The Light of Days: The Untold Story of Women Resistance Fighters in Hitler's Ghettos
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- Create Date：2021-04-20 12:31:04
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- Author：Judy Batalion
- ISBN：0063067099
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Summary
One of the most important stories of World War II， already optioned by Steven Spielberg for a major motion picture: a spectacular， searing history that brings to light the extraordinary accomplishments of brave Jewish women who became resistance fighters—a group of unknown heroes whose exploits have never been chronicled in full， until now。
Witnesses to the brutal murder of their families and neighbors and the violent destruction of their communities， a cadre of Jewish women in Poland—some still in their teens—helped transform the Jewish youth groups into resistance cells to fight the Nazis。 With courage， guile， and nerves of steel， these “ghetto girls” paid off Gestapo guards， hid revolvers in loaves of bread and jars of marmalade， and helped build systems of underground bunkers。 They flirted with German soldiers， bribed them with wine， whiskey， and home cooking， used their Aryan looks to seduce them， and shot and killed them。 They bombed German train lines and blew up a town’s water supply。 They also nursed the sick and taught children。
Yet the exploits of these courageous resistance fighters have remained virtually unknown。
As propulsive and thrilling as Hidden Figures， In the Garden of Beasts， Band of Brothers， and A Train in Winter， The Light of Days at last tells the true story of these incredible women whose courageous yet little-known feats have been eclipsed by time。 Judy Batalion—the granddaughter of Polish Holocaust survivors—takes us back to 1939 and introduces us to Renia Kukielka， a weapons smuggler and messenger who risked death traveling across occupied Poland on foot and by train。 Joining Renia are other women who served as couriers， armed fighters， intelligence agents， and saboteurs， all who put their lives in mortal danger to carry out their missions。 Batalion follows these women through the savage destruction of the ghettos， arrest and internment in Gestapo prisons and concentration camps， and for a lucky few—like Renia， who orchestrated her own audacious escape from a brutal Nazi jail—into the late 20th century and beyond。
Powerful and inspiring， The Light of Days is an unforgettable true tale of war， the fight for freedom， exceptional bravery， female friendship， and survival in the face of staggering odds。
Witnesses to the brutal murder of their families and neighbors and the violent destruction of their communities， a cadre of Jewish women in Poland—some still in their teens—helped transform the Jewish youth groups into resistance cells to fight the Nazis。 With courage， guile， and nerves of steel， these “ghetto girls” paid off Gestapo guards， hid revolvers in loaves of bread and jars of marmalade， and helped build systems of underground bunkers。 They flirted with German soldiers， bribed them with wine， whiskey， and home cooking， used their Aryan looks to seduce them， and shot and killed them。 They bombed German train lines and blew up a town’s water supply。 They also nursed the sick and taught children。
Yet the exploits of these courageous resistance fighters have remained virtually unknown。
As propulsive and thrilling as Hidden Figures， In the Garden of Beasts， Band of Brothers， and A Train in Winter， The Light of Days at last tells the true story of these incredible women whose courageous yet little-known feats have been eclipsed by time。 Judy Batalion—the granddaughter of Polish Holocaust survivors—takes us back to 1939 and introduces us to Renia Kukielka， a weapons smuggler and messenger who risked death traveling across occupied Poland on foot and by train。 Joining Renia are other women who served as couriers， armed fighters， intelligence agents， and saboteurs， all who put their lives in mortal danger to carry out their missions。 Batalion follows these women through the savage destruction of the ghettos， arrest and internment in Gestapo prisons and concentration camps， and for a lucky few—like Renia， who orchestrated her own audacious escape from a brutal Nazi jail—into the late 20th century and beyond。
Powerful and inspiring， The Light of Days is an unforgettable true tale of war， the fight for freedom， exceptional bravery， female friendship， and survival in the face of staggering odds。
Reviews
Connie
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History is more than a collection of names and dates。The best history books connect the reader to the past in a meaningful way。 My favorite history books focus on a person or a few people。 （First and/or third person perspectives）。 Narratives offer the human element of the past。 Their feelings。 Their inner thoughts。 This book successfully integrated historical facts with third person narratives （the transitions were seamless）。 The author decided to focus on the female ghetto fighters from the you History is more than a collection of names and dates。The best history books connect the reader to the past in a meaningful way。 My favorite history books focus on a person or a few people。 （First and/or third person perspectives）。 Narratives offer the human element of the past。 Their feelings。 Their inner thoughts。 This book successfully integrated historical facts with third person narratives （the transitions were seamless）。 The author decided to focus on the female ghetto fighters from the youth groups in Poland。 WOW！ These women were fearless and selfless。 Some parts are repetitive。 I might have focused on just a few girls/women， because It is easier to follow fewer narratives。 。。。more
Theodore
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Would highly recommend "Light of Days"。 This book is engaging both for Jews and non-Jews， women and men。 It champions a complex story that even those raised on the history of the Holocaust may not know。 While non-fiction， it is written in a style that evokes a detective story， where we find ourselves turning the pages to discover what will become of the heroic figures。 It is literally a tale of life and death， where memory is compelled to account for the actions of persons who have passed many y Would highly recommend "Light of Days"。 This book is engaging both for Jews and non-Jews， women and men。 It champions a complex story that even those raised on the history of the Holocaust may not know。 While non-fiction， it is written in a style that evokes a detective story， where we find ourselves turning the pages to discover what will become of the heroic figures。 It is literally a tale of life and death， where memory is compelled to account for the actions of persons who have passed many years ago， but whose actions touch us today as if the characters in this drama were still with us。 Even if you have never wondered why so many of the Jews of Europe met their terrible end seemingly without resistance， this personal history will make you think again and again about the circumstances of those years and reflect on the strength and courage of those individuals who chose to fight。 A remarkable story worth reading。 。。。more
Beth
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I am grateful to Judy Batalion for writing this history of Jewish women in Jewish resistance in Poland。 Growing up， not only were these stories missing from my heritage， but I was told， as she mentions in the book， that the Jews of Poland and Europe did little to resist。 The Warsaw Ghetto uprising and the revolt at Treblinka were presented as isolated and futile responses。 There was clearly a complex network and a serious commitment to resistance among these young heroines and the young men in t I am grateful to Judy Batalion for writing this history of Jewish women in Jewish resistance in Poland。 Growing up， not only were these stories missing from my heritage， but I was told， as she mentions in the book， that the Jews of Poland and Europe did little to resist。 The Warsaw Ghetto uprising and the revolt at Treblinka were presented as isolated and futile responses。 There was clearly a complex network and a serious commitment to resistance among these young heroines and the young men in their organizations。 I appreciate that she is saying their names and bringing to the light of day these heroic women。 。。。more
wendy
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overwhelming。 an outstanding tribute to these fine young women。
Shahin Keusch
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It was hard to put this book down。 How these women resisted against the Nazis was impressive。 Though I may need to read this one again。 While I remember the acts of resistance， I did tend to forget who did what。 Most of the women in this book kinda blur into just 2 or 3。 The story focuses on numerous Jewish women in Poland describing their acts of resistance against the Nazis。 These acts of resistance ranged from organizing schools for the kids， organizing meals in the ghettos， to acts of sabot It was hard to put this book down。 How these women resisted against the Nazis was impressive。 Though I may need to read this one again。 While I remember the acts of resistance， I did tend to forget who did what。 Most of the women in this book kinda blur into just 2 or 3。 The story focuses on numerous Jewish women in Poland describing their acts of resistance against the Nazis。 These acts of resistance ranged from organizing schools for the kids， organizing meals in the ghettos， to acts of sabotage and actual warfare。 And no matter how bad things seemed they never gave up and kept up hope。 And for those who survived， it was interesting and sad to read how those survivors lived after the war。This book is a must read。 Or I've read that the audiobook is also really good。 And the fact that Stephen Spielberg is planning on making a movie out of this story is also very exciting。 。。。more
Richard Reyes
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The author is so talented， I suggest you join NovelStar’s writing competition this April。 If you are interested kindly check this link https://www。facebook。com/104455574751。。。 for the mechanics of the writing contest this April and also， I am sharing your book in Facebook to help reach readers。 Thank you The author is so talented， I suggest you join NovelStar’s writing competition this April。 If you are interested kindly check this link https://www。facebook。com/104455574751。。。 for the mechanics of the writing contest this April and also， I am sharing your book in Facebook to help reach readers。 Thank you 。。。more
Dan Trefethen
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This is another book that showcases the vital role of women in key situations， where history often denigrates or dismisses their participation。The Jewish women who served the resistance against the Nazis in Poland in World War II did everything they could to help their people survive- they obtained documents， food， ran messages between groups， and yes， even fought during the ghetto uprisings。This book makes clear how young Jewish women were ideally positioned to 'pass' as Polish Christians， havi This is another book that showcases the vital role of women in key situations， where history often denigrates or dismisses their participation。The Jewish women who served the resistance against the Nazis in Poland in World War II did everything they could to help their people survive- they obtained documents， food， ran messages between groups， and yes， even fought during the ghetto uprisings。This book makes clear how young Jewish women were ideally positioned to 'pass' as Polish Christians， having attended Polish public schools while their brothers usually attended Jewish schools。 Those women with more Aryan features did an incredible job of masquerading， flirting when necessary and bribing as well。 The story is somewhat fragmented in that it relies on the published memoirs of the few Jewish women who survived。 So many of them died， and we will never know their full stories。 Still， despite the unknowns， this book tells a compelling tale of fortitude and resilience in the face of horror。 The later sections that describe the interrogations of some of the women are almost too hard to read。Steven Spielberg has optioned the book for a movie， and a script is currently in work。 It will be a few years， but hopefully we will see this important and relatively unknown story brought to a wider public notice。 If it happens， I predict it will have a similar impact to Spielberg's "Schindler's List"。 。。。more
Lori Erickson
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I wasn’t able to finish the book。 The story needed to be told of these very brave women。 But the murder and torture was just too much to continue。 I have read many books about WWII。 And this book had a story to tell。 Again I just couldn’t do it。
Joe Davoust
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This is a bleak book with an endless stream of heartbreaking stories presented in a rapid fire mix of terror and heroics。 As a mandatory book club read， I quickly realized once begun， that I didn't want to read this。 Within the first half hour of reading， I was so depressed as the horror of the Nazi treatment of Poland's Jewish population began weighing on me。 I then decided that I just wanted to finish it and limit the feeling of dread to as short a time as possible， so I raced through it。 I su This is a bleak book with an endless stream of heartbreaking stories presented in a rapid fire mix of terror and heroics。 As a mandatory book club read， I quickly realized once begun， that I didn't want to read this。 Within the first half hour of reading， I was so depressed as the horror of the Nazi treatment of Poland's Jewish population began weighing on me。 I then decided that I just wanted to finish it and limit the feeling of dread to as short a time as possible， so I raced through it。 I suppose any true life account of this subject would be the same so it is not the fault of the author， and I suppose others may be more receptive to learning more about the subject。 With that in mind， I acknowledge the high value of the work and the necessity of telling the stories of both the atrocities and the heroism of those who fought against them。 In addition to not liking the subject matter， I also did not enjoy the style in which it was presented。 The narrative seems to jump from character to character， time to time， and place to place almost randomly。 Names come fast and furious and just when we get used to learning the story of one of our heroines， we've moved onto the next without finishing。 And when we do come back to the story of the first heroine， so much has happened with other people in other places， that we have to work to remember what happened so far。 There is a reference map and a list of characters at the beginning， that makes me feel the editors also thought it would be difficult for the reader to keep names and places straight。The value of this work is immeasurable。 These stories need to be told。 But not everyone should read these stories， at least not in this format。 。。。more
Amy Miller
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I am obsessed with books about true historic strong women。 This one is full of so many strong women。 & yet another voice from WW2。
Alexandria Fanjoy
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Quite simply one of the top 5 non-fiction books of my life。 The Holocaust often seems like one of those subjects that's been so over-done and there's such market saturation that what's the point？ But this: this book is the point。 Quite simply one of the top 5 non-fiction books of my life。 The Holocaust often seems like one of those subjects that's been so over-done and there's such market saturation that what's the point？ But this: this book is the point。 。。。more
一夜情賴846912 台北叫小姐 賴:846912
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麥娜姬外送台北淡水3p+LINE：846912 Telegram: abab159 優惠援交玩法無套正妹/台北南港 住家外約鐘點情人/林口薇閣一夜情侶絕色正妹/台北汐止慾望https://846912。blogspot。com/麥娜姬外送台北淡水3p+LINE：846912 Telegram: abab159 優惠援交玩法無套正妹/台北南港 住家外約鐘點情人/林口薇閣一夜情侶絕色正妹/台北汐止慾望https://846912。blogspot。com/ 麥娜姬外送台北淡水3p+LINE：846912 Telegram: abab159 優惠援交玩法無套正妹/台北南港 住家外約鐘點情人/林口薇閣一夜情侶絕色正妹/台北汐止慾望https://846912。blogspot。com/麥娜姬外送台北淡水3p+LINE：846912 Telegram: abab159 優惠援交玩法無套正妹/台北南港 住家外約鐘點情人/林口薇閣一夜情侶絕色正妹/台北汐止慾望https://846912。blogspot。com/ 。。。more
Elyse Walters
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Audiobook。。。 read by Mozhan Marno / synced with the ebook （own） From 1941 on， no Jews or anyone living in Poland were allowed to leave， the ghetto。 “The Light of Days” is an unveiling of anonymous Jewish women who displayed acts of astonishing bravery。 We meet Renia Kukielka， not yet 20 years of age at the start — “neither an idealist or a revolutionary but a savvy middle-class girl who happened to find herself in a sudden and unrelenting nightmare。 She rose to the occasion， fueled by an inner s Audiobook。。。 read by Mozhan Marno / synced with the ebook （own） From 1941 on， no Jews or anyone living in Poland were allowed to leave， the ghetto。 “The Light of Days” is an unveiling of anonymous Jewish women who displayed acts of astonishing bravery。 We meet Renia Kukielka， not yet 20 years of age at the start — “neither an idealist or a revolutionary but a savvy middle-class girl who happened to find herself in a sudden and unrelenting nightmare。 She rose to the occasion， fueled by an inner sense of justice and by anger”。 Renia and other Polish Jewish women （ her sister Sarah， too）， joined foreign resistance units。 Some of these women went underground and established rescue networks to help fellow Jews hide or escape。 They resisted morally， spiritually， and culturally by concealing their identities distributing Jewish books， setting up soup kitchens for orphans。Author， Judy Batalion （love the *lion* in her name）， did phenomenal research。 Reading her notes are of great interest。 This book is filled with stories about dozens of unknown young Jews who fought in the resistance against the Nazis， mainly from the inside of the Polish ghettos。 The “ghetto girls” paid off Gestapo guards。。。。“hid revolvers in loaves of bread， and helped build systems of underground bunkers。 They flirted with Nazis， bought them off with wine， whiskey， and pastry， and， with stealth， shot and killed them。 They carried out espionage missions for Moscow， distributed fake IDs and underground flyers， and were bearers of the truth about what was happening to Jews。 They helped the sick and taught the children; they bombed German train lines and blew up Vilna’s Electric supply。 They dressed up as non-Jews， worked as maids on the Aryan Side of town， and helped Jews escape the ghettos through canals and chimneys， by digging holes in walls and crawling across rooftops。 They bribed executioners， wrote underground radio bulletins， upheld group morale， negotiated with Polish landowners， tricked the Gestapo into carrying their luggage filled with weapons， initiated a group of anti-Nazi Nazis， and， of course， Took care of most of the underground administration”。 The imprisonment，mass shootings， forced labor， starvation， and sterilization。。。。 set up in the ghetto in the second half of 1941， was liquidated in 1943。 Those who survived， were deported to the Belzec extermination camps and the Janowska concentration camps。 Judy Batalion， herself， comes from a family of Polish Jewish Holocaust survivors。Her Montreal Jewish community was composed a largely of Holocaust survivor families—both Judy’s family and neighbors—who were each lived with painful and suffering family stories。 In some ways reading this book felt like a thriller。 Maybe that’s why Steven Spielberg knew this was not only important story。。。。but would draw flocks of people to see this book adapted for the screen。 This is non-fiction’ book that reads like a thriller。。。。stories we wish ‘were’ fiction。 The woman we learn about acted with so much ferocity， fortitude， and evenviolence when necessary。 Several of them had a chance to escape yet did not， some even chose to return and battle。 Their rebellious acts spanned the gamut— from simple acts to more -cautious- elaborate complex planning。 Journeys with fake documents。。。 escaping。。。 facing danger every step of the way。 For some Jewish women， the goal was to rescue Jews; for others， to die and leave a legacy of dignity。 I tried to imagine what I would’ve done in some of these ladies situation。 Would I have stayed to fight？ Or would I have escaped if I had a chance？ There were cases where children were being taken to the extermination camps， and their mothers—who didn’t want them to be alone— went along with them， killing themselves as well。I can’t think of anything much more sad than that。 And I wouldn’t fault a mother for whatever choice she made。 Writing， proved， like we’ve learned through history in war before， was a savior。 These women wrote， documented， wrote and wrote and wrote， hoping that， maybe， one day their notes would be read。 They made four copies， and hide them， under floorboards。 The stories in here are so phenomenal。 I don’t care how many Holocaust books you’ve read， this isn’t those。 I have a friend， Lani， who is reading this book， along side with me —🙂— This is a type of book one reads， and you’re happy to have somebody to discuss it with afterwards。 Not an easy book to read as anyone can understand， but the women’s courageous resilience was mind-blowing extraordinary。 By the end I came to think of these Jewish women as professional spies and front line comrades。 There was devastating horror 。。。 as anyone of us can imagine。。。。 but while fighting， planning， and working with purpose （while physically weak）， they also told jokes， celebrated Shabbat when they could， chanted songs， found ways to keep each other’s spirits up。 The ending & photos included are really moving。 It worked well for me too sync ‘read & listen’。 Both formats were gripping， and outstanding。Both formats were relatively easy to easy to follow。It never felt like a textbook in other words。 Personally - I recommend it。。。。Yeah even during a pandemic。 I’m not sure when the movie is coming out but I can already imagine it。 。。。more
Susan Sanders
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DNF after 20%This was so dense。 I really wanted to love these women but I could not get into a narrative then it would change。 Language barrier probably did not help。 I would have liked this more as narrative non fiction - dialogue added or helped tell more of a story than recitation of facts。
Elizabeth
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Can't wait to read this goodreads giveaway book！ Will update when received/read！ Can't wait to read this goodreads giveaway book！ Will update when received/read！ 。。。more
Lili
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I have a lot of thoughts and my first one is that I HATE the way this book was written， but I don’t want to dissuade other people from reading it because they definitely should。 The author told the stories of different Jewish women who were in Polish ghettos and worked as resistance fighters。 There were a few main characters that were followed throughout the story but many side stories about other women were placed randomly in the middle of chapters that completely interrupted the flow of the st I have a lot of thoughts and my first one is that I HATE the way this book was written， but I don’t want to dissuade other people from reading it because they definitely should。 The author told the stories of different Jewish women who were in Polish ghettos and worked as resistance fighters。 There were a few main characters that were followed throughout the story but many side stories about other women were placed randomly in the middle of chapters that completely interrupted the flow of the story and my train of thought。 There were A LOT of names to remember and it was especially confusing because they were going between different locations so often。 There were also a few very repetitive parts and the book could have been shorter。 I think it would have been way more effective if the author either focused on the same two or three girls or dedicated a chapter to the story of a different woman。 There were a few instances when the author would include a really interesting story and then abruptly moved on and I would be like wait that’s it？！ There were also a few pages towards the middle of the book that explained what a courier was in more detail and why women made such good couriers and it would have been helpful for the author to include this information at the beginning of the book considering courier girls and other resistance fighters are literally the entire premise of the book。 As inspiring as some of the included stories are， obviously Holocaust books are not meant to be entertaining but there is something to be said for engaging your readers and writing in an easy to follow way。 I was and still am extremely frustrated with the structure of the book but the content was the most important part。 Next， there were several extremely horrific and disturbing details that made me have to put down the book for a while to calm down。 As upsetting as it is， I think it is very very important for people to be reminded of how bad the Holocaust was because we often forget and take our own safety and comfort for granted。 I did learn a lot from this book and despite having a Jewish education， and learning a considerable amount about the Holocaust， I had never learnt about the events talked about in this book （like the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising） and it baffles me that we don’t talk about Jewish women resistance fighters more often。 There were stories about teenagers and early women in their twenties waking in to Gestapo houses/ offices and shooting officers in the face and then walking back out again， women making homemade bombs and blowing up Nazis， saving other Jews， and enduring the worst suffering imaginable， etc AND NOBODY TALKS ABOUT IT。 The author also gave explanations at the end of the book about why so many women’s stories were forgotten about。 Even though I despise the way this book was written I still 100% recommend that everyone should read it but you need to have patience。 Maybe the April break would be a good time to read it。 Especially now that antisemitism is on the rise and more and more people have never heard about the Holocaust， education is THE MOST IMPORTANT THING and telling these kinds of stories is crucial so we never forget。 。。。more
Zibby Owens
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The author started with a very personal introduction about her family history and the trauma that has been passed down through generations in her own family。 The first chapter and the very last chapter were told from the author's perspective。 Then at the end， she talks about her travels and research that showcases incredible Jewish history and what incredible women did， and what they went through。She wrote， "I come from a family of Polish Jewish Holocaust survivors。 My Bubbe Zelda， namesake to m The author started with a very personal introduction about her family history and the trauma that has been passed down through generations in her own family。 The first chapter and the very last chapter were told from the author's perspective。 Then at the end， she talks about her travels and research that showcases incredible Jewish history and what incredible women did， and what they went through。She wrote， "I come from a family of Polish Jewish Holocaust survivors。 My Bubbe Zelda， namesake to my eldest daughter， did not fight in the resistance， but her successful but tragic escape story shaped my understanding of survival。 She who did not look Jewish with her high cheekbones and pinched nose fled occupied Warsaw， swam across rivers， hid in a convent， flirted with a Nazi who turned a blind eye and was transported in a truck carrying oranges eastward， finally stealing across the Russian border where her life was saved， ironically by being forced into Siberian work camps。 My bubbe was strong as an ox， but she lost her parents and three of her four sisters， all of whom had remained in Warsaw。 She’d relay this dreadful story to me every single afternoon as she babysat me after school， tears and fury in her eyes。" To listen to my interview with the author， go to my podcast at:https://zibbyowens。com/transcript/jud。。。 。。。more
Thelma
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The more that I read of WW2 the more I can't understand the level of madness and craziness of these people？？？？？The Light of Days is the true story of the Jewish women in Poland who were a HUGE key in WW2 but as always being a woman our stories always get forgotten or they really don't matter to the world。。 this is exactly the case of all these magnificent women who fought so hard to help and did many courageous things to help but they were never recognized or even known about。 Friendship， loyalt The more that I read of WW2 the more I can't understand the level of madness and craziness of these people？？？？？The Light of Days is the true story of the Jewish women in Poland who were a HUGE key in WW2 but as always being a woman our stories always get forgotten or they really don't matter to the world。。 this is exactly the case of all these magnificent women who fought so hard to help and did many courageous things to help but they were never recognized or even known about。 Friendship， loyalty， and faith even strength is what permeates the whole book。they lived so many terrible things， some of them were only teenagers and had to grow in a matter of hours， they saw many cruel things， evil things that will stay forever with them， hunting them like a horror movie on repeat。。The Jewish Women In Poland， their stories were shadowed by many political agendas， they were hidden or erase， Judy really did an amazing job not only bringing the stories to life but recognizing the true value of these magnificent women， women that should be recognized in museums and history books but with time man has erased or even not talked about。I cried so much with every story， I really didn't know many of the things in The Light of the Days， I heard so many atrocities but the ones in these stories are just too much， I still in shock with the evilness， how they really didn't have a piece of heart in them， what they did to the babies， that was too much way too much， I literally spend the whole book crying and screaming and swearing to every Nazi， I still can't believe some of them still alive how could they live with themselves？I'm so glad Karma is so real I bet these guys will have to reincarnate like 1000000 times and not even with that many lifetimes they will pay for what they did。This is a great book， if you're looking to get inspired by true courageous women， women who will give everything to survive and help their families and loves ones even friends to survive this is a great book。I was going to write a very different review as I was so angry reading the madness of those people but I'm glad I waited as I wanted to focus all my love on these women rather than expressing my anger and hate toward the evilness。to the author Judy Batalion， thank you for writing this book， for letting us know the stories of these wonderful women who deserve so much more， thank you for giving them a voice。 。。。more
Beth Wienck
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I received this ARC from Goodreads。 It gives a very good picture of what life was like for the women resistance fighters in WW2。 The book is well researched and documented。 Although it is non-fiction， it reads like a very detailed novel。 It evoked emotions in me as do other WW2 books that deal with the cruelty of the Nazis。
Kathy
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The Light of Days is an exceptionally well-researched non-fiction book about Jewish women in Poland and their innumerable contributions to the Nazi resistance movement during WWII。 It is a heavy read in every way; there are lots of facts and details， and because of the subject matter， this book takes an emotional toll on the reader。 Neither of those comments is negative， but if you're looking for a light historical-fiction read， this isn't it！This is the first book about WWII of the many I have The Light of Days is an exceptionally well-researched non-fiction book about Jewish women in Poland and their innumerable contributions to the Nazi resistance movement during WWII。 It is a heavy read in every way; there are lots of facts and details， and because of the subject matter， this book takes an emotional toll on the reader。 Neither of those comments is negative， but if you're looking for a light historical-fiction read， this isn't it！This is the first book about WWII of the many I have read to pay homage to these strong and unbelievably brave women。 I am glad we finally get to read their stories！ They risked everything they had， putting themselves in mortal danger and fear of discovery constantly to stand up and fight the enemy。 What courage， what strength， what self-sacrifice！ It is amazing and inspirational to see the difference that can be made by "ordinary" people rising up to meet the circumstances of their times。This is a book that should to be read so that we never forget the evil that ran rampant in that era and the horrors that it created。 May it never be repeated！My sincere thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow Publishers for allowing me to read an e-copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review。 All opinions expressed are my own。 。。。more
BOOKLOVER EB
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Judy Batalion， in "The Light of Days，" pays tribute to "Jewish women of Poland who resisted the Nazi regime。" Most of their names have been forgotten。 Their views and activities may not have jibed with the political outlook of those who wrote the history books; because the combatants were young women， they may have been considered less significant than their male counterparts; and these women did not seek aggrandizement。 Instead， they let their actions speak for themselves。 When the Nazis took o Judy Batalion， in "The Light of Days，" pays tribute to "Jewish women of Poland who resisted the Nazi regime。" Most of their names have been forgotten。 Their views and activities may not have jibed with the political outlook of those who wrote the history books; because the combatants were young women， they may have been considered less significant than their male counterparts; and these women did not seek aggrandizement。 Instead， they let their actions speak for themselves。 When the Nazis took over Poland， Renia and Sarah Kukielka， Zivia Lubetkin， Fruma and Hantze Plotnicka， and Chasia Bielicka， among others， joined various resistance organizations， served as couriers， engaged in sabotage， assumed leadership roles， and assisted starving fellow Jews。The author came upon this subject by happenstance。 In 2007， Batalion lived in London and was conscious of being treated differently because she is Jewish。 She came across "Freuen in di Ghettos，" "Women in the Ghettos，" a 186-page anthology published in New York in 1946。 It tells the true story of "dozens of 'ghetto girls' who paid off Gestapo guards， hid revolvers in loaves of bread， and help build systems of underground bunkers。" In addition， "they carried out espionage missions for Moscow， distributed fake IDs and underground flyers， and were bearers of the truth about what was happening to the Jews。" This is a long-overdue， thoroughly researched （using many primary sources）， and fascinating account of a little know aspect of Jewish resistance during the Second World War。 Some of these women could have left Europe to live in Israel。 However， they chose to remain in Poland and take part in a courageous stand against the Germans。 The story of those who sacrificed so much should be more widely known， and Batalion deserves credit for shedding light on the actions of these heroic individuals。 。。。more
Nelda Brangwin
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Judy Batalion brings detailed research to her compelling story about the “ghetto girls” who are mostly forgotten eastern European women who were part of the resistance to the Nazis。 These women were so successful that one was even hired as a secretary to the Gestapo。 They were adept at disguises and traveled from Polish towns and ghettos acting as news broadcasters to the citizens。 Instead of spreading hopelessness， the spread hope and determination。 Not only were they smuggling information the Judy Batalion brings detailed research to her compelling story about the “ghetto girls” who are mostly forgotten eastern European women who were part of the resistance to the Nazis。 These women were so successful that one was even hired as a secretary to the Gestapo。 They were adept at disguises and traveled from Polish towns and ghettos acting as news broadcasters to the citizens。 Instead of spreading hopelessness， the spread hope and determination。 Not only were they smuggling information the smuggled in food and medical supplies。 It took a lot of research reading memoirs and diaries including some hidden beneath floorboards and written on toilet paper。 。。。more
Cheryl Sokoloff
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Judy Batalion's The Light of Days delves into history of the “rise” of Jewish， female， resistance fighters in Poland。 These “girls” wore many different hats 🧢， from mail couriers to actual soldiers， fighting the Nazis （often face to face）。 If caught alive， they were literally， tortured。 During the Warsaw Ghetto uprising， the “girls” were trapped in sewers， that the Nazis then flooded with poison gas， and then， with water up to their necks。 That some of them survived， is mind boggling。 Their miss Judy Batalion's The Light of Days delves into history of the “rise” of Jewish， female， resistance fighters in Poland。 These “girls” wore many different hats 🧢， from mail couriers to actual soldiers， fighting the Nazis （often face to face）。 If caught alive， they were literally， tortured。 During the Warsaw Ghetto uprising， the “girls” were trapped in sewers， that the Nazis then flooded with poison gas， and then， with water up to their necks。 That some of them survived， is mind boggling。 Their mission， though， was not ultimately "survival"， but rather， to to die with honor， to show the world that they did not accept death without a fight。 Some of these girls kept notes， however they could， as everything happened。 Others wrote their stories after the war。 Many of these stories have been lost for a lot of different reasons that Judy explains， at the end of the book。 One of the explanations for hiding their stories is survivor’s guilt， particularly， in female survivors。 Another is the desire to protect later generations from the horror they experienced。 The book ends with what happens to the survivors after the war。 The author even interviews survivor’s children and grandchildren。 The book is being released to coincide with International Holocaust Memorial Day， this week， （April 7th）， no better time to honor these brave warriors。 I am grateful to @harperaudio and #netgalley for my complimentary copy of the audiobook， in return for my honest review （BTW， I have preordered a hard cover）。 Please read Judy Batalion's masterpiece， #thelightofdays。 You will not be sorry。 #5stars 。。。more
Carolina--Timber Oaks Little Library
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This non-fiction honors the lives of the brave Polish Jewish women who fought in the resistance against the Nazis。 It is a heart wrenching story that does not shy away from the soul crushing atrocities of the Holocaust。 Judy Batalion has carefully researched and rendered the lives of incredible women forgotten by history。I particularly appreciated the discussion of sexual violence and the complicated partner relationships women had to engage in for their safety。 It is something that is not often This non-fiction honors the lives of the brave Polish Jewish women who fought in the resistance against the Nazis。 It is a heart wrenching story that does not shy away from the soul crushing atrocities of the Holocaust。 Judy Batalion has carefully researched and rendered the lives of incredible women forgotten by history。I particularly appreciated the discussion of sexual violence and the complicated partner relationships women had to engage in for their safety。 It is something that is not often discussed in books covering the Holocaust， but a significant part of women's experiences。 Judy Batalion discusses this issue well， noting the imbalance of power in these relationships， and the impact of class， featurism， and circumstances。I have to admit I am partial to historical fiction， and I found myself craving a bit more of that style while reading this book。 I think it would have made the story more digestible。 As it is， it was a heavy and slow read due to both the content and writing style。 Still， this important title is a must read for anyone interested in WWII and the Holocaust。Mozhan Marno's audiobook narration of The Light of Days was fantastic！ Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Audio for the ARC。 。。。more
Carla Johnson-Hicks
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I'm not sure if it was just me， but I had a hard time with this book。 The author had done a lot of research on these heroic women， but there was too much in the book for me to really connect to the various stories。 I found this book to be a bit of an information dump。 I listened to the audiobook， which I think made it even harder。 I had to go back and re-listen to some parts， which meant I had a tough time getting into the rhythm of the book。 Individually， each of the character's stories was gri I'm not sure if it was just me， but I had a hard time with this book。 The author had done a lot of research on these heroic women， but there was too much in the book for me to really connect to the various stories。 I found this book to be a bit of an information dump。 I listened to the audiobook， which I think made it even harder。 I had to go back and re-listen to some parts， which meant I had a tough time getting into the rhythm of the book。 Individually， each of the character's stories was gripping and I learned a lot。 These were strong and heroic women who took many chances and put their lives on the line to help others。 It begins with the women sneaking in and out to help the Jewish residents that were forced into the ghettos。 They eventually crossed borders into Lithuania to support the Jews in ghettos there。 Eventually they ended up working with armed resistance。 They were lucky to be able to pass as non-Jewish Polish residents which enabled them more freedom， but they still risked death， torture， and imprisonment if caught。 These women have been forgotten in a lot of the history of WWII， but it is good to see their stories being told。 The audiobook was read by Mozhan Marnò。 This is a non-fiction book， so it was narrated with a strong voice， adding interest to the information。 I received a copy of this book from the publisher upon request。 The rating and opinions shared are my own。 。。。more
Jan
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Even Stephen King cannot duplicate the horror of reality。 This is a book filled with horror and hope， not to mention man's inhumanity toward other humans。 Each woman portrayed is real and the research was as intricate as any forensic study and the brief creative forays （conversations and such） make it somewhat less nauseating。 In an afterward， the author explains that she took 12 years to write the book， most of it spent researching diaries， memoirs， testimonies， books， and writings in a variety Even Stephen King cannot duplicate the horror of reality。 This is a book filled with horror and hope， not to mention man's inhumanity toward other humans。 Each woman portrayed is real and the research was as intricate as any forensic study and the brief creative forays （conversations and such） make it somewhat less nauseating。 In an afterward， the author explains that she took 12 years to write the book， most of it spent researching diaries， memoirs， testimonies， books， and writings in a variety of languages， including English， Yiddish， German， Hebrew， Polish and Russian。 She also traveled around the world to meet the descendants of the featured women， sifted through photographs and letters， and learned how the ladies lived during the post-war phase of their lives。 Many of the women suffered from survivor's guilt and/or mental illness， and some committed suicide。I don't know how Mozhan Marno was able to narrate this so well。 She is truly a voice actor。I requested and received a free temporary audio copy from Harper Audio via NetGalley。 Thank you！ 。。。more
Nicole
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The Light of Days astonishes with it stories of bravery。 Batalion is that rare combination of meticulous researcher and brilliant wordsmith。
Linden
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This book spotlights the Jewish women who fought the Nazis， who have received much less recognition than their male counterparts。 The most "Aryan looking" were selected as couriers， but others were also involved with undercover work， explosives and guns。 Thoroughly researched， the book is understandably hard to read at times， with details of assault， gang rape， and grisly descriptions of torture and death。 Thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for the ARC。 This book spotlights the Jewish women who fought the Nazis， who have received much less recognition than their male counterparts。 The most "Aryan looking" were selected as couriers， but others were also involved with undercover work， explosives and guns。 Thoroughly researched， the book is understandably hard to read at times， with details of assault， gang rape， and grisly descriptions of torture and death。 Thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for the ARC。 。。。more
Lyndsay
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A well-research， vivid retelling of the lives of such brave Jewish women in Poland during World War II。 Per the epilogue， the writing of this book took 12 years and you can see why。 The obstinance， bravery， and sheer will of each young woman radiated from the pages。 The author did an amazing job of sharing each young woman's journey， values， and risk taking。 This story is nothing short of amazing。 And to hear it has been optioned by Steven Spielberg is not surprising。 This is a story that needs A well-research， vivid retelling of the lives of such brave Jewish women in Poland during World War II。 Per the epilogue， the writing of this book took 12 years and you can see why。 The obstinance， bravery， and sheer will of each young woman radiated from the pages。 The author did an amazing job of sharing each young woman's journey， values， and risk taking。 This story is nothing short of amazing。 And to hear it has been optioned by Steven Spielberg is not surprising。 This is a story that needs to be shared and read by all。 Thoroughly enjoyed this。Sincere thanks to NetGalley and Harper Audio for an advanced audiobook copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
bet mercer
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