The Light of Days: The Untold Story of Women Resistance Fighters in Hitler's Ghettos
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- Create Date：2021-04-26 18:34:12
- Update Date：2025-09-07
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- Author：Judy Batalion
- ISBN：B07ZPGV1CG
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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， featuring twenty black-and-white photographs， 'THE LIGHT OF DAYS' is an unforgettable true tale of war， the fight for freedom， exceptional bravery， female friendship[JB5]， and survival in the face of staggering odds。
RUNNING TIME ➜ 16hrs。 and 15mins。
©2020 Judy Batalion （P）2020 HarperAudio
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， featuring twenty black-and-white photographs， 'THE LIGHT OF DAYS' is an unforgettable true tale of war， the fight for freedom， exceptional bravery， female friendship[JB5]， and survival in the face of staggering odds。
RUNNING TIME ➜ 16hrs。 and 15mins。
©2020 Judy Batalion （P）2020 HarperAudio
Reviews
Amanda
，
I received a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway。 I was hesitant to rate this book poorly， since the subject matter is so important and it was clear how much work went into the writing of it。 It isn't that the book was bad; the problem was that it felt like reading a textbook， and that was not a thing I was prepared for right now。 Thus， I guess I'll just leave it at the low rating being a matter of personal taste rather than the quality of the book itself。 If you're interested in WWII hist I received a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway。 I was hesitant to rate this book poorly， since the subject matter is so important and it was clear how much work went into the writing of it。 It isn't that the book was bad; the problem was that it felt like reading a textbook， and that was not a thing I was prepared for right now。 Thus， I guess I'll just leave it at the low rating being a matter of personal taste rather than the quality of the book itself。 If you're interested in WWII history and don't mind a dry read， this is worth picking up。 。。。more
Alannah Balfour
，
This book is incredible and so immersive。 It is a history book， but the active voice following the young women of the Jewish resistance was brilliant。 I could hardly put it down for the past few days。 The women and their stories were treated with deserved admiration and respect， and it is meticulously researched。 I learned so much， and this book will sit with me for a long time。"Lenore Weitzman， a foundational scholar of women and the Holocaust， explains that soon after these women's works were This book is incredible and so immersive。 It is a history book， but the active voice following the young women of the Jewish resistance was brilliant。 I could hardly put it down for the past few days。 The women and their stories were treated with deserved admiration and respect， and it is meticulously researched。 I learned so much， and this book will sit with me for a long time。"Lenore Weitzman， a foundational scholar of women and the Holocaust， explains that soon after these women's works were published， the major histories were written by men， who focused on men， not on courier girl who themselves downplayed their own activity。 She suggests that only physical combat-- which was public and organized-- was held in esteem， while other undercover tasks were considered trivial。 （Even so， many Jewish women did fight in the uprisings and engages in armed combat， and should not be dropped from that tale either。） Even when women tried to tell their stories， they were often deliberately silenced。 Some women's writings were censored to fit political motivations， some women faced blatant indifference， and others were treated with disbelief， accused of making it all up。 After liberation， an American army reporter warned Bielski partisans Fruma and Motke Berger not to repeat their story， because people would think they were liars， or insane。 Many women faced scorn-- accused by relatives of having fled to fight instead of staying to look after their parents; others were charged with 'sleeping their way to safety。' Women felt judged according to a lingering belief that while the pure souls perished， the conniving ones survived。 So often， when their vulnerable outpouring turned inward and repressed their experiences， pushing them deep under the surface。 Then there was coping。 Women self-silenced。 Many felt like it was their 'sacred duty' of 'cosmic significance' to grow a new generation of Jews， and kept their pasts to themselves out of a desperate desire to create a 'normal' life for their children-- and for themselves。 Many of these women were in their midtwenties when the war ended; they had everything ahead of them and had to find ways to move forward。" 。。。more
Champion Aayana
，
I liked the book。 Good， Fab，。。。。 I gave only 4 stars because I like science and friction based books but still this one was the best from my mind of category。 😊👍
Nancy
，
A difficult but important book to read in understanding the role of Jewish women in the Holocaust， as leaders， resisters and real heroes。 The book can be confusing， a lot of characters and locations， and the author moves from person to person which is often hard to follow。 I found it best to just not worry about each detail but to take in the essence of the story， the strength of these women to protect family， friends， culture and faith。 It's an important book to read as we struggle with so much A difficult but important book to read in understanding the role of Jewish women in the Holocaust， as leaders， resisters and real heroes。 The book can be confusing， a lot of characters and locations， and the author moves from person to person which is often hard to follow。 I found it best to just not worry about each detail but to take in the essence of the story， the strength of these women to protect family， friends， culture and faith。 It's an important book to read as we struggle with so much anger and hate in our own society。 To see what comes of hate is a warning sign， in all our our differences we are all one society and one world， wanting the best for who we love。 。。。more
Jody
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It is very obvious that a lot of research went into this book。 It reads like a history book and I only skimmed through it because I am seeing the author on a Zoom meeting next week。 Many Many better Holocaust books out their！
Laura L
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I'm not going to sugar coat this， and no spoilers ahead， but this is a very tough read。 I have been studying the holocaust and have read many accounts， and I would say this is among the most intense I've read。The intensity is in service to the heroic， unappreciated， and discounted life-risking work these women did to maintain their dignity and uphold their communities。Judy Batalion has created a book that will be read for years， and is among the finest of the form。 I'm not going to sugar coat this， and no spoilers ahead， but this is a very tough read。 I have been studying the holocaust and have read many accounts， and I would say this is among the most intense I've read。The intensity is in service to the heroic， unappreciated， and discounted life-risking work these women did to maintain their dignity and uphold their communities。Judy Batalion has created a book that will be read for years， and is among the finest of the form。 。。。more
Jennifer ~ TarHeelReader
，
Quick thoughts:A Steven Spielberg movie？ One of the most important stories of WWII？ The strength of brave Jewish women who became resistance fighters？ Why have we not heard their stories before？ This book gave me chills and inspired me in the best of ways。 It's a story of female friendship and bravery against all odds。 I’m grateful Judy Batalion is shining a well-deserved spotlight on these remarkable women。 I promise you， you will never， ever forget this true tale。I received a gifted copy。Many Quick thoughts:A Steven Spielberg movie？ One of the most important stories of WWII？ The strength of brave Jewish women who became resistance fighters？ Why have we not heard their stories before？ This book gave me chills and inspired me in the best of ways。 It's a story of female friendship and bravery against all odds。 I’m grateful Judy Batalion is shining a well-deserved spotlight on these remarkable women。 I promise you， you will never， ever forget this true tale。I received a gifted copy。Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www。jennifertarheelreader。com and instagram: www。instagram。com/tarheelreader 。。。more
Barb
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This book has quite interesting stories of the bravery displayed by the women， but is presented in a very disorganized way that makes it hard to follow。
Debbi
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The Light of Days is part inspirational， 100 percent educational， part depressing， and overall mind boggling。 The story of the Jewish resistance within Poland， and the courageous efforts a small number of Jews， many of them women， to not go down without a fight is the inspirational part。 The Light of Days focuses on the role of women in the resistance， and the many roles they played: courier， spy， bomber， organizer， rescuer and so much more。 These women went largely unsung， unheard of， and The L The Light of Days is part inspirational， 100 percent educational， part depressing， and overall mind boggling。 The story of the Jewish resistance within Poland， and the courageous efforts a small number of Jews， many of them women， to not go down without a fight is the inspirational part。 The Light of Days focuses on the role of women in the resistance， and the many roles they played: courier， spy， bomber， organizer， rescuer and so much more。 These women went largely unsung， unheard of， and The Light of Day is the first attempt （that I know of） to address that error。 It is not easy reading， and there aren't lots of happy endings， but it is absolutely a "must read"。 Beautifully written， well researched， theirs is a story you'll want to know。 。。。more
Steven Z。
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The role of women during the Holocaust be it their experiences in the death camps， participants in the resistance， and the effect of Nazi atrocities on the families of victims has not received the attention it should。 Five years ago， Sarah Helms’ Ravensbruck: Life and Death in Hitler's Concentration Camp for Women was published and provided numerous insights into what women experienced in the camps， but their role in the resistance has not received the serious treatment that needed to be afforde The role of women during the Holocaust be it their experiences in the death camps， participants in the resistance， and the effect of Nazi atrocities on the families of victims has not received the attention it should。 Five years ago， Sarah Helms’ Ravensbruck: Life and Death in Hitler's Concentration Camp for Women was published and provided numerous insights into what women experienced in the camps， but their role in the resistance has not received the serious treatment that needed to be afforded until now with the publication of Judy Batalion’s THE LIGHT OF DAYS: THE UNTOLD STORY OF WOMEN RESISTANCE FIGHTERS IN HITLER’S GHETTOS。 In her remarkable book Batalion has created a narrative that follows the exploits of a number of women who fought back against the Nazi genocide。 Batalion focuses on Renia Kuklieka， who was a courier for the Zionist youth organization; “Freedom，” Zivia Lubetkin， a “Freedom” leader in the Jewish Fighting Organization （ZOB） and the Warsaw Ghetto uprising; Frumka Plotnicka， a “Freedom” comrade who led the fighting organization in Bedzin， Poland; and Vladka Meed， who rescued countless people from the Warsaw Ghetto and other acts of bravery and genius。 There are numerous other courageous women that Batalion brings to the reader’s attention and they all exhibit an unimaginable degree of courage， tenacity， and empathy as they confronted their situation on a daily basis。Batalion tells her story through the eyes of numerous women through their personal experiences， first trying to maintain a degree of normalcy once the Nazis invaded Poland on September 1， 1939。 They would continue their work with Zionist Youth organizations working to gain passage to Palestine， trying and manipulate the Judenrat， and training their members for what appeared to be a dismal and dangerous future。 Batalion examines the lives and personalities of these women and explores their character as they evolved into strategists， leaders， and carrying out dangerous missions。 Their bravery was unquestioned， and their work was rewarding in that they chose to return to Poland rather than emigrate to Palestine in order to contribute as much as possible to derail the Nazi machine。The origin of the book stems from Batalion’s research into the life of Hannah Senesh， one of the few female resisters in World War II not lost to history。 While examining material in London’s British Library she came across a book written in Yiddish， FREUEN IN DI GHETTOS （WOMEN IIN THE GHETTOS） published in New York in 1946。 Up until that time Batalion and numerous others were unaware how many women were involved in the resistance effort， nor to what degree。 The stories recounted in the book speaks of women who engaged in violence， smuggling， gathering intelligence， committing sabotage， and engaging in combat。 This exposure to the heroism of these women led Batalion to pursue her narrative that resulted in LIGHT OF DAYS。The core of female exploits originated from “female ghetto fighters”: underground operatives who emerged from Jewish youth group movements and worked in the ghettos。 These young women were combatants， editors of underground bulletins， and social activists。 The role that stands out is the contribution women made as “couriers，” disguised as non-Jews who traveled between locked ghettos and towns all across Poland smuggling people， cash， documents， information， and weapons， many of which they obtained themselves。 In addition， women fled into the forests and enlisted in partisan units， carrying out sabotage and intelligence missions。Batalion has the uncanny ability to tell the personal stories of her protagonists uncovering their emotions， strengths， and private thoughts。 She presents the horrors of ghetto and camp life that the Nazis perpetrated very clearly。 She traces European anti-Semitism dating to the 19th century that culminated in Nazi atrocities。 German malice and sadism are on full display as they carried out Hitler’s Final Solution which made Renia and her compatriots sick and haunted from what they witnessed。 For Jews anything they did or said at any moment could result in execution of themselves and their families。 Jews faced a dilemma even if they escaped the ghetto as their families would be eliminated in retaliation。 The options women faced were limited; stay and try to protect the community， run， fight， or flight。Batalion accurately and poignantly describes life in the Warsaw， Bedzin， and Vilna Ghettos。 She examines people’s fears and coping strategies that were developed in order to survive from soup kitchens， autobiographical writings and meetings to share experiences， including medical care and cultural activities。 Batalion presents a vivid portrait of the role women played in the preparation for the Warsaw Ghetto uprising。 She delves into the acquisition of weapons， explosives， and other necessities including the training that women had undergone。 The end result was a disaster from a military point of view， but it provided Jews with self-respect as they achieved revenge against the Germans as they killed over 300 Nazi soldiers suffering over 13，000 deaths of their own。 Renia and others escaped to continue their goal of revenge against the Germans。The resistance organizations that women were a part of were not uniform in their beliefs and strategies。 Batalion explains their differences from the left wing Zionist groups to the more religious Akiva organization。 The key for these groups was that they were led by individuals mostly in their late teens and late twenties who were committed to seeking vengeance against the Nazis。 Batalion’s presentation allows the reader to get to know Renia who by 1944 was only 19 years old and her compatriots on a personal level in addition to their exploits on the battlefield。Perhaps Batalion’s most powerful chapter， “The Courier Girls” offers a description that humanizes the women in a world of atrocities and genocide。 Her details of their preparation and missions are eye opening and for them life affirming。 Another important chapter， “Freedom in the Forests – Partisans” is well thought out as life in the forest was extremely difficult but the partisans accomplished a great deal。 They set up a village of underground huts which included printing and weapons capabilities， medical attention， a communication network， the accumulation of clothing and food， in addition to the work of the couriers。At times reading Batalion’s account is literary torture as she describes the use of sex as a means of exchange for survival， torture， rape and other perversions fostered by the Nazis。 This material is difficult to digest unless you realize the perpetrators were a version of animals。 How Renia and others did not lose their minds is beyond my comprehension。Batalion’s narrative is somewhat bifurcated as she relates the actions of couriers， events in the ghettos， partisans in the forest， and preparation by all groups in seeking revolt and revenge against the Nazis。 On the other hand， her story is one of endurance and survival as she probes the daily travails women faced under the most ominous conditions including imprisonment， torture， and the constant fear of death。 A case in point is Renia’s capture resulting in constant torture and deportation to Auschwitz。 Her story is one of amazement as she would survive the camp by escaping， traveling across Slovakia， Hungary and Turkey and eventually arriving in Haifa， Palestine on March 3， 1944。Batalion’s epilogue is important as she delves into why women were left out of the “history of resistance” for so long。 She focuses on the politics of the newly created state of Israel， how their role was viewed by American historians， the image of women needed to fit the policy and personal goals of the survivors， and why so many women “self-silenced。” It is clear that an incalculable number of women suffered from survival guilt， nightmares， and post-traumatic stress syndrome after the war， and Battalion’s recounting of their role is important to set the historical record straight， but also to clarify the emotions the survivors felt and how the next generation views what they accomplished。 I agree with Sonia Purnell’s comments in her April 6， 2021 New York Times book review that a simpler narrative with fewer subjects might have been even more powerful。 。。。more
Jo Ellen Slurzberg
，
I am very glad I read this but agree that I wish I had known it was mostly nonfiction with some license for conversation and "story"- which made it a little difficult to switch gears as I read it。 The latter part of the book flowed better- the first part was a bit like reading a dissertation。This is historically important and necessary information and I hope what Batalion has provided us will elevate the conversation to include these righteous Jewish women did to save their own as they have gott I am very glad I read this but agree that I wish I had known it was mostly nonfiction with some license for conversation and "story"- which made it a little difficult to switch gears as I read it。 The latter part of the book flowed better- the first part was a bit like reading a dissertation。This is historically important and necessary information and I hope what Batalion has provided us will elevate the conversation to include these righteous Jewish women did to save their own as they have gotten little to no attention in the past。 In this respect， this is an amazing piece of work。 I would imagine it will serve as the basis of historical fiction which may make it more accessible for a lot of readers。 。。。more
Connie
，
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
，
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
，
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
，
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
，
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
，
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
，
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
，
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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