Hello Readers,
Thank you to Tomoson Reviews for sending me When I Fall,
I Shall Rise by Dan Shtauber for free in exchange for an honest
review.
I agreed to read and review this book not long after I
read The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris who needs time to mentally
recover. Like the tattooist this a memoir and although the subject matter is
harsh, I have to read them for in every single story of the horrors there are
the stories that show a glimpse of hope, hidden strength that allowed the storyteller
to survive. I am a strong believer in the fact we need to read these
testimonies so that the events and people will never be forgotten and to
prevent such horrific events happening ever again.
Before Dan delves into the memoir, he states that as he
grew older, he became more aware of his Grandmother’s survival during the
Holocaust. His Grandmother always wanted to share her experiences however his
Grandfather preferred to keep his silence and spoke little of the Holocaust
before she passed away in 2001.
Dan is regretful that he didn’t really sit down listen
and inquire with his Grandmother to hear her story. However, in 1997, Dans
Grandmother shared her story with Yad Vashem for a memorialisation project. The
family received the tapes on which grandmother’s testimony was taken and closely guarded by Dan but he never watched them fully.
In January 2016,
Dan decided to honour his grandmother on what would have been her 92nd birthday he gifted her memory with a
book recording her travails during the holocausts. This book is based on the
recordings but tells the story in a more organised manner.
Each Holocaust survivor has a unique and individual
story. However, these stories didn’t end in 1945. They continue through to the
present day. I am fascinated by how much you can learn reading story after
story written by people who survived the Holocaust. Especially those people who
went through concentration camps have stories that are similar but also unique.
Their testimonies provide us with an understanding of how the events of the Holocaust
have shaped their lives and the strength of the human spirit.
The writing is realistic but respectful and honouring the
spirit of a grand lady. This book is so intense yet deeply touching book. the
author uses such simple words, describing short scenes from her life, scenes
that are sharp as a knife. It is a fine source of fact and an even finer source
of compassion and those small and strong pictures stay carved in your memory
for a long time after you read this book. The family connection gives it
beautiful dimension because that is the most important thing. Had Risa not been
such a strong woman, fitter and a survivor, Dan would not be here to tell her
story. A inspiring account this traumatic yet powerful journey of hope, faith
and love. It is a heart-warming read know all that Risa went through and
knowing that she survived one of the darkest hours in human history and lived a
full life after that.
Lx
Comments
Post a Comment