them highly. Start with "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank. Not only is there a ridiculous amount of documentary evidence of the truth of her story, I have been able to speak personally with her two best friends from childhood and Miep Gies, the woman who hid Anne. It happened, it's a very true story.
Read
October 2, 2014The author's purpose in writing this book was to show how strong a person can be when being strong is their only choice. Alicia, the main character in the book, has to fight for her life in many different situations. The story is about her journey through the holocaust, but in contrast to other stories, Alicia is not a prisoner in a concentration camp. The young girl must run for her life in many instances. Living off sour milk and stale bread, her and her mother must be strong in order to survive.
The theme of this story is that you try hard enough, you can survive anything. If Alicia would've given up during her fight, she would've not survived this terrible point in history. She lost her whole family, but she knew she had to live. She had such a will to live. She escaped firing squad and Nazis because she knew she could survive. Another theme of this book is to always have courage because if Alicia wouldn't have had courage, she wouldn't have been able to escape all the situations she had to put herself in to.
The style in which this story is written in is a narration. The story explains all the situations Alicia was put in. The situations are explained in the order in the order in which they occurred. The writing style the author used was effective because it throuoghly explained the situation. On many occasions, the reader could feel as if they were right there experiencing these situations with Alicia.
Personally, I enjoyed this book. I thought the book was very intriguing and interesting. I liked how detailed the explanations were in the story. One thing I disliked was not about the story, but just the way the book was set up. I would've enjoyed reading the book more if the font was easier to read, but the story itself was great.
The theme of this story is that you try hard enough, you can survive anything. If Alicia would've given up during her fight, she would've not survived this terrible point in history. She lost her whole family, but she knew she had to live. She had such a will to live. She escaped firing squad and Nazis because she knew she could survive. Another theme of this book is to always have courage because if Alicia wouldn't have had courage, she wouldn't have been able to escape all the situations she had to put herself in to.
The style in which this story is written in is a narration. The story explains all the situations Alicia was put in. The situations are explained in the order in the order in which they occurred. The writing style the author used was effective because it throuoghly explained the situation. On many occasions, the reader could feel as if they were right there experiencing these situations with Alicia.
Personally, I enjoyed this book. I thought the book was very intriguing and interesting. I liked how detailed the explanations were in the story. One thing I disliked was not about the story, but just the way the book was set up. I would've enjoyed reading the book more if the font was easier to read, but the story itself was great.
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