The Light of Days: The Untold Story of Women Resistance Fighters in Hitler's Ghettos
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- Author：Judy Batalion
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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， and survival in the face of staggering odds。
Witnesses to the brutal murder of their families and neighbors and the violent destruction of their communities， a cadre of Jewish women in Poland—some still in their teens—helped transform the Jewish youth groups into resistance cells to fight the Nazis。 With courage， guile， and nerves of steel， these “ghetto girls” paid off Gestapo guards， hid revolvers in loaves of bread and jars of marmalade， and helped build systems of underground bunkers。 They flirted with German soldiers， bribed them with wine， whiskey， and home cooking， used their Aryan looks to seduce them， and shot and killed them。 They bombed German train lines and blew up a town’s water supply。 They also nursed the sick and taught children。
Yet the exploits of these courageous resistance fighters have remained virtually unknown。
As propulsive and thrilling as Hidden Figures， In the Garden of Beasts， Band of Brothers， and A Train in Winter， The Light of Days at last tells the true story of these incredible women whose courageous yet little-known feats have been eclipsed by time。 Judy Batalion—the granddaughter of Polish Holocaust survivors—takes us back to 1939 and introduces us to Renia Kukielka， a weapons smuggler and messenger who risked death traveling across occupied Poland on foot and by train。 Joining Renia are other women who served as couriers， armed fighters， intelligence agents， and saboteurs， all who put their lives in mortal danger to carry out their missions。 Batalion follows these women through the savage destruction of the ghettos， arrest and internment in Gestapo prisons and concentration camps， and for a lucky few—like Renia， who orchestrated her own audacious escape from a brutal Nazi jail—into the late 20th century and beyond。
Powerful and inspiring， 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， and survival in the face of staggering odds。
Reviews
Kathy
，
The Light of Days is an exceptionally well-researched non-fiction book about Jewish women in Poland and their innumerable contributions to the Nazi resistance movement during WWII。 It is a heavy read in every way; there are lots of facts and details， and because of the subject matter， this book takes an emotional toll on the reader。 Neither of those comments is negative， but if you're looking for a light historical-fiction read， this isn't it！This is the first book about WWII of the many I have The Light of Days is an exceptionally well-researched non-fiction book about Jewish women in Poland and their innumerable contributions to the Nazi resistance movement during WWII。 It is a heavy read in every way; there are lots of facts and details， and because of the subject matter， this book takes an emotional toll on the reader。 Neither of those comments is negative， but if you're looking for a light historical-fiction read， this isn't it！This is the first book about WWII of the many I have read to pay homage to these strong and unbelievably brave women。 I am glad we finally get to read their stories！ They risked everything they had， putting themselves in mortal danger and fear of discovery constantly to stand up and fight the enemy。 What courage， what strength， what self-sacrifice！ It is amazing and inspirational to see the difference that can be made by "ordinary" people rising up to meet the circumstances of their times。This is a book that should to be read so that we never forget the evil that ran rampant in that era and the horrors that it created。 May it never be repeated！My sincere thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow Publishers for allowing me to read an e-copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review。 All opinions expressed are my own。 。。。more
BOOKLOVER EB
，
Judy Batalion， in "The Light of Days，" pays tribute to "Jewish women of Poland who resisted the Nazi regime。" Most of their names have been forgotten。 Their views and activities may not jibe with the political outlook of those who wrote the history books; because the combatants were young women， they may have been considered less significant than their male counterparts; and these women did not seek aggrandizement。 Instead， they let their actions speak for themselves。 When the Nazis took over Po Judy Batalion， in "The Light of Days，" pays tribute to "Jewish women of Poland who resisted the Nazi regime。" Most of their names have been forgotten。 Their views and activities may not jibe with the political outlook of those who wrote the history books; because the combatants were young women， they may have been considered less significant than their male counterparts; and these women did not seek aggrandizement。 Instead， they let their actions speak for themselves。 When the Nazis took over Poland， Renia and Sarah Kukielka， Zivia Lubetkin， Fruma and Hantze Plotnicka， and Chasia Bielicka， among others， joined various resistance organizations， served as couriers， engaged in sabotage， assumed leadership roles， and assisted starving fellow Jews。 The author came upon this subject by happenstance。 In 2007， Batalion lived in London and was conscious of being treated differently because she is Jewish。 She came across "Freuen in di Ghettos，" "Women in the Ghettos，" a 186-page anthology published in New York in 1946。 It tells the true story of "dozens of 'ghetto girls' who paid off Gestapo guards， hid revolvers in loaves of bread， and help build systems of underground bunkers。" In addition， "they carried out espionage missions for Moscow， distributed fake IDs and underground flyers， and were bearers of the truth about what was happening to the Jews。" Moreover， they posed as non-Jews， helped Jews escape， and set off explosives。This is a long-overdue， thoroughly researched （using many primary sources）， and fascinating account of a little know aspect of Jewish resistance during the Second World War。 Some of these women could have left Europe to live in Israel。 However， they chose to remain in Poland and take part in a courageous stand against the Germans。 The story of those who sacrificed so much should be more widely known， and Batalion deserves credit for shedding light on the actions of bold and daring heroines。 。。。more
Nelda Brangwin
，
Judy Batalion brings detailed research to her compelling story about the “ghetto girls” who are mostly forgotten eastern European women who were part of the resistance to the Nazis。 These women were so successful that one was even hired as a secretary to the Gestapo。 They were adept at disguises and traveled from Polish towns and ghettos acting as news broadcasters to the citizens。 Instead of spreading hopelessness， the spread hope and determination。 Not only were they smuggling information the Judy Batalion brings detailed research to her compelling story about the “ghetto girls” who are mostly forgotten eastern European women who were part of the resistance to the Nazis。 These women were so successful that one was even hired as a secretary to the Gestapo。 They were adept at disguises and traveled from Polish towns and ghettos acting as news broadcasters to the citizens。 Instead of spreading hopelessness， the spread hope and determination。 Not only were they smuggling information the smuggled in food and medical supplies。 It took a lot of research reading memoirs and diaries including some hidden beneath floorboards and written on toilet paper。 。。。more
Cheryl Sokoloff
，
Judy Batalion's The Light of Days delves into history of the “rise” of Jewish， female， resistance fighters in Poland。 These “girls” wore many different hats 🧢， from mail couriers to actual soldiers， fighting the Nazis （often face to face）。 If caught alive， they were literally， tortured。 During the Warsaw Ghetto uprising， the “girls” were trapped in sewers， that the Nazis then flooded with poison gas， and then， with water up to their necks。 That some of them survived， is mind boggling。 Their miss Judy Batalion's The Light of Days delves into history of the “rise” of Jewish， female， resistance fighters in Poland。 These “girls” wore many different hats 🧢， from mail couriers to actual soldiers， fighting the Nazis （often face to face）。 If caught alive， they were literally， tortured。 During the Warsaw Ghetto uprising， the “girls” were trapped in sewers， that the Nazis then flooded with poison gas， and then， with water up to their necks。 That some of them survived， is mind boggling。 Their mission， though， was not ultimately "survival"， but rather， to to die with honor， to show the world that they did not accept death without a fight。 Some of these girls kept notes， however they could， as everything happened。 Others wrote their stories after the war。 Many of these stories have been lost for a lot of different reasons that Judy explains， at the end of the book。 One of the explanations for hiding their stories is survivor’s guilt， particularly， in female survivors。 Another is the desire to protect later generations from the horror they experienced。 The book ends with what happens to the survivors after the war。 The author even interviews survivor’s children and grandchildren。 The book is being released to coincide with International Holocaust Memorial Day， this week， （April 7th）， no better time to honor these brave warriors。 I am grateful to @harperaudio and #netgalley for my complimentary copy of the audiobook， in return for my honest review （BTW， I have preordered a hard cover）。 Please read Judy Batalion's masterpiece， #thelightofdays。 You will not be sorry。 #5stars 。。。more
Carolina--Timber Oaks Little Library
，
This non-fiction honors the lives of the brave Polish Jewish women who fought in the resistance against the Nazis。 It is a heart wrenching story that does not shy away from the soul crushing atrocities of the Holocaust。 Judy Batalion has carefully researched and rendered the lives of incredible women forgotten by history。I particularly appreciated the discussion of sexual violence and the complicated partner relationships women had to engage in for their safety。 It is something that is not often This non-fiction honors the lives of the brave Polish Jewish women who fought in the resistance against the Nazis。 It is a heart wrenching story that does not shy away from the soul crushing atrocities of the Holocaust。 Judy Batalion has carefully researched and rendered the lives of incredible women forgotten by history。I particularly appreciated the discussion of sexual violence and the complicated partner relationships women had to engage in for their safety。 It is something that is not often discussed in books covering the Holocaust， but a significant part of women's experiences。 Judy Batalion discusses this issue well， noting the imbalance of power in these relationships， and the impact of class， featurism， and circumstances。I have to admit I am partial to historical fiction， and I found myself craving a bit more of that style while reading this book。 I think it would have made the story more digestible。 As it is， it was a heavy and slow read due to both the content and writing style。 Still， this important title is a must read for anyone interested in WWII and the Holocaust。Mozhan Marno's audiobook narration of The Light of Days was fantastic！ Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Audio for the ARC。 。。。more
Carla Johnson-Hicks
，
I'm not sure if it was just me， but I had a hard time with this book。 The author had done a lot of research on these heroic women， but there was too much in the book for me to really connect to the various stories。 I found this book to be a bit of an information dump。 I listened to the audiobook， which I think made it even harder。 I had to go back and re-listen to some parts， which meant I had a tough time getting into the rhythm of the book。 Individually， each of the character's stories was gri I'm not sure if it was just me， but I had a hard time with this book。 The author had done a lot of research on these heroic women， but there was too much in the book for me to really connect to the various stories。 I found this book to be a bit of an information dump。 I listened to the audiobook， which I think made it even harder。 I had to go back and re-listen to some parts， which meant I had a tough time getting into the rhythm of the book。 Individually， each of the character's stories was gripping and I learned a lot。 These were strong and heroic women who took many chances and put their lives on the line to help others。 It begins with the women sneaking in and out to help the Jewish residents that were forced into the ghettos。 They eventually crossed borders into Lithuania to support the Jews in ghettos there。 Eventually they ended up working with armed resistance。 They were lucky to be able to pass as non-Jewish Polish residents which enabled them more freedom， but they still risked death， torture， and imprisonment if caught。 These women have been forgotten in a lot of the history of WWII， but it is good to see their stories being told。 The audiobook was read by Mozhan Marnò。 This is a non-fiction book， so it was narrated with a strong voice， adding interest to the information。 I received a copy of this book from the publisher upon request。 The rating and opinions shared are my own。 。。。more
Wan Draw
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Author’s way of storytelling is so good; I suggest you join Novel Star’s writing competition in April。
Jan
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Even Stephen King cannot duplicate the horror of reality。 This is a book filled with horror and hope， not to mention man's inhumanity toward other humans。 Each woman portrayed is real and the research was as intricate as any forensic study and the brief creative forays （conversations and such） make it somewhat less nauseating。 In an afterward， the author explains that she took 12 years to write the book， most of it spent researching diaries， memoirs， testimonies， books， and writings in a variety Even Stephen King cannot duplicate the horror of reality。 This is a book filled with horror and hope， not to mention man's inhumanity toward other humans。 Each woman portrayed is real and the research was as intricate as any forensic study and the brief creative forays （conversations and such） make it somewhat less nauseating。 In an afterward， the author explains that she took 12 years to write the book， most of it spent researching diaries， memoirs， testimonies， books， and writings in a variety of languages， including English， Yiddish， German， Hebrew， Polish and Russian。 She also traveled around the world to meet the descendants of the featured women， sifted through photographs and letters， and learned how the ladies lived during the post-war phase of their lives。 Many of the women suffered from survivor's guilt and/or mental illness， and some committed suicide。I don't know how Mozhan Marno was able to narrate this so well。 She is truly a voice actor。I requested and received a free temporary audio copy from Harper Audio via NetGalley。 Thank you！ 。。。more
Nicole
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The Light of Days astonishes with it stories of bravery。 Batalion is that rare combination of meticulous researcher and brilliant wordsmith。
Linden
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This book spotlights the Jewish women who fought the Nazis， who have received much less recognition than their male counterparts。 The most "Aryan looking" were selected as couriers， but others were also involved with undercover work， explosives and guns。 Thoroughly researched， the book is understandably hard to read at times， with details of assault， gang rape， and grisly descriptions of torture and death。 Thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for the ARC。 This book spotlights the Jewish women who fought the Nazis， who have received much less recognition than their male counterparts。 The most "Aryan looking" were selected as couriers， but others were also involved with undercover work， explosives and guns。 Thoroughly researched， the book is understandably hard to read at times， with details of assault， gang rape， and grisly descriptions of torture and death。 Thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for the ARC。 。。。more
Lyndsay
，
A well-research， vivid retelling of the lives of such brave Jewish women in Poland during World War II。 Per the epilogue， the writing of this book took 12 years and you can see why。 The obstinance， bravery， and sheer will of each young woman radiated from the pages。 The author did an amazing job of sharing each young woman's journey， values， and risk taking。 This story is nothing short of amazing。 And to hear it has been optioned by Steven Spielberg is not surprising。 This is a story that needs A well-research， vivid retelling of the lives of such brave Jewish women in Poland during World War II。 Per the epilogue， the writing of this book took 12 years and you can see why。 The obstinance， bravery， and sheer will of each young woman radiated from the pages。 The author did an amazing job of sharing each young woman's journey， values， and risk taking。 This story is nothing short of amazing。 And to hear it has been optioned by Steven Spielberg is not surprising。 This is a story that needs to be shared and read by all。 Thoroughly enjoyed this。Sincere thanks to NetGalley and Harper Audio for an advanced audiobook copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
bet mercer
，
The people and their experiences are certainly worth reading about， but I was disappointed in how this was written and laid out。 It felt a bit random and piecemeal， so it was hard to get into and stay in the stories。 Hopefully another author will use this book as research fodder for more books about these remarkable women。
Victoria
，
This was a hard book to listen to and to rate， for obvious reasons。 This is a dark， true account of different Jewish women who were resistance fighters in Poland during WWII。 You can tell that a lot of effort/research was put into discovering and retelling these women's stories。 The book itself felt like it was switching from a history book to a novel; some passages were explained very matter-of-factly， while others felt more lyrical， as if the author were telling us a story that she made up。 My This was a hard book to listen to and to rate， for obvious reasons。 This is a dark， true account of different Jewish women who were resistance fighters in Poland during WWII。 You can tell that a lot of effort/research was put into discovering and retelling these women's stories。 The book itself felt like it was switching from a history book to a novel; some passages were explained very matter-of-factly， while others felt more lyrical， as if the author were telling us a story that she made up。 My heart broke for all of the women whose stories we followed。 Overall I definitely recommend this book if you are interested in other lesser known WWII stories。 * Thank you to NetGalley and HarperAudio for the advance audiobook copy for my honest review。 。。。more
Pam
，
I was provided an advance copy of The Light of Days。 This is not an easy book， but it is an important one。 It is well researched and written in an academic manner。 With focus on certain Jewish women who risked their lives as resistance fighters during the Nazi occupation of Poland， The Light of Days brings to the forefront some largely untold stories; stories that contributed to the outcome of WWII。 Keep in mind that these are factual stories of real women; not historical fiction or fictional ch I was provided an advance copy of The Light of Days。 This is not an easy book， but it is an important one。 It is well researched and written in an academic manner。 With focus on certain Jewish women who risked their lives as resistance fighters during the Nazi occupation of Poland， The Light of Days brings to the forefront some largely untold stories; stories that contributed to the outcome of WWII。 Keep in mind that these are factual stories of real women; not historical fiction or fictional characters。 The brutality of their stories is chilling。 That these women stood their ground in the face of indescribable psychological and physical pain is testimony to their strength and resilience。 The Light of Days celebrates their bravery and honors their many sacrifices。 。。。more
emma （pagesofachilles）
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This book was incredibly intense， compelling and well researched。 I cannot even begin to imagine the hours of research Batalion put into this， it feels like a decade of work。 From the get-go it was clear that this would be a hard-hitting historical non-fiction， and it did not pull any punches。 It was gritty， heartbreaking， shocking but most importantly， moving。 And Batalion tells the story of women who we've not heard much from in History。This is the kind of book that every history buff should r This book was incredibly intense， compelling and well researched。 I cannot even begin to imagine the hours of research Batalion put into this， it feels like a decade of work。 From the get-go it was clear that this would be a hard-hitting historical non-fiction， and it did not pull any punches。 It was gritty， heartbreaking， shocking but most importantly， moving。 And Batalion tells the story of women who we've not heard much from in History。This is the kind of book that every history buff should read about。 Honestly， there are almost too many books out there about what the men did in the war， we need more books like this。 Books that highlight women's stories and puts them front and centre， without making any apologies about it。 I came away from this book with a greater appreciation for what Jewish women sacrificed during the war and how much they gave to keep their faith alive。 I'm grateful to have read this， but even more grateful that Batalion put this book out。 It's a testament to the strengths of women and how much of history is still left untold。Thank you to the publishers for kindly sending me an ARC to read in exchange for an honest review。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Lisa of Hopewell
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https://lydiaschoch。com/top-ten-tuesd。。。 https://lydiaschoch。com/top-ten-tuesd。。。 。。。more
Jennifer Mcniece
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I received an advance copy of The Light of Days from #netgalley。 This is a collection of untold stories from women resistance fighter’s in Hitler’s ghettos。 I found the style， which jumped around quite a bit， difficult to get drawn into。 That said， these are important stories and a perspective on the WWII experience that I had not read before。
Beth
，
These are the stories of Jewish women resistance fighters during WWII who organized uprisings and fought against the Nazis， bombed trains， and so much more。 I kept expecting this to end， thinking things like， "these women have already been through so much，" and， "there's no way they can pull this off，" but I was wrong。 I found myself continually surprised， shocked， devastated， and in awe of their chutzpah， even *after* the war had ended。 I can think of no better read than this during Women's His These are the stories of Jewish women resistance fighters during WWII who organized uprisings and fought against the Nazis， bombed trains， and so much more。 I kept expecting this to end， thinking things like， "these women have already been through so much，" and， "there's no way they can pull this off，" but I was wrong。 I found myself continually surprised， shocked， devastated， and in awe of their chutzpah， even *after* the war had ended。 I can think of no better read than this during Women's History Month。 Judy Batalion's research and writing are incredible。 This is a long one and it will break your heart， but it is so worth your time。Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Audio for the chance to read this early。 Release date is April 6。 You'll want to preorder this！ 。。。more
Elizabeth Schroeder
，
[Thank you to William Morrow/HarperCollins for the free Advance Reader's Edition]I am a strong believer in reading any and everything documenting the Holocaust。 As we move farther away from the years during which these atrocities took place， survivors are almost gone or will have passed soon。 A distressing rise in social conservatism and far right beliefs means Holocaust deniers are continuing to spread their lies。 So I will start this book review by saying， it is worth reading。At the same time， [Thank you to William Morrow/HarperCollins for the free Advance Reader's Edition]I am a strong believer in reading any and everything documenting the Holocaust。 As we move farther away from the years during which these atrocities took place， survivors are almost gone or will have passed soon。 A distressing rise in social conservatism and far right beliefs means Holocaust deniers are continuing to spread their lies。 So I will start this book review by saying， it is worth reading。At the same time， however， I will say that it is a difficult book to get through。 Painstakingly researched over （I believe） more than a decade， there is a lot。 It is page after page of violence， pain， suffering to which we must all continue to bear witness。 At the same time， the writing itself was uneven， vacillating between the melodrama that can come with recounting people's personal stories， particularly after having survived such horrors， and straightforward history。 My preference is for the latter; historical fiction is its own genre， and not every writer can pull it off。 The melodrama in these stories of incredible courage， stamina and survival is unnecessary -- they are compelling on face value。This is the story of the Polish girls and women who made up the Resistance during World War II。 Their stories must be told。 If anything， I appreciated how much this book centered their lives and experiences -- as opposed to so many books focusing on the horrors of what the Nazis did to Jews and those who tried to help them， this book focused on those who fought back。 And in this case， the girls and women， whose stories have consistently taken a back seat。 There are many accounts of how girls and women were particularly brutalized during these times -- and Ms。 Batalion offers stories of those who， with unimaginable strength， devised strategic plans， took great risks to help others， and ended up fighting and killing along with men。 The sexism of the generation has not allowed for anywhere nearly enough of their stories to be told。The first time I began to plow through it was Chapter 30， when Ms。 Batalion's writing switches and becomes straightforward。 The earlier chapters needed far better editing （words were occasionally missing， and perhaps that can be resolved in the final publication）， not only for general editing purposes， but also to fix the circuity of the chapters and stories to make it easier to follow。All that written， I will say again that it's worth a read， although it is a book you may need to put down and pick up again。 。。。more
Sheenah
，
Thanks to NetGalley and HarperAudio for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review。Judy Batalion's The Light of Days: The Untold Story of Women Resistance Fighters in Hitler's Ghettos was a fascinating view into the world of "courier girls"， the young women who fought in the resistance by smuggling goods， weapons， and information。 Much of the book is about Renia Kukielka who was from an educated， middle-class family， but the book also touches on so many others。 The sheer volume of informa Thanks to NetGalley and HarperAudio for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review。Judy Batalion's The Light of Days: The Untold Story of Women Resistance Fighters in Hitler's Ghettos was a fascinating view into the world of "courier girls"， the young women who fought in the resistance by smuggling goods， weapons， and information。 Much of the book is about Renia Kukielka who was from an educated， middle-class family， but the book also touches on so many others。 The sheer volume of information and people who are named as contributors to the resistance got to be overwhelming at times， and I think part of that was due to listening to the audio version instead of reading it。 Ultimately， the story always comes back to Renia and that is where I was most invested， as was the author。 This was an impressive account of brave women who went through hell and should not be forgotten to history。 。。。more
Charlsa
，
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Audio for the Advanced Listeners Copy of the audiobook。 My review is my own。I missed that this is a non-fiction book when I requested it， but I’m glad I received it。 The narrator does an excellent job with the book。 This could have been a dry recitation of data， but when the stories of these brave women are told， it reads more like a narrative non-fiction。 The book tells the stories of several young， Jewish women in Poland who fought against the oppression of th Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Audio for the Advanced Listeners Copy of the audiobook。 My review is my own。I missed that this is a non-fiction book when I requested it， but I’m glad I received it。 The narrator does an excellent job with the book。 This could have been a dry recitation of data， but when the stories of these brave women are told， it reads more like a narrative non-fiction。 The book tells the stories of several young， Jewish women in Poland who fought against the oppression of the Nazis and the atrocities of the Holocaust。 Make sure you read both the forward and the Author’s notes as they provide the author’s journey to write the book and how important it was to her to tell these women’s stories with both accuracy and respect。The author tells the stories of several women， many of whom chose to stay in poverty， oppression， and almost constant danger to help others， when they could have chosen personal freedom。 Their stores reflect true heroism。 You don’t come across many stories about the Jewish women who fought in the resistance， and the author explains the reasons， both personal and political， for that。 This book has sections that are difficult to read much less imagine。 Triggers: brutal killings， abuse， torture， starvation， rape。 Yet， Judy Batalion has finally given these women a voice。 Their stories are intense， compelling， and powerful。 Their stories will stay with me for a lifetime， and The Light of Days: The Untold Story of Women Resistance Fighters in Hitler’s Ghettos is a book I will recommend to anyone with an interest in history。Release date is April 6， 2021 by William Morrow and Harper Audio 。。。more
Eva
，
I received an ARC of the audiobook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。The Light of Days chronicles the lives （and often， the tragic and courageous deaths） of the brave young Jewish women who tirelessly worked in secret to resist and fight back against the Nazis in World War II。 I was fascinated to dive into this book because this is not a perspective I had ever read about before。 The lives of women in history， in general， are not written about enough， and I’m always happy to see a n I received an ARC of the audiobook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。The Light of Days chronicles the lives （and often， the tragic and courageous deaths） of the brave young Jewish women who tirelessly worked in secret to resist and fight back against the Nazis in World War II。 I was fascinated to dive into this book because this is not a perspective I had ever read about before。 The lives of women in history， in general， are not written about enough， and I’m always happy to see a new history book that sheds light on the lives and exploits of remarkable women。 This book closely follows the stories of a particular handful of Jewish women， and takes quotes and anecdotes directly from their own memoirs written after World War II。 （Some of them， anyway – sadly， not all of the women whose lives we follow in the book lived to see the end of the war。） I listened to the audiobook， and while the topic is an interesting one， I had a little bit of a hard time concentrating on the book if anything else was going on。 I don’t usually have that problem with audiobooks。 Unfortunately the narrator is slightly too monotone to keep my attention well – or it may have also been because the writing was somewhat dry。 Granted， it’s not a happy or fun topic， but it definitely reads more like a textbook than a work of narrative nonfiction。 It was difficult to keep track of which character was which。 This might be due to the writing， but it is also just generally hard to keep track of which character is which in audio format sometimes， especially in nonfiction。 The book provides a “cast of characters” at the beginning of the book， to help readers keep the characters straight， but that’s of limited use in an audiobook where you can’t flip back and forth to refer to it。 Overall， this is an impressively well-researched book on an interesting， important， and little-explored topic， but the writing is less engaging than I’d prefer， and the audiobook experience is somewhat lacking。 Some nonfiction works well in audio， some doesn’t。 For some reason， this is one of the ones that doesn’t。 Personally， I think I would have gotten a lot more out of it and enjoyed it more if I’d read it instead of listening to it。 Skip the audio， and read this one in ebook or in print。 。。。more
Susan Crowell
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What a moving story。 Judy Batalion brings us this book about many Jewish women in Poland during World War II。 In the story， Renia Kukielka and other women are brought to life the women’s stories of survival while fighting to carry out their missions in the resistance。 It tells of some of the missions and other work the women completed， the many different identities these women had to hold in order for their work to be completed， and how they， the women， were the reason for so many successes duri What a moving story。 Judy Batalion brings us this book about many Jewish women in Poland during World War II。 In the story， Renia Kukielka and other women are brought to life the women’s stories of survival while fighting to carry out their missions in the resistance。 It tells of some of the missions and other work the women completed， the many different identities these women had to hold in order for their work to be completed， and how they， the women， were the reason for so many successes during this horrific time。 I listened to this book as an audio and at times had to go back to listen to make sure I heard the story right。 Sometimes I had to pause and walk away because the details were heavy， and I needed to process them。 I did learn more about the lives of Jewish people that lived in Poland during World War II。 The different viewpoints of each helped me learn the many different roles and how the dramatic events played on each one。I only rated it 4 stars because as audio it was more difficult， at least for me， to follow at times with the so many moving parts。 Thanks to #netgalley and #WilliamMorrow for the #eARC of this book by Judy Batalion。 。。。more
Ashley Elliott Shaw
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Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book。 I listened to an audio version of The Light of Days。 When I read historical fiction I often gravitate towards anything about WWII。 Our book club always jokes that this is a typical topic for us and we have to consciously try to select something that is not about WWII。 I really wanted to like this book and I wonder if I would have if I had read it myself and not listened to it on audiobook。 The narrator was no Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book。 I listened to an audio version of The Light of Days。 When I read historical fiction I often gravitate towards anything about WWII。 Our book club always jokes that this is a typical topic for us and we have to consciously try to select something that is not about WWII。 I really wanted to like this book and I wonder if I would have if I had read it myself and not listened to it on audiobook。 The narrator was not my favorite。 Her voice was a bit monotone and didn't have a ton of inflection。 It made me bored with the story and did not keep my attention well。 I did enjoy that this book was focused on the women on WWII and how they did some AMAZING things to keep their families and loved ones alive， as well as how they worked against the Nazis to survive。 Again， I think I would have gotten more out of this had I read it and not listened to it。 。。。more
Madeleine Nicole
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I loved everything about this。 I've read a lot of historical nonfiction about World War 2， but none of it has addressed the female resistance fighters。 Batalion had the perfect mix of historical narrative and informative facts。 I felt emotionally connected to these characters and I was so invested。 At one point I sat on my bed doing nothing for two hours straight without realizing any time had passed while I was listening to this。 It was beautifully written and researched and this is a story tha I loved everything about this。 I've read a lot of historical nonfiction about World War 2， but none of it has addressed the female resistance fighters。 Batalion had the perfect mix of historical narrative and informative facts。 I felt emotionally connected to these characters and I was so invested。 At one point I sat on my bed doing nothing for two hours straight without realizing any time had passed while I was listening to this。 It was beautifully written and researched and this is a story that absolutely needed to be told。Note: I don't rate nonfiction and I'll be removing the rating when this book comes out， but I feel like I need to give this book the five stars it deserves because it has an unfairly low rating right now from people who thought it was fiction。 。。。more
Kitty
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Lately I have been reading a lot of nonfiction books on WWII。 Most WWII books are written by men， and are about the accomplishments of men。 The books I have been reading are about the contributions women made to support the war effort。 The Light of Days （ to be published in April 2021） is about the Jewish women， really teenagers， who took it upon themselves to help the resistance fight the Nazis。 This book showed how determined and strong women are in the face of conflict。 They were willing to r Lately I have been reading a lot of nonfiction books on WWII。 Most WWII books are written by men， and are about the accomplishments of men。 The books I have been reading are about the contributions women made to support the war effort。 The Light of Days （ to be published in April 2021） is about the Jewish women， really teenagers， who took it upon themselves to help the resistance fight the Nazis。 This book showed how determined and strong women are in the face of conflict。 They were willing to risk their lives to save their fellow Jews。 I was in awe of the risks these women took to fight the Nazis。 They understood the dangers， that they could lose their lives， but it was worth it to save others。Judy Batalion is a superb writer。 I felt like I was there in the ghetto with Renia and the other ghetto girls。 This book shows that females are capable of doing anything。 This book is an inspiration。 I highly recommend it。 #NetGalley #The Light of Days" #JudyBatalion。 。。。more
Cassandra Fay
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This book was too awesome。 I blame my mother for my fascination with WW2 history and literature。 I recommend this book to enthusiasts of WW2 and Feminist reading materials alike。 Reads more like a story with historical context thrown in rather than a historical account。 Very exciting and very very cool。 I’d love to see more books written about this in the future。 NetGalley review。
Bookworm
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2。5 starsI guess when I requested this audiobook， I was expecting a flowing story with warmth and heroism。 Although the author delivered on the latter， the former was lacking。 The narrative was extremely well researched but read more like history than historical fiction。 This may have been the intent of the author and I misunderstood what I was requesting。 My rating is based solely on my enjoyment and does not reflect the quality of information and detailed accounts of how these brave Jewish wom 2。5 starsI guess when I requested this audiobook， I was expecting a flowing story with warmth and heroism。 Although the author delivered on the latter， the former was lacking。 The narrative was extremely well researched but read more like history than historical fiction。 This may have been the intent of the author and I misunderstood what I was requesting。 My rating is based solely on my enjoyment and does not reflect the quality of information and detailed accounts of how these brave Jewish women fought and resisted during the Holocaust in WW2。 Just know going in that it is comprised of various stories written as factual historical accounts not a plot driven historical fiction novel。 The narrator's performance was well suited to the nature of the book。 Thank you to Harper Audio and Netgalley for an advanced audio copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Barbara
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For the most part， war histories have been written by men， and brave women have been given short shrift。 Judy Batalion helps correct this by telling the stories of Jewish women in Poland who resisted the Nazis during World War II。 These women served as couriers， caretakers， and fighters， especially in Będzin， Krakow， Warsaw and other cities that had relatively large Jewish communities。Jews in Warsaw before World War IIAfter the Nazis invaded Poland in 1939， Jews in cities were relegated to cramp For the most part， war histories have been written by men， and brave women have been given short shrift。 Judy Batalion helps correct this by telling the stories of Jewish women in Poland who resisted the Nazis during World War II。 These women served as couriers， caretakers， and fighters， especially in Będzin， Krakow， Warsaw and other cities that had relatively large Jewish communities。Jews in Warsaw before World War IIAfter the Nazis invaded Poland in 1939， Jews in cities were relegated to cramped ghettos where living space， food， medicine， clothing， money， sanitation， work papers， etc。 were in short supply。 Warsaw GhettoWomen smugglers who could pass for Polish Christians would sneak out， round up supplies， pass messages， and do what had to be done。。。。with no thought to their own safety。Some Jewish women in Poland could pass as Aryans A female memoirist describes the girls in a diary: 'Heroic girls; boldly they travel back and forth through the cities and towns of Poland。 They are in mortal danger every day。 They rely entirely on their Aryan faces and on the peasant kerchiefs that cover their heads。 Without a murmur， without a second's hesitation， they accept and carry out the most dangerous missions。 If someone needed to travel to Vilna， Białystok， Lemberg [or other cities]， to smuggle in contraband such as illegal publications， goods， money， the girls volunteer as though it's the most natural thing in the world。 If comrades have to be rescued， they undertake the mission。 Nothing stands in their way。 The missions are dangerous; the women are often arrested and searched。 But they are indefatigable。' Jewish women resistance fightersThe book， which is almost 600 pages long， contains the stories of many women - all of them memorable。 To provide a feel for the narrative， I'll briefly summarize one woman's tale。 In 1942， Renia Kukielkher was a 17-year-old girl living in the Warsaw Ghetto with her family。 Jews who made their way to the ghetto from outside told horrible tales。 Renia heard the story of a German， foaming at the mouth who killed two infants by kicking them with spiked boots。 The mother was ordered to watch， then dig them graves。 The German finally crushed the mother's skull with the butt of his rifle。 On another day Renia saw a group of half-insane women - raggedy， pale， blue-lipped， and shaking - who told her that their town had been surrounded。 Gunshots flew and the Nazis beat their children to death。Nazis killed Jewish childrenOther women told stories of Poles adding to the persecution， blackmailing Jews for money and possessions， under threat of turning them in。 When the Nazis began liquidating the Warsaw Ghetto， and deporting Jews to work camps and concentration camps （extermination camps）， Renia's family decided to leave。 Krakow`s Polish Jews arriving at German Auschwitz concentration campRenia made it to a Nazi-run Jewish labor camp， where the workers hoped to be safe from deportation。 Nazi-run Jewish labor campThe camp wasn't safe， however， and Renia left and began wandering around Poland。 Renia was caught by police with dogs， but looked Aryan enough to pass for a Christian， and got away。 At a train station， Renia found a woman's purse with some money and a Polish passport， which was her ticket to travel。 Polish train station during World War IIAfter a harrowing journey - during which Renia lived in constant fear of being exposed as a Jew - she got a job as a housekeeper in the home of a half-German family called the Hollanders。 There Renia pretended to be Catholic， went to church with the family， was careful to speak like a Pole， etc。。。。all the time fearful of being outed as a Jew， and suffering from anxiety and insomnia。Polish Catholics attended church on SundaysRenia received letters from her sister， and learned that her family was living in the woods and suffering。 Though it was very dangerous， Renia made up her mind to join them。 Renia told the Hollanders her aunt was sick， and got permission to visit her。 A smuggler helped Renia travel， with her Jewishness deeply buried。 Renia finally made it to a Jewish enclave in Będzin， but all her relatives - except for one sister - was lost。Będzin GhettoWanting to help the Jewish cause， Renia became a courier for the resistance。 If caught by Germans， couriers were imprisoned in filthy conditions， raped， beaten， starved， and either transported to concentration camps or killed。 But Renia survived to tell her story。Other women have tales similar to Renia's， and some even took part in armed rebellions。 Women fought during the 1943 Warsaw Ghetto uprising， for example， and German soldiers were amazed to see women hand-to-hand fighting， shooting guns， and throwing grenades。 Warsaw Ghetto uprisingThe book is hard to read because the disgusting， vicious， stomach-churning atrocities committed by the Nazis and （many） Poles are described in detail。 Still， the bravery of the featured women is uplifting and inspiring， and it's good to see their stories told。Author Judy BatalionIn an afterward， Judy Batalion writes that she took 12 years to write the book， most of it spent researching diaries， memoirs， testimonies， books， and writings in a variety of languages， including English， Yiddish， German， Hebrew， Polish and Russian。 Battalion also traveled around the world to meet the descendants of the featured women， sifted through photographs and letters， and learned how the ladies lived during the post-war phase of their lives。 Many of the women suffered from survivor's guilt and/or mental illness， and some committed suicide。The book tells an important story of remarkable women， and is well worth reading。Thanks to Netgalley， Judy Battalion， and William Morrow Publishers for a copy of the book。You can follow my reviews at https://reviewsbybarbsaffer。blogspot。com 。。。more
Gail O'Connor
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