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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.