Ratings5
Average rating4.4
DEATH PENALTY FOR ALL WHO GIVE AID TO A JEW. DEATH TO ALL WHO HARBOUR A JEW. DEATH TO ALL WHO FEED A JEW. DEATH TO ALL WHO PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION TO A JEW. One knock at the door could be the death of them all... It is 1943, and sixteen-year-old Stefania Podg rska has been working for the Diamant family in their grocery store in Przemsyl, Poland, for four years. She has even made a promise to one of their sons, Izio - an engagement they must keep secret since she is Catholic and the Diamants are Jewish. But everything changes when the German army invades Przemsyl. The Diamants are forced into the ghetto, and Stefania is alone in an occupied city, the only one left to care for her six-year-old sister. And then comes the knock at the door. Max Diamant has jumped from the train headed to a death camp. Stefania and Helena make the extraordinary decision to hide Max, and eventually twelve more Jews. Then they must wait, every day, for the next knock at the door, the one that could destroy everything... A powerful novel from a New York Times Bestselling author, based on the remarkable true story of Stefania Podg rska, a Polish teenager who hid 13 Jews in her attic during World War Two.
Reviews with the most likes.
This was one of those books that I could just not put down. It's historical fiction about Fusia and her sister, Helena, but you'll learn that it's based on the true story of these people who still have family members today. Throughout this book, I was on the edge of my seat. The author does an incredible job of illustrating how the mundane things of life continue despite being starving, poor, and terrified of being murdered by the SS for doing the right thing or doing nothing. There are happy moments, sad moments, moments where you are just as terrified that the story is about to end, and overall, this was a great read. Fans of Ruta Sepetys and good quality historical fiction that is more narratives than focus on fact-telling will really enjoy this one. I highly recommend it!
Reading about the Holocaust is something I constantly decide I won't be doing ever again because it's atrociously sad to know humanity is capable of those acts. But every now and then a true story pulls me in to remember despite evil there's always hope and goodness. I had never heard about Stefania Pordgorska but am very grateful for her.
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