Title: My Survival: A Girl on Schindler’s List
Author: Rena Finder
Major Themes: Oskar Schindler, Schindler’s List, Poland, World War II, Jewish Holocaust
Synopsis: After Rena and her family were removed from a ghetto in Poland and taken to a concentration camp, their lives were saved by Oskar Schindler—but would being on his list be enough to save them through the rest of the war?
I have heard of Schindler’s List a number of times. What was it? How did Schindler save the lives of Jews? Who was he, anyway? When I saw My Survival: A Girl on Schindler’s List recently, I knew it was one I wanted to read. It ended up fairly high on the stack of books I was working through, reading before putting them on our library shelves, and I was delighted when I reached it.
Publisher’s description:
Rena Finder was only eleven when the Nazis forced her and her family—along with all the other Jewish families—into the ghetto in Krakow, Poland. Rena worked as a slave laborer with scarcely any food, and watched as friends and family were sent away.
Then Rena and her mother ended up working for Oskar Schindler, a German businessman who employed Jewish prisoners in his factory and kept them fed and healthy. But Rena’s nightmares were not over. She and her mother were deported to the concentration camp Auschwitz. With great cunning, it was Schindler who set out to help them escape.
Here in her own words is Rena’s gripping story of survival, perseverance, tragedy, and hope. Including pictures from Rena’s personal collection and from the time period, this unforgettable memoir introduces young readers to an astounding and necessary piece of history.
My thoughts:
What a story. It is not graphic, as many stories of the Holocaust can be, but says enough that the reader will know of the horrors of that time. I was delighted to finally figure out what “Schindler’s List” means. There is actually a photograph of part of that list! My Survival: A Girl on Schindler’s List is a heart-warming account of human love and kindness in the middle of brutality and suffering. In this book, Rena Finder describes not only her experiences during the war, but also after, when she found love and happiness with a family of her own. I highly recommend this to anyone interested in the experiences of real people during World War II.
WARNING: Chapters 5, 6, 8, and 9 mention Nazi brutality to the Jews, but not in graphic detail.
Age levels:
Listening Level—Ages 8 – 12, 10 – 12, 12 – 15, Family Friendly
Reading Independently—Ages 8 – 12, 10 – 12, 12 – 15
Links to buy this book:
Amazon: Paperback | Kindle | Hardcover
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com
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