Into the Forest: A Holocaust Story of Survival, Triumph, and Love
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- Create Date：2021-09-05 17:21:06
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- Author：Rebecca Frankel
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Summary
From a little-known chapter of Holocaust history， Rebecca Frankel's Into the Forest is one family’s inspiring true story of love， escape， and survival。
In the summer of 1942， the Rabinowitz family narrowly escaped the Nazi ghetto in their Polish town by fleeing to the forbidding Bialowieza Forest。 They miraculously survived two years in the woods—through brutal winters， Typhus outbreaks， and merciless Nazi raids—until they were liberated by the Red Army in 1944。 After the war they trekked across the Alps into Italy where they settled as refugees before eventually immigrating to the United States。
During the first ghetto massacre， Miriam Rabinowitz rescued a young boy named Philip by pretending he was her son。 Nearly a decade later， a chance encounter at a wedding in Brooklyn would lead Philip to find the woman who saved him。 And to discover her daughter Ruth was the love of his life。
From a little-known chapter of Holocaust history， one family’s inspiring true story。
In the summer of 1942， the Rabinowitz family narrowly escaped the Nazi ghetto in their Polish town by fleeing to the forbidding Bialowieza Forest。 They miraculously survived two years in the woods—through brutal winters， Typhus outbreaks， and merciless Nazi raids—until they were liberated by the Red Army in 1944。 After the war they trekked across the Alps into Italy where they settled as refugees before eventually immigrating to the United States。
During the first ghetto massacre， Miriam Rabinowitz rescued a young boy named Philip by pretending he was her son。 Nearly a decade later， a chance encounter at a wedding in Brooklyn would lead Philip to find the woman who saved him。 And to discover her daughter Ruth was the love of his life。
From a little-known chapter of Holocaust history， one family’s inspiring true story。
Reviews
SheAintGotNoShoes
，
Thank you so much for selecting me as a winner in the giveaway ！！What makes Into the Forest truly memorable is Frankel’s uncanny empathy for her characters。。。 She never allows us to look away， nor do we want to， no matter how terrible the events of this powerful narrative。A+++++++
Kim Fox
，
I have read many books based on WWII， or during WWII。 Some fiction/historical fiction and some non fiction。 All have been amazing in their own way， but。。。 Into The Forest by Rebecca Frankel （a true story） was different。 This book tells the story of the Rabinowitz family and their determination to live！ This family escaped a Nazi ghetto and lived in the woods， alongside many others， and SURVIVED！ Two years in the woods until they were liberated by the Russians。 TWO YEARS！！ Two years of living off I have read many books based on WWII， or during WWII。 Some fiction/historical fiction and some non fiction。 All have been amazing in their own way， but。。。 Into The Forest by Rebecca Frankel （a true story） was different。 This book tells the story of the Rabinowitz family and their determination to live！ This family escaped a Nazi ghetto and lived in the woods， alongside many others， and SURVIVED！ Two years in the woods until they were liberated by the Russians。 TWO YEARS！！ Two years of living off the land。 Two years of constantly having to look for safer places to live in the woods。 Two years of having to dig underground bunkers and stay in those when the Nazi's would get close。 TWO YEARS！ Such a wonderful story of perseverance， love and family。 I cant not recommend this book enough！！ This book will release on September 7th， so for those of you that like to read stories about World War 2， add this one to your collection。 4⭐Thank you to Netgalley， St。 Martin's Press and Rebecca Frankel for the eARC/ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion。 。。。more
Ted Waterfall
，
Into the Forest， by Rebecca Frankel， is the story of the Rabinowitz family， a Jewish family living in Poland at the outbreak of World War 2。 Story lines can be advanced usually through the character's dialog， which places the reader in time and place and the action was occuring in real time， or by relating it as if from the perspective of recalling events from the past。 As a former history teacher of 29 years， I have made a career of the latter， but as a reader， I prefer the former。 This book is Into the Forest， by Rebecca Frankel， is the story of the Rabinowitz family， a Jewish family living in Poland at the outbreak of World War 2。 Story lines can be advanced usually through the character's dialog， which places the reader in time and place and the action was occuring in real time， or by relating it as if from the perspective of recalling events from the past。 As a former history teacher of 29 years， I have made a career of the latter， but as a reader， I prefer the former。 This book is written in the style of the latter。 There is nothing wrong with that style， but I find the former far more entertaining。The story begins in the years prior to the outbreak of the war。 The Rabinowitz family is introduced along with totally common daily routine。 Nothing there that makes the reader want to turn the page。 But then the war breaks out and the efforts that the family makes to survive become astonishing。 They eventually flee into the surrounding forest where they survive - most of them， anyway， for two brutal years， barely enduring a couple of the most horrific winters on record， along with concerted efforts by the German military to ferret them out and destroy them。 Accounts of German brutality can be disturbing even for those of us who are seasoned veterans of World War 2 literature。 They remain in the forest until the end of the war。The book concludes by describing their emigration to various locations， including the United States， the once again humdrum， boring details of peacetime routine， which， of course， after the trauma they experienced， is exactly what they would have wanted， but makes for what I might call， challenging reading。 Fotunately， the concluding pages were not long。 This was an advanced， uncorrected readers copy won on Goodreads。com and is available to the public beginning September 7， 2001。 。。。more
Kristen Perry
，
I received this as an ARC from Netgalley。 After reading Forest of Vanishing Stars by Kristin Harmel， I was intrigued to know more about the Jews who survived the Nazi's by living in forests around Poland。 Low and behold Into the Forest came up as an ARC to read。 Rebecca Frankel did a superb job of telling the tale of Morris and Miriam and their family， even though this is non-fiction it read almost like fiction。 Loved how it was divided up into four parts。 I received this as an ARC from Netgalley。 After reading Forest of Vanishing Stars by Kristin Harmel， I was intrigued to know more about the Jews who survived the Nazi's by living in forests around Poland。 Low and behold Into the Forest came up as an ARC to read。 Rebecca Frankel did a superb job of telling the tale of Morris and Miriam and their family， even though this is non-fiction it read almost like fiction。 Loved how it was divided up into four parts。 。。。more
KennytheKat
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I finished this book at about 3am this morning， but this book was amazing。 I love the realness of the details the author uses。 I love that it’s also nonfiction because I’m a German history nerd， lol。 This book is a must read and I’m really glad I won this in a giveaway and had the chance to read this book。
Mary
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A digital copy of this book was given to me by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 When I first read what this book was about I was intrigued by the Jewish people that fled and hid in the woods。 Even though I knew that this had happened， I didn't know very much about this and was interested。 I was under the impression that this was mainly about this Rabinowitz family and the little boy that they had rescued。 However， Philip's rescue was only a small piece of the book。 This book gave me a A digital copy of this book was given to me by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 When I first read what this book was about I was intrigued by the Jewish people that fled and hid in the woods。 Even though I knew that this had happened， I didn't know very much about this and was interested。 I was under the impression that this was mainly about this Rabinowitz family and the little boy that they had rescued。 However， Philip's rescue was only a small piece of the book。 This book gave me a better understanding of the ghettos， and life in the forest。 Once in the forest， although the Rabinowitz family story is shared， it is not the focus。 The focus is on all the other families and individuals who fled into the forest to hide from the Nazis。 Once the family is liberated from the forest， it follows them back to their village， through the Bricha network and eventually to America where they rebuild their lives。 The story starts with Philip learning that the woman who saved him is alive and has been thinking/wondering whatever happened to him， and ends with Philip's reunion with the Rabinowitz family。 This is written more as a history book。 There are not many "conversations" but facts and details。 If you are interested in the time in history， this is a good resource regarding a lesser known piece of survival。 Thank you NetGalley， St。 Martin's Press and Rebecca Frankel。 。。。more
Janilyn Kocher
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I simply cannot read enough of these types of books。 Into the Woods reveals the harrowing stories of one Jewish family and many of their contemporaries who fled into the Polish woods to outwit and survive the Nazis。 Their ingenuity and skills impressed me time and time again。 I was mesmerized from the first page。 I barely looked up in the hours reading it consumed me， I am so glad these stories are being preserved and shared。for others to read and learn。 It also reminded me of Kristin Harmel’s F I simply cannot read enough of these types of books。 Into the Woods reveals the harrowing stories of one Jewish family and many of their contemporaries who fled into the Polish woods to outwit and survive the Nazis。 Their ingenuity and skills impressed me time and time again。 I was mesmerized from the first page。 I barely looked up in the hours reading it consumed me， I am so glad these stories are being preserved and shared。for others to read and learn。 It also reminded me of Kristin Harmel’s Forest of Vanishing Stars。 Thanks to St。 Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the advance read。 。。。more
Delfina Trevisan
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I was given an advance copy of this book from a give away by Goodreads This story had my heart breaking into a million pieces when I read about the atrocities man- kind committed against each other during the Second World War。 Even though I had read other books pertaining to the Holocaust I am still shocked when I continue to be educated about the trials people faced。 This book mainly focuses on the Rabinowitz family who survived by living in the Biatowiez Forest which I was unaware that people I was given an advance copy of this book from a give away by Goodreads This story had my heart breaking into a million pieces when I read about the atrocities man- kind committed against each other during the Second World War。 Even though I had read other books pertaining to the Holocaust I am still shocked when I continue to be educated about the trials people faced。 This book mainly focuses on the Rabinowitz family who survived by living in the Biatowiez Forest which I was unaware that people escaped to 。 This book was well researched and I enjoyed hearing about the outcomes of family members。 。。。more
Leighton
，
Thank you to St。 Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review！Into the Forest: A Holocaust Story of Survival， Triumph， and Love by Rebecca Frankel is an interesting true story about how a family escaped the Nazis and went on to thrive and find love。 The story revolves around the Rabinowitz family， starting in 1942 and continues throughout the decades。 First， they escape the Nazis in Poland by hiding in a forest for two years。 Afterwards， they immigrated to Italy and eventually to Thank you to St。 Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review！Into the Forest: A Holocaust Story of Survival， Triumph， and Love by Rebecca Frankel is an interesting true story about how a family escaped the Nazis and went on to thrive and find love。 The story revolves around the Rabinowitz family， starting in 1942 and continues throughout the decades。 First， they escape the Nazis in Poland by hiding in a forest for two years。 Afterwards， they immigrated to Italy and eventually to the United States。 At its core， the book is a love story。 In the past， the Rabinowitz family pretended that a young boy was part of their family， saving his life。 When he locates them again years later in Brooklyn， it ends up starting an epic romance decades in the making。Here is an excerpt from the first chapter， which flashes forward to a romance in the future:"Gloria told him the story of how her friend's mother had risked her own life and the safety of her two young daughters to keep the boy from death during the first ghetto massacre in Zhetel。As he listened， Philip's heart began to pound - he already knew this story。 "That was me，" he told her。 "I am that boy。"A few minutes later， Philip was racing down a flight of stairs to the pay phone in the catering hall basement。 Excitement buzzed through him as he dialed the operator while the wedding party whirled on above。 。。。The line rang。A woman answered。It was her - Miriam Rabinowitz， the woman who had saved him。 He'd found her at last。"Overall， Into the Forest is an amazing true story that will stun readers looking for a World War II sotry that they've never heard before。 While reading this book， there were many points where I thought that this story was too unbelievable。 What a coincidence that Philip would find the family that saved him years later and in a completely different country！ I really enjoyed reading the story of the Rabinowitz family。 One highlight of this book is the immense amount of historical research that the author did in order to tell this story authentically。 I did take off 1 star because i don't typically enjoy historical books。 That's not the book's fault。 I'm just explaining why it wasn't a 5-star read for me personally。 If you're intrigued by the excerpt above， or if you enjoy reading books about history in general， I highly recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in September！ 。。。more
Akshaya
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Great book overall and a very unique story。- Reads like a documentary transcript or synopsis of a story; the writing is not rich in emotion or particularly artistic but for a story like this I think it's appropriate and the book is still interesting。 Some small issues: - Too many characters that get introduced throughout the story with varying levels of significance。 Makes it a little hard to keep track of- Some parts of the story seem to be forgotten later on or details are missing/lacking so t Great book overall and a very unique story。- Reads like a documentary transcript or synopsis of a story; the writing is not rich in emotion or particularly artistic but for a story like this I think it's appropriate and the book is still interesting。 Some small issues: - Too many characters that get introduced throughout the story with varying levels of significance。 Makes it a little hard to keep track of- Some parts of the story seem to be forgotten later on or details are missing/lacking so they don't wrap up nicely。 It makes it a little confusing to read on how they got from one point/situation to the next。 （view spoiler）[- Some parts were glossed over a bit like life in the forest。 I wish there were more details on their day to day life。 - I feel like Miriam's illness was also glossed over。 She's suddenly better but her recovery isn't described。（hide spoiler）] 。。。more
Cflack
，
I received this book from the publisher to read and review。An interesting family saga of a Jewish family in Poland/Belarus before， during， and after the Holocaust and WWII。 There is tragedy， hope and happiness in the telling。 It begins and ends with the family in the US but we travel with them from the town of Zhetel through all of the traumas and difficulty they encounter。 We see their happy lives before the war and before the Russians and then the Germans come to town。 We see their harrowing e I received this book from the publisher to read and review。An interesting family saga of a Jewish family in Poland/Belarus before， during， and after the Holocaust and WWII。 There is tragedy， hope and happiness in the telling。 It begins and ends with the family in the US but we travel with them from the town of Zhetel through all of the traumas and difficulty they encounter。 We see their happy lives before the war and before the Russians and then the Germans come to town。 We see their harrowing escape to the nearby woods and their difficult survival in the woods for multiple years。 We also see them as they go to the DP camps with the hope of going to Palestine and their eventual relocation to the US。Unbeknown to me when I picked up the book there was added interest because Zhetel was the town my grandfather came from， but he left in 1917。 Our cousin Chaim who is now in his 80s and I have met many times is mentioned in the telling as well。The writing is decent but gets a bit sentimental at times。 A fine addition to Holocaust non-fiction， retelling of the horrors of WWII and its aftermath。 。。。more
Pete K
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I initially had misgivings about reading this non-fiction account of two sisters escaping the Holocaust with their families — generally， during this global pandemic， I've focused on lighter， more escapist reading。 So I was pleasantly surprised at the soaring， uplifting message of the book。 Yes， Frankel unflinchingly documents the terrible atrocities that her subjects narrowly evade。 In the end， though， the feeling I came away with was not bleak despair at humanity's capacity for evil， but rather I initially had misgivings about reading this non-fiction account of two sisters escaping the Holocaust with their families — generally， during this global pandemic， I've focused on lighter， more escapist reading。 So I was pleasantly surprised at the soaring， uplifting message of the book。 Yes， Frankel unflinchingly documents the terrible atrocities that her subjects narrowly evade。 In the end， though， the feeling I came away with was not bleak despair at humanity's capacity for evil， but rather a renewed belief in our propensity for perseverance。 A remarkable book that I'm looking forward to reading again。 。。。more
Madison Doerr
，
CW - Holocaust （Please look up for more details）I think my biggest issue with the book is that it was miss marketed。 I didn't realize this was non-fiction when I first picked it up。 I believed it was based on true events of the holocaust and was well researched （based on the references in the back） but I believed it would be structured like a standard novel and follow a family through their experience during the Holocaust。 The book does follow a particular family but just by showing what their l CW - Holocaust （Please look up for more details）I think my biggest issue with the book is that it was miss marketed。 I didn't realize this was non-fiction when I first picked it up。 I believed it was based on true events of the holocaust and was well researched （based on the references in the back） but I believed it would be structured like a standard novel and follow a family through their experience during the Holocaust。 The book does follow a particular family but just by showing what their life looked like while the booked walked the reader through events of the Holocaust。 It's all telling and no showing。 There are no conversations between characters （or in this case real people）， we don't get into their heads to understand their thought process or feelings。 The reader is shown what the the family is doing and then breaks off to show what else is going on at this time within the world in regards to the Holocaust and treatment of Jews。 There are a lot of names of generals and rebel leaders that became confusing to follow in these descriptions。Had I known that this was non-fiction before going into the book I think it would have prepare me for the writing style of the book （which does make sense for a non fiction book）。 The title "a holocaust story of survival， triumph， and love" and the back description make it sound like a novel and I think the book could have a hard time finding the right audience with that。With all that being said， I did enjoy the book。 I learned a lot about the Holocaust that I didn't already know from school， specifically about the survival of Jews in the Bialowieza Forest。 For such a hard hitting and horrific period of history to read about I did find the book engaging and easy to read。 If anyone is interested in reading more about the Holocaust， WWII， or nonfiction in general I would recommend this。 I think it could be used as a great jumping off point to find more books on the subject （especially with all the references from research）。 。。。more
Tom Schulte
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It seems like I have been reading a lot of Holocaust memoirs in the last couple of years， so it would be easy to let one submerge into he mix。 This one stands above for being this complete arc from pre-Holocaust Poland to reunion in the US after everything。 In between is the shrinking ghetto followed by privation and survival in the dangerous， difficult forest。 Like others I have read recently this implicitly tells of how so much the populace enabled as well as acknowledged the Nazi efforts。 Her It seems like I have been reading a lot of Holocaust memoirs in the last couple of years， so it would be easy to let one submerge into he mix。 This one stands above for being this complete arc from pre-Holocaust Poland to reunion in the US after everything。 In between is the shrinking ghetto followed by privation and survival in the dangerous， difficult forest。 Like others I have read recently this implicitly tells of how so much the populace enabled as well as acknowledged the Nazi efforts。 Here there was also the uneasy relationship top generally anti-Semitic Russian partisans and soldiers。 This is very well researched， detailed and an important historical document。 。。。more
Shawna
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This was a heartbreaking book about the story of the Rabinowitz family during the Holocaust and what they had to overcome to survive this horrible time in history。
Susan Snodgrass
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I have always enjoyed reading about the Holocaust and have quite a few books on the subject in my own library。 This one does something most other books don’t。 It follows some survivors beyond that horrific time and delves into their lives deeper。 The author here has done a wonderful job！My thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book。
Brenda
，
into the Forest is one of the most outstanding， compelling， moving， poignant and incredible books I've ever read。 The author managed to capture every emotion there is through her extensive research and writing。 Though I have read many， many Holocaust books， this one is astounding。 It is about perseverance， heartache， betrayal， sorrow， anguish， determination， survival， hope and love。 The unspeakable suffering and constant hiding， not to mention scrounging for scraps of food each day， seem worlds into the Forest is one of the most outstanding， compelling， moving， poignant and incredible books I've ever read。 The author managed to capture every emotion there is through her extensive research and writing。 Though I have read many， many Holocaust books， this one is astounding。 It is about perseverance， heartache， betrayal， sorrow， anguish， determination， survival， hope and love。 The unspeakable suffering and constant hiding， not to mention scrounging for scraps of food each day， seem worlds away from most of us。 Add cruelty， fear and death to the equation and you get a heartbreaking situation。 How some willed to go on is unreal。A very small percentage of Jews in Poland survived the war and aftermath。 Millions didn't。 Miriam and Morris Rabinowitz， along with their two young girls Rochel and Tania， faced horror after horror。 They were forced to leave their home and everything they had and eventually ended up in the ghetto。 Those caught leaving were shot and living conditions were appalling。 Evil men such as Dirlewanger （look him up） were on the rampage。 Bunker living was even worse with no toilet facilities， fresh air and other basics。 Crying babies were "put to sleep" to prevent the soldiers from finding the hiding groups when they were rounded up and obliterated。 A young boy， Philip， survived but his family didn't。 His story is one of the most poignant in the book。In the Bialowieza Forest the Rabinowitz family survived lice， disease， starvation and cold winter for two years。 The stories are harrowing and chilling。 After liberation they returned to their homes， to nothing。 The family lived in Italy for a short time before moving to America where there were kind relatives who helped them rebuild their lives。 Most survivors couldn't speak of their experiences but the Rabinowitz family did。 My gratitude for them and other survivors cannot be put into words。 This extraordinary family takes my breath away！Though a horrible subject to read about， this should be required reading for everyone。 Into the Forest is truly a life-changing book。 The author's meticulous research must have been highly emotional as she communicated with members of the Rabinowitz family and learned about their story。 I researched this time for several hours last evening。My sincere thank you to Rebecca Frankel for writing this book， St。 Martin's Press and NetGalley for the honour of reading this inspiring book。 I cannot begin to describe how it moved me。 。。。more
Sandra The Old Woman in a Van
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I've read a large number of Holocaust-era memoirs， biographies， nonfiction， and fiction。 Yet Rebecca Frankel's new nonfiction account of a family surviving for years while hiding out in the primordial Bialowietza Forest。 The book is an inspirational account of Jewish refugees， partisan Russian fighters， and others hiding in this impenetrable forest。 They evade Nazi annihilation， survive Typhus， and live through record cold winters。 It is one of the top books I've read detailing Holocaust history I've read a large number of Holocaust-era memoirs， biographies， nonfiction， and fiction。 Yet Rebecca Frankel's new nonfiction account of a family surviving for years while hiding out in the primordial Bialowietza Forest。 The book is an inspirational account of Jewish refugees， partisan Russian fighters， and others hiding in this impenetrable forest。 They evade Nazi annihilation， survive Typhus， and live through record cold winters。 It is one of the top books I've read detailing Holocaust history。And there is more。 Frankel's tale uncovers some odds-defying coincidences that bring some of the survivors together after the war。 The story was riveting from beginning to end; it reads like a novel。 I'm thrilled this story is coming out。 If you like WWII history and want to learn more about a relatively unknown and heroic aspect of the Holocaust， add this book to your reading list。I received a Net Galley copy of this book in return for an honest review。 。。。more
Sally Mander
，
5 Stars， Inspiring testament of endurance， love， and jubilationINTO THE FOREST by Rebecca FrankelMorris and Miriam Rabinowitz， their two young daughters along with their extended families had everything stolen from them and everyone was placed into a newly constructed ghetto at Zhetel。 They saw what was beginning to occur with the executions and knew that they had to stay alive at any cost。 Since Morris was a forester， he knew the surrounding woods quite well and had made several good life-long 5 Stars， Inspiring testament of endurance， love， and jubilationINTO THE FOREST by Rebecca FrankelMorris and Miriam Rabinowitz， their two young daughters along with their extended families had everything stolen from them and everyone was placed into a newly constructed ghetto at Zhetel。 They saw what was beginning to occur with the executions and knew that they had to stay alive at any cost。 Since Morris was a forester， he knew the surrounding woods quite well and had made several good life-long Chrisitan friends who would help them in their struggle for survival。 Morris decided that they would go hide in the forest instead of allowing themselves to be exterminated by the overzealous nazis who were trying to take over their world。#neverforget #holocaust #ww2I am quite thankful to #stmartinspress for the complimentary copy of #intotheforest I was under no obligation to post a review。 。。。more
Lee Husemann
，
I have read a lot of WWII books， both fiction and nonfiction， and this is one of the very best nonfiction stories I have read to date。 It is the story of Morris and Miriam Rabinowitz who were living in Zhetel， Poland with their two young daughters。 In 1939， German air raids began on Poland and things went from bad to worse。 As time went on， troops arrived in Poland and the Jews were singled out， targeted and eventually singled out for extermination。 After the remaining Jews of Zhetel were forced I have read a lot of WWII books， both fiction and nonfiction， and this is one of the very best nonfiction stories I have read to date。 It is the story of Morris and Miriam Rabinowitz who were living in Zhetel， Poland with their two young daughters。 In 1939， German air raids began on Poland and things went from bad to worse。 As time went on， troops arrived in Poland and the Jews were singled out， targeted and eventually singled out for extermination。 After the remaining Jews of Zhetel were forced to live in a ghetto， they realized their time left was limited and began to plan to escape into the forest。 The Rabinowitz family along with their extended family were finally able to escape and lived in the forest for two years until liberation。 This is the story of their survival and then trying to fit back into society after returning to what once was their home。Thank you NetGalley and St。 Martin's Press for the ARC of this very powerful story of survival。 。。。more
Jan
，
How can a shiksa boomer born in Milwaukee possibly appreciate the trials， tribulations， and journeys of the people in this book。 Well， start with the area my grandparents came from （all four）， add in my calling as a nurse in the inner city， and finish up with a familiarity since childhood with the family names of a large number of the people in this book。 I learned a lot about the Russian Poles that I never heard at home， and little of it was good。 Did you know that so many of the partisans rema How can a shiksa boomer born in Milwaukee possibly appreciate the trials， tribulations， and journeys of the people in this book。 Well， start with the area my grandparents came from （all four）， add in my calling as a nurse in the inner city， and finish up with a familiarity since childhood with the family names of a large number of the people in this book。 I learned a lot about the Russian Poles that I never heard at home， and little of it was good。 Did you know that so many of the partisans remained adamantly antisemitic during the war？ Can you imagine living in a dense forest with thirty or more people in an underground bunker for almost two years with little food， clothing， water， sanitation or ability to care for the sick。 Can you imagine having to do surgery with a kitchen knife and no anesthesia or pain killers other than whiskey。 Still they survived。 And no less brave or stubborn than those who were caught， tortured， and murdered。But this book celebrates the triumphs and positives of people who went through incredibly severe trials and came out on top。 And it is a labor of love and incredible research and cooperation from people who find it all indescribably painful to talk about。 I am totally impressed with everyone associated with this story and agree NEVER AGAIN。I requested and received a free temporary ebook copy from St。 Martin's Press via NetGalley。 Thank you！ 。。。more
Rita
，
I was given an advance copy of this book from goodreads and Rebecca Frankel。 Thanks and gratitude to both。 This is a well written book that details the horrible events that this family and others endured during the holocaust。 It vividly describes the horrors that the Jewish people experienced during this time。 Have tissues ready。 This covers many horrific events and many many deaths by the nazi agenda。 It gives the reader a better understanding of what people went through and I would recommend t I was given an advance copy of this book from goodreads and Rebecca Frankel。 Thanks and gratitude to both。 This is a well written book that details the horrible events that this family and others endured during the holocaust。 It vividly describes the horrors that the Jewish people experienced during this time。 Have tissues ready。 This covers many horrific events and many many deaths by the nazi agenda。 It gives the reader a better understanding of what people went through and I would recommend this book to be read by all to keep in mind just how evil man can be。 。。。more
Mary Cummins
，
I received an ARC of Into the Forest by Rebecca Frankel in a Goodreads giveaway。This book is a wonderful true story of the Rabinowitz family who endure over 2 years living in a forest Poland after their village is invaded by the Nazis。It is a heartwarming and engaging tale about brave people who did everything they had to do to survive during a horrible time in history even showing kindness to other families and a boy who would one day become their son in law。It also tells about their journey af I received an ARC of Into the Forest by Rebecca Frankel in a Goodreads giveaway。This book is a wonderful true story of the Rabinowitz family who endure over 2 years living in a forest Poland after their village is invaded by the Nazis。It is a heartwarming and engaging tale about brave people who did everything they had to do to survive during a horrible time in history even showing kindness to other families and a boy who would one day become their son in law。It also tells about their journey after the war to get to Palestine but eventually decide to come to America。Their life in America is testimony to their bravery and stalwart attitude。A different kind of Holocaust story。 。。。more
Betty Hutchinson
，
Great book about a family's survival in the woods for two years hiding from the Nazis in 1942。 They survived the Nazis， trekked across the Alps and made it to Italy。 They were finally able to immigrate to the United States to begin life without fear of being killed。 Great read for WWII interests， for fans of family endurance and fans of survival。 Truly enjoyed this advanced copy of the soon to be published book。 Looking forward to reading more from this author。 Great book about a family's survival in the woods for two years hiding from the Nazis in 1942。 They survived the Nazis， trekked across the Alps and made it to Italy。 They were finally able to immigrate to the United States to begin life without fear of being killed。 Great read for WWII interests， for fans of family endurance and fans of survival。 Truly enjoyed this advanced copy of the soon to be published book。 Looking forward to reading more from this author。 。。。more
Christy Martin
，
This book， somewhat reminiscent of Harmel's "The Forest of Vanishing Stars" gives an account of the migration of some of the Polish people into the woodlands during the Natzi occupation of Poland and the European struggle against oppression。 For those who are interested in the history of the era and want to read more about the fight and resistance of the Polish people， this might be a good reading choice。 This book， somewhat reminiscent of Harmel's "The Forest of Vanishing Stars" gives an account of the migration of some of the Polish people into the woodlands during the Natzi occupation of Poland and the European struggle against oppression。 For those who are interested in the history of the era and want to read more about the fight and resistance of the Polish people， this might be a good reading choice。 。。。more
Monika
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The story of the Rabinowitz family is heart wrenching but full of hope and happiness。 Despite the difficult topic I enjoyed the book。 It was written as a novel and not just as a biography that read like a text book。 Frankel's inclusion of the families life before， during and after the war was important to show how Holocaust survivors were more than just what happened to them during the war。 The story of the Rabinowitz family is heart wrenching but full of hope and happiness。 Despite the difficult topic I enjoyed the book。 It was written as a novel and not just as a biography that read like a text book。 Frankel's inclusion of the families life before， during and after the war was important to show how Holocaust survivors were more than just what happened to them during the war。 。。。more
AC
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Into the Forest is a nonfiction book about the Rabinowitz family living in Zhetel， in what is now Belarus。 It's an astonishing tale of hardship， survival， and， in the end， love。A chance meeting at a weeding puts a young man on a path to find the woman who saved him from being shipped off to a camp and killed。There is a brief introduction in the first few chapters about the family - how they landed in Zhetel， what their businesses were， what their houses looked like， and so on。 Normally， this wou Into the Forest is a nonfiction book about the Rabinowitz family living in Zhetel， in what is now Belarus。 It's an astonishing tale of hardship， survival， and， in the end， love。A chance meeting at a weeding puts a young man on a path to find the woman who saved him from being shipped off to a camp and killed。There is a brief introduction in the first few chapters about the family - how they landed in Zhetel， what their businesses were， what their houses looked like， and so on。 Normally， this would be well less than interesting， an infodump that the author did not weave into the narrative， but it works here， as the immersion into that time and that place are both necessary and fascinating。The woods of the title refers to the large forested area in the vicinity。 As WWII begins， and Nazi troops begin pouring through the country， first depriving Jews of their rights and then of their lives， the Rabinowitz family escapes the ghetto and hides in the forest for an amazing two years。 They dig dugout shelters and disguise them to hide from Nazi （and their collaborators） due to raids。 There is never enough food during the years， and never enough heat in the harsh winters。 Disease runs rampant， and the family is forced to relocate their shelter when the smallish community of those hiding in the woods is found by the Nazis。Throughout it all， the family stays together， occasionally making contact with friendly farmers in the area - people the Rabinowitz family knew to be sympathetic to their plight even before the Jews were rounded up in the area。Eventually， WWI ends， and the family， along with other survivors， heads over another dangerous pass， this time to sneak into Italy as a step of making their way to what is now Israel。 They ultimately give up on that idea and head to America instead。It's a fantastic story， well told， and I loved it。 Highly recommended。Five out of five stars。Thanks to St。 Martin's Press and NetGalley for the reading copy。 。。。more
Sarah Pesnell
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This was a really good， detailed book。 I really enjoyed it and would like to read more by the author。 Would definitely recommend this to anyone。
Teresa
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Oh my， what an absolutely awesome read。 This is by far one of the best WWII books I have come upon。 I came to feel as if I knew Morris and Miriam as my friends。 This is my first Rebecca Frankel novel; I will be looking for more。 The writing was excellent， the research was stellar。 This book covers how it was， to live in the forest and so many times I backtracked just to hear the telling again。 Miriam and Morris’s love for each other， their dedication to their family and their kindness and determ Oh my， what an absolutely awesome read。 This is by far one of the best WWII books I have come upon。 I came to feel as if I knew Morris and Miriam as my friends。 This is my first Rebecca Frankel novel; I will be looking for more。 The writing was excellent， the research was stellar。 This book covers how it was， to live in the forest and so many times I backtracked just to hear the telling again。 Miriam and Morris’s love for each other， their dedication to their family and their kindness and determination to make a life after， was inspiring。 Based upon true events – wonderful book…。。Wonderful read。 The highest 5 stars！！！I want to thank St。 Martin’s Press along with NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read an ARC。 。。。more
Valerity （Val）
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