Born Survivors

It goes without saying that I am reviewing the book and how it is presented, not the content material or the historical events of which the book speaks.

This is a harrowing tale of loss, humanity, and hope in a time of incredible pain and devastation during the Holocaust. That cannot be denied. That being said, this book presents the story of 3 individuals in an interesting way. I actually really enjoyed the asynchronous way in which Holden begins their tales–taking time to fully discuss the happenings before each woman was asked if she were pregnant before moving to the next woman and backtracking all the way to begin the tale again. It gave me a sense of how each of their lives were and how separated they were before going into the camps. I loved the direct quotes from the women, however, it seemed to lose those quotes and a certain sense of individual story as the book continued. I appreciated that Holden gave so much information on the Holocaust overall, but it seemed to really lose the focus that the book seemed geared towards. I wanted to know more about the women and the babies, but it gave me general information on the different aspects of the Holocaust and the war. I enjoyed the book, but I think it could have been a much tighter, better paced reading experience.