One Hundred Saturdays: Stella Levi and the Search for a Lost World
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- Create Date：2022-09-11 17:21:47
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Michael Frank
- ISBN：B09RX3S3MD
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Reviews
Catherine
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What a marvelous account of a life。 The Malian writer Amadou Hampate Ba said "whenever an old man dies， it is as though a library were burning down。" Of course， the same is true for old women， and through his conversations with Stella Levi， Michael Frank has saved a library from burning。 Thank you。 What a marvelous account of a life。 The Malian writer Amadou Hampate Ba said "whenever an old man dies， it is as though a library were burning down。" Of course， the same is true for old women， and through his conversations with Stella Levi， Michael Frank has saved a library from burning。 Thank you。 。。。more
Miriam
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For History lovers“One Hundred Saturdays” by Michael Frank takes readers into the world of Jews in Rhodes before WWII。 Stella Levi， one of the few survivors of the 1650 members of the Rhodes Jewish community in 1943。 She is a survivor of the Nazi roundup and deportation to concentration camps。 Stella was fortunate to not only survive but live to over 90 to tell the tales of everyday life in Rhodes。 Michael Frank met with Stella Levi over 100 Saturdays over 6 years。 He recounts Stella’s words， he For History lovers“One Hundred Saturdays” by Michael Frank takes readers into the world of Jews in Rhodes before WWII。 Stella Levi， one of the few survivors of the 1650 members of the Rhodes Jewish community in 1943。 She is a survivor of the Nazi roundup and deportation to concentration camps。 Stella was fortunate to not only survive but live to over 90 to tell the tales of everyday life in Rhodes。 Michael Frank met with Stella Levi over 100 Saturdays over 6 years。 He recounts Stella’s words， her stories of a fascinating world that has vanished forever。 Maira Kalman crafted colorful illustrations to accompany Stella Levi’s stories and descriptions of life in the Jewish quarter in Rhodes。I found the description of life before WWII the most interesting。 Stella Levi talks of Jews whose families escaped Spain in 1492 and settled throughout the Mediterranean。 You’ll learn of Spanish / Ladino customs， of the languages they spoke and the customs that date back over 500 years， a truly lost world。Michael Frank presents Stella Levi’s stories in “One Hundred Saturdays” in short chapters， easily digestible and readable。 You’ll want to grab books from the selected bibliography to flesh out your knowledge of Rhodes， Spanish Jewish communities， and WWII in the eastern Mediterranean。 “One Hundred Saturdays” by Michael Frank is the perfect read during Rosh HaShanna and all year round。 Get several copies and give this slim volume to your friends。 。。。more
Drea
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Beautifully-written。 A Jewish woman’s life pre， during， and post ww2 in Auschwitz。 I learned a lot about a subject and a time I thought I had known fully about as this focuses on Italy and the brutality brought to the country as well as the brutality within the country during the war。 What a gift this survivor gives the world telling her life story and sharing her thoughts。 The illustrations are beautiful and add to the voice the author brings to the reader in his writing style。 This would be lo Beautifully-written。 A Jewish woman’s life pre， during， and post ww2 in Auschwitz。 I learned a lot about a subject and a time I thought I had known fully about as this focuses on Italy and the brutality brought to the country as well as the brutality within the country during the war。 What a gift this survivor gives the world telling her life story and sharing her thoughts。 The illustrations are beautiful and add to the voice the author brings to the reader in his writing style。 This would be lovely for a book discussion group - much to discuss even for those who think they’ve read about this horrid time in our world’s history。 Heartfelt thanks to Avid Reader Press for the advanced copy。 。。。more
Michelle Beckwith
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“Dreams 。 。 。 dreams are sometimes beyond language。 They tell you where you most deeply belong … with the people who call to you。” … Stella Levi“Memory is not history; it is one individual human being’s grasp， in an individual moment， of what she has lived， and this book is offered with this understanding and in this spirit。” … Michael FrankIt was a stunning and humbling experience to digest this book and learn of the little known history of the Rhodesian Jews during WWII， as experienced by one “Dreams 。 。 。 dreams are sometimes beyond language。 They tell you where you most deeply belong … with the people who call to you。” … Stella Levi“Memory is not history; it is one individual human being’s grasp， in an individual moment， of what she has lived， and this book is offered with this understanding and in this spirit。” … Michael FrankIt was a stunning and humbling experience to digest this book and learn of the little known history of the Rhodesian Jews during WWII， as experienced by one of the very few survivors。 Stella Levi， a whip-smart woman in her 90’s tells her story （much of it for the first time） to writer Michael Frank， over the course of six years， layering in the human element to our historical understanding of the war。 The picturesque island of Rhodes in the Aegean Sea is the setting of her childhood， where dreams were created and relationships were formed。 It is also the place from which 1650 Jewish residents were deported from by boat， and then by train， to their final destination， Auschwitz。Perhaps most compelling， is Stella’s journey after the camps were liberated， and how she tried， and often failed， to come to terms with her experience。 Guided by the patient and empathetic questions presented to her， I hope she has found some solace。 It is truly a joy to know that Stella’s story is now out in a world where it so desperately belongs。Thank you Net Galley and Avid Reader Press/Simon & Schuster Publishing for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
BOOKLOVER EB
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In the late fifteenth century， Spain expelled its Jewish citizens， some of whom settled on the island of Rhodes in the Aegean Sea。 Stella Levi， who is ninety-nine， was raised in Rhodes' Jewish quarter， known as the Juderia。 Michael Frank visited and interviewed Stella in her West Village apartment over a period of six years。 During these sessions， Ms。 Levi spoke to Frank about a variety of subjects that she had never discussed in detail before。 In Frank's "One Hundred Saturdays，" featuring evoca In the late fifteenth century， Spain expelled its Jewish citizens， some of whom settled on the island of Rhodes in the Aegean Sea。 Stella Levi， who is ninety-nine， was raised in Rhodes' Jewish quarter， known as the Juderia。 Michael Frank visited and interviewed Stella in her West Village apartment over a period of six years。 During these sessions， Ms。 Levi spoke to Frank about a variety of subjects that she had never discussed in detail before。 In Frank's "One Hundred Saturdays，" featuring evocative artwork by Maira Kalman， we learn about Stella Levi's large and close-knit family; the exotic customs of the Rhodeslis （Jewish natives of Rhodes）; what it was like to live under the yoke of the Italian fascists and later， the Nazis; the deportation， on July 23， 1944， of Stella， her family， friends， and neighbors to Auschwitz; and Ms。 Levi's experiences after liberation。 Although Frank sometimes moves from topic to topic abruptly—in a way that breaks up the narrative flow—he effectively conveys the essence of Stella's remarkable personality。 She comes across as an intelligent， candid， and deeply introspective individual。 Ms。 Levi speaks fluent Italian， French， and Spanish， and once dreamed of studying philosophy in an Italian university。 "One Hundred Saturdays" is a powerful account of terrible suffering， heartbreaking losses， and extraordinary courage。 Because of the anti-Semitic predators who humiliated， tortured， and exterminated the Rhodeslis， Stella felt that she had "lost the right to be human。" Against all odds， she survived， and we cannot help but admire her tenacity， strength of character， and resilience。 。。。more
Donna Huber
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After years and years of reading WWII fiction， I've begun to delve into WWII nonfiction。 This book is poignant。 I've only recently started reading books set in Italy during WWII so a lot of the information is still new to me。 This book isn't just about a survivor of the Holocaust。 We are taken back to her very roots and see her as the person she was before。 It definitely added a human element to all the other reading I've done on this subject。 Read my full review at Girl Who Reads。 After years and years of reading WWII fiction， I've begun to delve into WWII nonfiction。 This book is poignant。 I've only recently started reading books set in Italy during WWII so a lot of the information is still new to me。 This book isn't just about a survivor of the Holocaust。 We are taken back to her very roots and see her as the person she was before。 It definitely added a human element to all the other reading I've done on this subject。 Read my full review at Girl Who Reads。 。。。more
Rebecca
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A beautiful and compelling biography/memoir told by Michael Frank about Stella Levi。 Over 6 years he met with Stella each Saturday and listened as she told her story。 It is rich with history。 I learned so much。 I enjoyed the beginning in which she described the culture， traditions， and life in Juderia， a Jewish neighborhood in Rhodes。 When the Germans seized and then rounded up over 1700 residents of Juderia， the story takes a dark turn as she recalls the scary， heartbreaking， and unimaginable d A beautiful and compelling biography/memoir told by Michael Frank about Stella Levi。 Over 6 years he met with Stella each Saturday and listened as she told her story。 It is rich with history。 I learned so much。 I enjoyed the beginning in which she described the culture， traditions， and life in Juderia， a Jewish neighborhood in Rhodes。 When the Germans seized and then rounded up over 1700 residents of Juderia， the story takes a dark turn as she recalls the scary， heartbreaking， and unimaginable deportation to Auschwitz and eventual time in various camps。 Stella is a courageous and honest woman。 A Holocaust survivor。 This is an important story to read。 "Knowing is remembering。 Reading is remembering。 Naming is remembering。" - Michael Frank。 It's more than about her time in the deportation camps， it's about how life was hard even after the liberation。 How the entire Jewish community of Juderia was extinguished （most were murdered upon their arrival in Auschwitz）。 This story offered a perspective different than others。 It shows how the racial laws affected Stella all her life。 It shows the affect this hatred had on her and the Jewish community even afterwards。 How other countries helped with the deportation of their own citizens。 She has so many legitimate questions。 She wanted to tell her story and share the world she came from， the world in which she was forced into， and how she built her life in the end。 Telling her story seemed to also help her heal and discover things about herself as well。My favorite quote:"You don't need to believe to be a Jew。 You are a Jew because you are born into a tradition。 But whether you believe in God， it's important to remember a simple thing: no one idea about God is better than another。 In the end we are all similar， everyone with differences and defects。 What's essential is to value humanity。" -Stella。She wants us to know how unnecessary it is to hate others。 Thank you Avid Reader Press/Simon & Schuster for the gifted ARC。 。。。more
Christina Stockard
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Never received my free book from GoodReads giveaway
Bagus
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I felt a deep emotional connection as I finished this book， to Stella Levi whose story is told by the author and the loss of the Jewish community of Juderia on Rhodes Island which constitutes the main points of the story。 La Juderia， the Jewish community in Rhodes had been flourishing for around 500 years up until the 1，650 Jews were transported to Auschwitz in July 1944， only two months before the liberation of Greece by the Allied forces。 The absurdity of the situation still confused Stella to I felt a deep emotional connection as I finished this book， to Stella Levi whose story is told by the author and the loss of the Jewish community of Juderia on Rhodes Island which constitutes the main points of the story。 La Juderia， the Jewish community in Rhodes had been flourishing for around 500 years up until the 1，650 Jews were transported to Auschwitz in July 1944， only two months before the liberation of Greece by the Allied forces。 The absurdity of the situation still confused Stella to this day， on why the Germans decided to transport a faraway Jewish community as they were losing the war， with limited resources and time that could be utilised to fight the war instead。 Why did they go so much trouble transporting them to Auschwitz at the end of the war？ Yet despite its absurdity， it was also a decision which marked the end of a Jewish community in Rhodes。 Juderia would no longer be the same after the war。 Around 90 per cent of the 1，650 rounded Jews would perish during and after being transported to Auschwitz。Stella’s stories， as recounted in this book， are divided into 100 chapters， following the one hundred Saturdays in the course of six years that the author spent with Stella。 Saturday， as happens， is also Judaism’s day of rest on the seventh day of the week – the Shabbat。 I could easily imagine Stella conversing with Michael inside her house， relaxing after a week of working （or doing other activities）， as Stella recounted her stories。 Each chapter is short and only takes around 2-5 minutes to read。 Stella’s stories are relaxing， without compromising their significance。 The first one-third of the stories recount the twenty years of life that Stella lived in Juderia up until 1944， with much emphasis on the practices and customs of the Jewish community there， whereas the latter would focus on the experience inside concentration camps and her postwar life in the United States。Many topics are mentioned， but most notably language and identity have a special place in the story。 The Jews in Juderia spoke a language called Judeo-Spanish， an ancient form of Castillian Spanish mixed with words from Hebrew， Turkish， Greek， French， and Italian。 It was written using cursive characters called “solitreo”， while also incorporating Hebrew and Latin characters。 Yet Stella grew up in a Juderia that was changing。 Up until 1912， Rhodes Island was part of the Ottoman Empire， before Italian troops landed and overtook the Dodecanese Islands， of which Rhodes is the largest island。 With the arrival of the Italians， modernities came with electricity and running water， as well as different opportunities for education。 French， and later Italian， gained importance as the languages of education for Stella and her sisters who studied at Alliance Israélite Universelle school and later at schools administered by the Italian government。 The Juderian Jews of her generation also grew up differently from their parent's generation。 Stella and some of her sisters would grow up to be nonbelievers， not going to the synagogue on Shabbat as their parents did， yet there will always be some recurring features of their identity as Jews even after they live in places far from Juderia of their youth。 Everything changed after the racial laws against the Jews were introduced in 1938。 Stella lost the right to obtain education and the persecution against the Jewish community of Juderia quickly got followed by displacement after their internment at Auschwitz-Birkenau。 Dislocation， relocation， confusion about where home was， and what home was are recurring themes in the story。 Life inside the camps， and out of them， are two different matters。 I have read several different books by Holocaust survivors recounting their experiences living inside concentration camps， most notably， Viktor E。 Frankl， Primo Levi and Elie Wiesel， and there are recurring features in their stories。 Stella described it as though there were different Stellas in each stage of her life。 The Stella who lived in Rhodes， the Stella inside the concentration camp， and also the current Stella are all different persons who approached life differently。 It was necessary for them to approach the absurdity of their situation by detaching it from the rules of the external world。 But more than a recounting of the history of the Jewish community in Rhodes and experience living in concentration camps， this book is also an inquiry into what constitutes humanity。 Stella’s conversations with Michael during their one hundred Saturdays together also question the meaning of life and human conditions。 There are things that only seem clearer as we arrive at a certain age in life。 I find myself asking again about Hannah Arendt’s assessment of what drove Europe into anti-semitism， to which she described the crumbling of European empires in the early 20th century and the loss of status of the Jews as the financiers of European monarchs。 Yet the Jews in Juderia had been living in a place far remote from the main theatre of European conflicts， in which they lived for over 500 years following their expulsion from the Iberian Peninsula to avoid the Spanish and Portuguese Inquisitions。 Up until July 1944， they always regarded the anti-semitism of Europe as an outside phenomenon， far remote from the daily life of the Rhodeslis。 Life is often absurd， and so was the situation the Jewish community in Juderia experienced with their near-annihilation at the almost end of the war。 Stella’s stories are also about coming to terms with the fluidity of life， its absurdity， and the loneliness that often accompanies us in its long journey when we don’t feel at home in one particular place or in one particular culture。More into the Deportation of the Jews from Rhodes: https://youtu。be/3VSJkzHNgu8Reviewed from an electronic advance reader copy made available by the publisher through NetGalley。 。。。more
Tracy
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Stella Levi grew up on the island of Rhodes in the neighborhood called Juderia。 The Italians began governing Rhodes in 1923 and transformed it over the next two decades until the Germans seized control and deported the entire Juderia to Auschwitz。 Stella， in her late nineties， agrees to tell her story to Michael Frank。 Over six years and one hundred Saturdays， Stella recounts her life with her family on Rhodes and everything that ultimately lead her to New York。 Stella's journey is a remarkable Stella Levi grew up on the island of Rhodes in the neighborhood called Juderia。 The Italians began governing Rhodes in 1923 and transformed it over the next two decades until the Germans seized control and deported the entire Juderia to Auschwitz。 Stella， in her late nineties， agrees to tell her story to Michael Frank。 Over six years and one hundred Saturdays， Stella recounts her life with her family on Rhodes and everything that ultimately lead her to New York。 Stella's journey is a remarkable one and the story of Juderia needed to be told。 Michael and Stella have created a fascinating memoir。 。。。more
Linda Quinn
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This beautiful memoir， composed over 100 Saturdays that the author spent with Stella Levy， details her memories of growing up in the Juderia of Rhodes just before and during WW2。 Stella's story is touching， heartbreaking and unforgettable as she struggles to unlock and process her memories of the rounding up and deportation of all the Jewish people of Rhodes and the things she， her sister and her friends had to do to survive。 This beautiful memoir， composed over 100 Saturdays that the author spent with Stella Levy， details her memories of growing up in the Juderia of Rhodes just before and during WW2。 Stella's story is touching， heartbreaking and unforgettable as she struggles to unlock and process her memories of the rounding up and deportation of all the Jewish people of Rhodes and the things she， her sister and her friends had to do to survive。 。。。more
Linda
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The combination of Michael Frank as writer and Stella Levi as storyteller is special。 Stella is a survivor of the holocaust and from a small Jewish island community in Italy。 Frank spoke with Stella over several years after she was in her 90's。 The best part of this book is just how much we can learn about not just the holocaust but survival and what it means to be human。 This is unlike any book I've previously read about the holocaust and Stella is so courageously honest in answering， or trying The combination of Michael Frank as writer and Stella Levi as storyteller is special。 Stella is a survivor of the holocaust and from a small Jewish island community in Italy。 Frank spoke with Stella over several years after she was in her 90's。 The best part of this book is just how much we can learn about not just the holocaust but survival and what it means to be human。 This is unlike any book I've previously read about the holocaust and Stella is so courageously honest in answering， or trying to answer， questions about how it happened and what it took to survive。 A recurring question in the book that cannot be answered really is why the Germans continued to ship Jews to the camps even when its war machine was broken and its losing the war was inevitable。 Stella and her remaining family were deported from Rhodes， Italy in 1944 and Stella endured the camps for 11 months before being liberated by the Americans。 Stella does not hold back when she lays blame for those complicit in the holocaust actively or passively。 She is wonderfully authentic。 I received this book as part of a Goodreads giveaway。 。。。more
Emily
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There were many things about this book that intrigued me。 The idea of 100 chapters in 100 Saturdays and the telling of the survivor’s early life， as well as after， are two， but they both fell flat。 The 100 chapters ended up leaving me feeling disconnected from the book and I struggled to find cohesion or theme in the first half。 I understand the desire to remember names， especially in a book like this， but the massive amounts of names to try to keep straight in Stella’s early life left me someti There were many things about this book that intrigued me。 The idea of 100 chapters in 100 Saturdays and the telling of the survivor’s early life， as well as after， are two， but they both fell flat。 The 100 chapters ended up leaving me feeling disconnected from the book and I struggled to find cohesion or theme in the first half。 I understand the desire to remember names， especially in a book like this， but the massive amounts of names to try to keep straight in Stella’s early life left me sometimes forgetting that Stella was indeed our main character。 This did improve as the book progressed。 The author also assumes the reader understands phrases of multiple languages because he only translates some of the time。 Stella’s story is interesting and important， as all survivor stories are。 And the back half of the book contained some very poignant moments in Stella’s reflections。 However， overall， I think her story was done a bit of a disservice with this telling of it。 I received this as an ARC。 。。。more
Cassy
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Who recommended this book to me: Blue Willow's Shelf Awareness newsletter， strong blurbs and interest in learning about this tragedy Who recommended this book to me: Blue Willow's Shelf Awareness newsletter， strong blurbs and interest in learning about this tragedy 。。。more
3 Things About This Book
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“The sea isn't wine-dark so much as a blue so bottomless and transparent that it hurts to look into it， the way it can hurt to look into another person's eyes。 I am gazing at this bottomless， transparent blue and I am listening to a ninety-two-year-old woman describe what happened by its shore， at this spot where we are standing， seventy-one years ago nearly to the day。” If you start a book like this， of course I’m going to be hooked。We got to learn a lot of about European Jews and torture they “The sea isn't wine-dark so much as a blue so bottomless and transparent that it hurts to look into it， the way it can hurt to look into another person's eyes。 I am gazing at this bottomless， transparent blue and I am listening to a ninety-two-year-old woman describe what happened by its shore， at this spot where we are standing， seventy-one years ago nearly to the day。” If you start a book like this， of course I’m going to be hooked。We got to learn a lot of about European Jews and torture they had been through about all the books written about WWII。 But this collection of Saturday chats with a concentration camp survivor who was exiled from Rhodes gives you a totally different perspective on reach of war and cruelty。 While main theme was the exile from the island and survival while pushed from one camp to another， there were so many beautiful things about Stella’s family and upbringing。 I’m very much affected by her story of shores so close to mine。I wish I never had to hear ninety something year old woman say the following and feel crushed: “"It was only later that I allowed myself to speculate whether， at the end， my father spoke to God。 My mother who even at the Turkish bath did not feel well， couldn't breathe sometimes， who when she felt one of her migraines coming on would hurry out of the Juderia and go to the lighthouse， which was maintained by a Turkish friend of hers， and scramble up the stairs so that she could look out over the open sea， what did she feel in the gas chamber， did she panic， did she faint， did she feel the presence of God？'” 。。。more
MarilynW
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One Hundred Saturdays: Stella Levi and the Search for a Lost Worldby Michael Frank， Maira Kalman （Illustrator）In her nineties， Stella Levi shares her story and that of her family and community， over a time span of six years。 I've seen a video of her speaking and even in her late 90s， she is a vibrate， fascinating woman。 As a young girl， she learned about her family and the history of her people， through the story telling of her elders。 Stella learned well and she has the knack of passing on the One Hundred Saturdays: Stella Levi and the Search for a Lost Worldby Michael Frank， Maira Kalman （Illustrator）In her nineties， Stella Levi shares her story and that of her family and community， over a time span of six years。 I've seen a video of her speaking and even in her late 90s， she is a vibrate， fascinating woman。 As a young girl， she learned about her family and the history of her people， through the story telling of her elders。 Stella learned well and she has the knack of passing on the stories told to her and the stories of what she has experienced。 When Stella and Michael Frank met， they developed a friendship and came together over the next six years so Stella could tell her stories and Michael could record those stories。 Included in the book， One Hundred Saturdays: Stella Levi and the Search for a Lost World， are colorful illustrations that meant more to me as I followed Stella through time and came to know her family and all that they endured， the good and the bad。We get to know her community， on the Island of Rhodes， and then， in September 1943， the Germans seize control of the island。 All 1700 Jewish residents of the island are rounded up the next July and sent to Auschwitz， Ninety percent of those 1700 people were executed on arrival at the camp。 We learn of Stella's time in that camp and other camps， until she is liberated and then has to navigate a world that is missing so much of her former life， people， home， all that had been so familiar to her in her first two decades of life。I'm touched by Stella， her memories， her extreme hardships， and her determination to make a meaningful and remarkable life that isn't defined by the horrors of her past。 I'm amazed by this intelligent young lady who wanted to learn so much， to study and travel， only be one of the few to survive concentration camps。 And then to come out of that time and to go on to find her place in her new world， a different person from the Stella of the Island of Rhodes or the Stella of the concentration camps。 Stella had the strength to change， to adapt， to see herself as a different person， so she could go on and search for her place as a changed person in a changed world。Publication September 6， 2022Thank you to Avid Reader Press/Simon & Schuster for the print version of this ARC。 。。。more
thewanderingjew
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One Hundred Saturdays， In Search of a Lost World， Michael FrankThis book had a profound effect on me， although I have read hundreds of other books about this barbaric period of history。 I had neither known about the history of Rhodes， nor was I aware of the Juderia， a community of Jews that lived there， Jews that wound up there as they historically fled persecution from other countries of the world， persecution that was and is unfathomable， but was apparently， unstoppable。 They lived there in re One Hundred Saturdays， In Search of a Lost World， Michael FrankThis book had a profound effect on me， although I have read hundreds of other books about this barbaric period of history。 I had neither known about the history of Rhodes， nor was I aware of the Juderia， a community of Jews that lived there， Jews that wound up there as they historically fled persecution from other countries of the world， persecution that was and is unfathomable， but was apparently， unstoppable。 They lived there in relative peace; Muslims heard their call to prayer; Jews， went to Synagogue。 The children that qualified， attended schools run by the Church。 It was a place where they enjoyed following their customs and traditions and maintained their culture。After a series of interviews between Michael Frank and Stella Levi， that took place over a period of more than six years， beginning in 2015， this book was born，。 Michael Frank has unearthed and written about the previously little known life of Stella Levi， and with it， the history of Juderia， her home on the island of Rhodes， an island that had survived under the rule of leaders from several countries， and like Rhodes， Stella’s life was also multifaceted， a result of her upbringing， her tragic experiences during World War II， and her future life as she went from country to country in order to find a home， a home that would accept her， and one in which she would find comfort。 Whether that marriage of desires was completely fulfilled will be left to the reader to determine。 Stella， may not be certain， even at the age of 99， if America was the correct choice。 Of what she is certain， however， is that love， in its many forms is the thing that sustained her and still does。 I have not read another approach like this one， that exposes the way in which an entire community reacted to the barbarism of the Nazis。 The story is touching and heartbreaking because they were so naïve。 At first， when Mussolini allied with Hitler， the effect on their community was minimal， although Stella’s father’s business was taken from him， as a result。 Gradually， after Germany took over， the racial laws became more oppressive， and still， no one rebelled。 They merely accepted what was happening because they believed it would soon be over。 When schools were closed， a secret school run by professors and clergy， appeared for some。 Others did not want to participate。 It seemed that the oppression was so subtle， at first， so gradual as to go unnoticed， and was disbelieved， questioned， until it was far too late to resist。 The Jews had enjoyed their lives， their culture， their customs， and their traditions， and they continued to enjoy their lives in their small enclave of Juderia， worshiping their G-d， attending services， singing and dancing in their courtyards， and generally continuing to communicate with and to help each other in times of need。 Their Synagogue， family， and friends were the center of their universe。 Some children rebelled and wanted more， but many simply continued to live as they had throughout history。 We Jews， both Ashkenazi and Sephardic， still observe many of the same customs。 We serve eggs after funerals， put out bowls of water at the door， rent clothes as we mourn， refrain from sitting on furniture in mourning， view all Jews as a part of our community。 It is a birthright， period。When the status quo came to an end， they were unprepared and still very much naïve， believing they were being gathered together to be sent to another place to live temporarily。 No one there could have imagined the fate that awaited them。 Some were saved from the Nazi’s ultimate end game by serendipity， some by nationality， some by sheer luck and courage。 Most， were not saved。 Many were murdered。 Survivors did not wish to return to Rhodes， the place where it all began for them。 However， it began for the rest of the world， elsewhere， and the book will inspire deep thought into our current way of life and force us to study the question， could it happen again？As this remarkable book described the life of a young woman from the early 1900s until the present day， as I witnessed what she had to live through， the choices she had to make， and was amazed by her courage， independence and wisdom， as they shone bright throughout the telling of her story， I wondered why the conversation about the Holocaust often makes it about a choice between those who believed in Communism and those who believed in Fascism？ Both are undesirable extremes at either end of the spectrum of evil。 Surely there must be a middle choice we can all agree upon。As communication was curtailed by their government， as opposition and speech was silenced， as the news from only one point of view was presented， and as people who disagreed were disrespected， diminished and mocked， increasingly unable to defend themselves， the world descended into madness。 Is it really impossible to believe another Holocaust is impossible， as we witness events in our current world today。 Are we as resilient， are we as supportive of each other， is there even a common culture to support to help us survive？ We have all been scarred by our history， but how we deal with our scars will determine whether or not the world will succumb to tyranny or peace。As the Jews were removed from society， bit by bit， so the Republicans are now being removed， silenced and forbidden to participate in life， by the very same people who think that they are the virtuous ones。 Is history repeating itself today with politics rather than religion？ As there was little resistance from the Jews， during the Holocaust， so difficult was the end result to imagine， we see little resistance from the Republicans as they naively believe this will end with cooler minds in charge。 It is not happening， however， as the Democrats continue to perpetuate hate and division with deceitful behavior which is denied by a complicit “state” media。Although in Rhodes and elsewhere， many were proud to join underground organizations to fight the tyranny of the leadership， today they are shamed and maligned for fighting back against this heinous cancel culture， not different from the racial laws of Hitler。 How different are the policies of the brown and black shirts from the policies of the “green” shirts of today？ As are schools and our employment choices are being closed to certain people， under the pretense of inclusion， but are really the opposite， exclusionary， how do they really differ from the Nuremberg Laws enacted in 1935？ When property is taken from one to give to another， how different is it from forgiving student debt？ Will the masses continue to remain impassive because of personal benefit？I implore everyone to look in the mirror and hope that the person looking back is not guilty of the same shameful behavior of the National Socialists as they slowly but surely attempted to （and almost succeeded）， wipe out an entire nationality because no one could believe it could actually happen。 If the same naivete exists today， as one political party attempts to do that to another， are we doomed to repeat history？I loved this book。 I loved it for its history， its humanity， its courage， and its honesty， but I loved it more for the warning it sent to me。 If half the country is silenced by the other half， can our country survive？ As the Jews were removed from society， bit by bit， so the democrats are trying to do that to the Republicans。 Although this was not the intent of the author， this is an important message I gleaned from the book。 As love， in its various forms， sustained Stella， how can we restore mutual love and respect in America， before it is too late？ We must not let history repeat itself。 。。。more
Susan
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This book is about change -- The forced change that comes with trauma and rebuilding afterwards， but also strongly about the change that comes with times and over generations。 It is lovely， intimate， tragic， and insightful。 I have read other books about people who were interned in death and work "camps" during World War II， but never one that truly depicted the life before， psychological coping with the horrific trauma， and the difficult rebuilding of a life in all its richness afterward。I want This book is about change -- The forced change that comes with trauma and rebuilding afterwards， but also strongly about the change that comes with times and over generations。 It is lovely， intimate， tragic， and insightful。 I have read other books about people who were interned in death and work "camps" during World War II， but never one that truly depicted the life before， psychological coping with the horrific trauma， and the difficult rebuilding of a life in all its richness afterward。I want to thank Avid Reader Press/Simon and Schuster for providing me with an advanced copy of this book about Stella Levi's life。 I am not required to write a review， but want to highly recommend this sensitively drawn portrait of a strong， intelligent， resilient woman and her worlds。 。。。more
Cole
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I received an advanced readers copy of this book through Goodread giveaways。 The lost world of the Juderia of Rhodes is found in 100 Saturdays。 It is a place and time that cannot be physically visited but through reading this book you feel as if you have been。 Stella Levi has a remarkable story to tell and it isn’t just remarkable because of her trials and survival in the concentration and death camps。 It is remarkable because is identifiable with anyone who reads its life。 She has her hopes and I received an advanced readers copy of this book through Goodread giveaways。 The lost world of the Juderia of Rhodes is found in 100 Saturdays。 It is a place and time that cannot be physically visited but through reading this book you feel as if you have been。 Stella Levi has a remarkable story to tell and it isn’t just remarkable because of her trials and survival in the concentration and death camps。 It is remarkable because is identifiable with anyone who reads its life。 She has her hopes and dreams as well as her guilts and failures。 She has lived in a world that has changed so rapidly and she has adjusted。 。。。more
Steve
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Author Michael Frank spent more than six years interviewing Stella Levi， 92 years old when he began， and so enshrined many of the memories of this elderly survivor of the Auschwitz （and Dachau） death camps。From descriptions of the Juderia， the roughly twelve square-block Jewish neighborhood on the island of Rhodes where Stella and her siblings lived， to the to the 1943 deportation of Jews from there to the Nazi concentration camps， to her liberation from Dachau by allied soldiers and her life be Author Michael Frank spent more than six years interviewing Stella Levi， 92 years old when he began， and so enshrined many of the memories of this elderly survivor of the Auschwitz （and Dachau） death camps。From descriptions of the Juderia， the roughly twelve square-block Jewish neighborhood on the island of Rhodes where Stella and her siblings lived， to the to the 1943 deportation of Jews from there to the Nazi concentration camps， to her liberation from Dachau by allied soldiers and her life beyond， 100 Saturdays is a pensive， contemplative work with the quality of a historical classic。The reader is taken to the eastern Aegean island of Rhodes， occupied by the Knights of Saint John in the Middle Ages， and contested by Persians， Greeks， Turks， Italians and Germans throughout its history。 There are Stella’s memories of her family and friends， her Jewish culture， the various foods， different folk beliefs and practices， the appearance of her neighborhood。 Their old Judeo-Spanish language itself had elements of Portuguese， Greek， Turkish and Hebrew。The lives of her parents， Yehuda and Miriam， and that of her siblings-Morris， Selma， Felicie， Victor， Sara and Renée， all who grew up under the Fascist regime-are brought to life in Stella’s reminiscences。 Her father， who worked in the port’s custom house and was also a seller of coal and wood， provided well for his family， if not at the level of some of his more well-to-do relations。The work is a great study and an impressive record of a significant interview。 It is a remarkably retrospective examination of the character of Stella Levi。 It introduces Stella as a young woman， then reveals her as the unfortunate dweller of a death camp， an altered person whose only bit of purpose is mere survival; it shows the liberated Stella struggling to find herself， and it shows the liberated Stella as she grows into a new person who is sometimes able to avoid the person she once was。 Although she survived and prevailed， she was unquestionably a victim who had suffered the horrors of the camps。 In a way， she is really no different from the 90% of her community who perished， and this fact cannot be eliminated from an analysis of her person。 Perhaps escape or recovery from suppression of memory only goes so far， especially when the scars are so profoundly deep。Although the actions taken against the Jews， first with the racial laws， then in the concentration camps， injured Stella and made it difficult for her to form lasting bonds， she ultimately remains thankful to America for allowing her to follow her own path of healing and growth。 Michael Frank is skilled at walking a tightrope: persisting in the questions needed to record the revelations， but always cautious， delicate， and patient to avoid putting Stella back in the pain she had suppressed。 He has succeeded not only in preserving many of Stella’s memories of her long life: her culture， hers joys and horrors， her struggles， but in examining the complexities of her character produced by the experiences representative of those memories。August 17， 2022 。。。more
Betty
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Thank you @simonandschuster and @BookClubFavorites for the free books。 The opinions expressed here are my own。This book was very interesting。 I loved reading about the customs， foods， superstitions， and daily lives of the Jewish community of Rhodes。 This is a world that disappeared as a result of the Holocaust。 Thankfully， Stella Levi shared her memories of her life as a young girl in Rhodes。 So fascinating！ I enjoyed reading about the history of Rhodes， and how it was governed by the Persians， Thank you @simonandschuster and @BookClubFavorites for the free books。 The opinions expressed here are my own。This book was very interesting。 I loved reading about the customs， foods， superstitions， and daily lives of the Jewish community of Rhodes。 This is a world that disappeared as a result of the Holocaust。 Thankfully， Stella Levi shared her memories of her life as a young girl in Rhodes。 So fascinating！ I enjoyed reading about the history of Rhodes， and how it was governed by the Persians， the Romans， and the Greeks with little impact on the residents of the island for over 500 years。 In 1923 it fell under the rule of the Italians。 Mr。 Frank and Ms。 Levi met 100 Saturdays over a period of just over six years （reminiscent of “Tuesdays with Morrie”）。 During that time， she reexamined her life experiences and explored just how those experiences molded her into who she is today。 Stubborn， sassy， gutsy…she never changed。 When she was 14 years old， she declared one day she would leave the centuries-old Juderia。 Sadly， she did leave but not as she dreamed。 In 1944 the Germans seized control of Rhodes and Stella， along with her mother and sister Renee， and the entire Jewish community of Rhodes was deported to Auschwitz。 In these interviews， she took us along on her horrendous three-and-a-half-week journey by boat and train to Auschwitz。 Ninety percent of them were murdered upon arrival at Auschwitz。 She went on to share with Frank how she rebuilt her life after she was liberated from the camp。 After all Stella endured， she remained positive and refused to let those years of captivity define who she was。 What an amazing lady！ Thanks to Michael Frank and Stella Levi the story of the Jews of Rhodes will not be forgotten。Artist Maira Kalman created 12 beautiful full-color illustrations depicting scenes from Stella's life。 These illustrations are scattered throughout the book。 。。。more
Margaret Heller
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Everyone should give themselves the treat of getting to know Stella Levi。
Angela M
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“Knowing is remembering。 Reading is remembering。 Naming is remembering。” （Michael Frank） This is an important book， certainly because it’s about the Holocaust and it is imperative that we bear witness to what happened to 6 million Jews during WWII and to not forget so it doesn’t happen again。 It’s also important because it is the story of a Holocaust survivor and now that it has been over 75 years since the war was over and the liberation of Auschwitz， there are fewer survivors left to tell thei “Knowing is remembering。 Reading is remembering。 Naming is remembering。” （Michael Frank） This is an important book， certainly because it’s about the Holocaust and it is imperative that we bear witness to what happened to 6 million Jews during WWII and to not forget so it doesn’t happen again。 It’s also important because it is the story of a Holocaust survivor and now that it has been over 75 years since the war was over and the liberation of Auschwitz， there are fewer survivors left to tell their stories。 We need to hear their voices 。 I also found it interesting because it tells the story of a group of Jews from Rhodes， occupied by Italy and then Germany， now a Greek Island， a place I knew nothing about， and how over 1600 Jews， nearly every Jew on the island， were deported and sent to Auschwitz in 1944。 I’m always amazed at how much there is to learn about that war 。 Stella Levi ，now in her late nineties ， tells her memories to Michael Frank who writes about her life。 Reflecting on her life before the camp was a good way to help me reflect on the horrors that did occur and to remember that this happened to ordinary people who happened to be Jewish just living their lives。 While this part of the story wasn’t very exciting perhaps， I found it interesting to read of the culture， the rituals， the day to day life and when it is compared to the horrific life in the camps and the loss of lives depicted in the last third of the book， this life on the island before the deportation is a beautiful thing 。 I can’t say that the telling of Stella’s story was perfect。 There were times when I would have preferred to hear more of Stella’s own words from their conversations rather than the author telling the story。 Having said that， it was a worthy read learning about an amazing woman of courage and I’m grateful that Michael Frank has told her story and the story of those Jews from Rhodes who were murdered at Auschwitz。 I did find Stella in her own words here in this YouTube clip and some others 。 I loved hearing her voice。https://youtu。be/fS6L5N5oiwEI received a copy of this book from Simon & Schuster through Edelweiss。 。。。more
Erica Robbin
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A compelling read， an important story， of unique style， for a lesser known circumstance of historical events and setting depicting the lives of people living on the Island of Rhodes during WWII who were sent to the concentration camps operated under Nazi Germany。 I’d recommend it to anyone。 Would make for an excellent book club discussion。Thank you to Book Club Favorites at Simon & Schuster for the free copy for review。Expected publication: September 6， 2022。The StoryFor nonfiction， biographical A compelling read， an important story， of unique style， for a lesser known circumstance of historical events and setting depicting the lives of people living on the Island of Rhodes during WWII who were sent to the concentration camps operated under Nazi Germany。 I’d recommend it to anyone。 Would make for an excellent book club discussion。Thank you to Book Club Favorites at Simon & Schuster for the free copy for review。Expected publication: September 6， 2022。The StoryFor nonfiction， biographical read， I’d say it was mostly fluid in its telling， this changing with the tides in soft and subtle ways with rich， deep meaning that was captured well， coupled with simple and mundane circumstance which I was not sure if it was purposeful or not， but brought some perspective in any case。Mixed racial， ethnic， and heritage aspects， was a stand out for me， as it did not shy away from the vernacular and direct language use in describing the origin， depth， meaning， and connectivity to the storyline。 Appreciated the distinguishing attention to cultural influences as both primary and secondary use as commentary。Would have liked the details of rituals and meaning in Judaism。The WritingI enjoyed the writing。 Unconventional storytelling through a more documentary， sit down interview style。 The journey of sourcing material was a part of that。 Sometimes I felt more compelled， sometimes it took me out。 But the uniqueness in this style is still to be celebrated as an aspect of storytelling as it stands。 The 100 aspect， as told was well-organized， I felt chronologically supported and explained without jumping back and forth too much like is typically frequent for survival stories。Deeply appreciated the language integration。 Etymology for words， was enhancement to the storyline which can stand alone as it， but brought context。 Some of the terminology was a bit sanitized， a bit politically and socially corrected for modern day consumption which was my least appealing aspect about the book， but didn’t distract me too much。 Become mostly a mental note of how some references were a little bit appeasing as I read on。CharactersAs a nonfiction， memoir/biographical story， this is hard to comment on， but I would note that I didn’t always have point of reference for the characters other than what happened to them at times。 Some of the relationships were a bit less difficult to pinpoint and shape， where I didn’t catch the personal connectivity to them or their connection to their circumstances at hand。 Perhaps it was the mundane daily tasks without recognized emotional expression。 Or that the emotion overall that was not depicted as well， but I think that might have come down to the writing style and bringing out more circumstance as impact rather than inter-relational attributes。 Attributes such as stamina， loss， love， fear， joy， ambivalence or even the physical attributes such as bodily changes or emaciation over time。 This would have enhanced the collective nature or undertakings， even if not part of the source material， as the commentary would have been the alternative place for such as was seen in the other areas of writing in the book。The integration of full color paintings to tell the story was exceptional。I will look forward to more from this author and the story told。Blog post 。。。more
Eugenia
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I think this was probably the best book I've read this year， perhaps one of my very favorite Jewish stories of the last few years。 。 As an Ashkenazi Jew， my knowledge of pre war and Holocaust Sephardi Jewish experience has been sadly lacking and frankly， barely existent， One Hundred Saturdays made a great way in changing that， I don't think I can find a single thing to complain about， dislike， or otherwise negatively speak about his absolute gem of a book。 I desperately want to meet Stella， or a I think this was probably the best book I've read this year， perhaps one of my very favorite Jewish stories of the last few years。 。 As an Ashkenazi Jew， my knowledge of pre war and Holocaust Sephardi Jewish experience has been sadly lacking and frankly， barely existent， One Hundred Saturdays made a great way in changing that， I don't think I can find a single thing to complain about， dislike， or otherwise negatively speak about his absolute gem of a book。 I desperately want to meet Stella， or at least listen to her speak because Michael Frank was able to make her voice shine through every single word of this book， he was able to paint such a vivid portrait of Jewish life in Rhodes that I physically hurt when the timeline moved the pendulum closer and closer to the war years。 This is a must read for any person who has any humanity and desire to learn about Jews as real， vibrant citizens of the world and to truly understand what we lost in our world with the Holocaust and all the death that it wrought on the world。 Read it， read it， read it。 Also， Stella is amazing。 。。。more
Britany
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Nope。 This did not work at all for me。 Giving it one extra star for Stella Levi's life that was so terribly archived by Michael Frank。 Told over 100 Saturdays， Stella slowly reveals her traumatic past， growing up in a Juderia on the island of Rhodes， who was shipped off to Auschwitz along with 1，650 other Jews from her island。This was so boring up until the part that would break any person open。 I wish someone else captured this story in a way that made more sense。 I think Michael inserted himse Nope。 This did not work at all for me。 Giving it one extra star for Stella Levi's life that was so terribly archived by Michael Frank。 Told over 100 Saturdays， Stella slowly reveals her traumatic past， growing up in a Juderia on the island of Rhodes， who was shipped off to Auschwitz along with 1，650 other Jews from her island。This was so boring up until the part that would break any person open。 I wish someone else captured this story in a way that made more sense。 I think Michael inserted himself onto Stella's story too much and took away from the powerful woman behind this book。Thank you to Book Club Favorites at Simon & Schuster for the free copy for review。 。。。more
♥ Sandi ❣t
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3 stars - Thank you to Book Club Favorites at Simon & Schuster for the free copy to review。 Publishes September 6， 2022。 This book is the life story of Stella Levi - a Jewish girl - who lived through World War II in Europe， doing her time in Auschwitz's death camp。 The book is unique in the way it is written。 Stella told her life story to Michael Frank over 100 Saturdays starting in 2015， when she was in her ninety's。 She reminisced about her home island of Rhodes and how peaceful and ideal that 3 stars - Thank you to Book Club Favorites at Simon & Schuster for the free copy to review。 Publishes September 6， 2022。 This book is the life story of Stella Levi - a Jewish girl - who lived through World War II in Europe， doing her time in Auschwitz's death camp。 The book is unique in the way it is written。 Stella told her life story to Michael Frank over 100 Saturdays starting in 2015， when she was in her ninety's。 She reminisced about her home island of Rhodes and how peaceful and ideal that part of Europe was。 Then in her teen years the invasion of Italy and following the German take over and life under Mussolini's rule。 She stressed how naive they all were in ignoring their danger - living as Jewish - and not thinking that they would be harmed。 By 1938 Judism was being extinguished， and her island paradise was targeted。 Stella followed up with her time in the German prison camps， the day to day struggle and how she coped and how she was moved around to many camps， ending up in Allach - a lessor known camp - and her release by American troops。 I cannot deny I had to keep reminding myself that this was nonfiction - the true account of someone's life。 There were places in the story that I felt were pretty dry， but I hoped that the information being given was in preparation of other parts of her story。 It is hard to rate a biography。 Who am I to say whether or not the way a person sees their own life is worthy of a book？ In this case Stella definitely suffered a great harmful experience and had the strength to go through it。 But was it told in the most expert way？ Pick it up and read the book， you tell me。。。 。。。more
Jessica White
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This cover is gorgeous。All the illustrations throughout the book are even more incredible to look at。But I am 100% not the target audience for this book。One Hundred Saturdays chronicles the life of Stella Levi。 This woman is well into her 90s， and she has lived an absolutely remarkable life。 She been through it， back， and through it again。 But somehow she never lost hope。 Stella's story is much bigger than the numbers that were once tattooed on her skin。Michael Frank spent nearly six years with This cover is gorgeous。All the illustrations throughout the book are even more incredible to look at。But I am 100% not the target audience for this book。One Hundred Saturdays chronicles the life of Stella Levi。 This woman is well into her 90s， and she has lived an absolutely remarkable life。 She been through it， back， and through it again。 But somehow she never lost hope。 Stella's story is much bigger than the numbers that were once tattooed on her skin。Michael Frank spent nearly six years with Stella while writing this book。 They spent a hundred Saturday's together， where she told him her entire life story。 Beginning to end。 Starting her story as a young girl in Rhodes， navigating friendships and romances。 Then， onto her time in the camps and dealing with the aftermath of losing most of her family。 Of course， Stella couldn't leave out finding her way in America and inevitably her way back to Rhodes。Those few sentences I just wrote will never encapsulate the stories Stella shared with Michael。 I wish I enjoyed this book more， but like I said I'm not the intended audience for this book， at all。 It's a great story that is written very well。 But without knowing the history of where Stella grew up， it was hard for me to envision。 This book is for History Readers。 Entwining the rich cultures while also discussing a traumatic event definitely helped move the story along， but all in all， I didn't love it。Huge thanks to Simon and Schuster and Avid Reader Press for sending me an advanced copy！One Hundred Saturdays: In Search of a Lost World by Michael Frank hits shelves September 6， 2022！More book reviews on A Reader's Diary！ 。。。more
Sherry Brown
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Such a wonderful heartfelt book！！！ To share one’s past and to make a wonderful friendship along the way is priceless。 Very very good！
Teresa
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