~ r e v i e w ~
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I think every Holocaust story that I read leaves me with a new sense of shock and this was the case with My Family's Survival too. Even after reading countless books revolving around the Second World War, I still cannot wrap my head around the fact that such inhumane hatred existed between people. I feel heartbroken to see millions of families destroyed, their very existence wiped clean, bringing their community's number to just a few hundreds. Aviva makes this story intimate by speaking of her ancestors who fought back against the War in a valiant manner. What pleased me the most was how few non-jewish people risked their lives to protect innocents from being persecuted. My Family's Survival is a story of hope which is why it sets it apart from other books.
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The Schwartz family lived in a small village of Poland, content with their lives. It's no secret that Poland was perhaps one of the most hostile countries during the War by being invaded by both the German troops as well as the Soviet soldiers. The Soviets threw out all the Jews from their homes by not even letting them pack their belongings. Later, the Germans rounded up Jews from many villages to send them off to concentration camps or to simply execute them in hundreds. Additionally, the Jews were harrassed by Ukrainians too. Based on a hunch, the Schwartz family got away before the Germans could capture them and hence began their long journey of escapade. They were constantly on the run for years, with no or little food to survive on. The family used the smartest methods to survive, by splitting to avoid any suspicion from the Germans. They belonged to no place and were deported back to Poland to only start from square one. The three children of the Schwartz family lost their childhood, making them mature beyond their years.
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The story is narrated from each of their perspectives, making it easy to understand what went on in their minds. Their journey took them through dense forests, through rain and sun for days with a bunch of other Jews, many of them losing their lives on the way. The Schwartz family were helped by few kind-hearted souls, providing them refuge from the soldiers all the while putting their own lives in danger. At more than one instance, I was afraid that all of them would not make it but luck interfered more than once to keep them safe. It felt surreal to know that in spite of all the struggles that they went through, they managed to escape. David, the head of the family, was extraordinarily smart in coming up with incredible ways to keep his family safe. The Schwartz family survived because of their strong will which extended to the children too. They knew what was happening and even the little one, Yossi, knew better to be silent than to cause any trouble to his parents. It's amazing how luck favoured them time and again, sometimes even at gun point.
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Keeping aside the harrowing tale of the family, it's incredible how things panned out for them. They were reunited, unharmed and even found love. There are pictures of the Schwartz family included in the book. When I think back to the essence of the story, it's not horror that I'm reminded of but of hope that resonates loudly. I couldn't help thank the families that housed many Jews, for it is because of their courage that a few of them survived. My Family's Survival is a gripping and fast paced read that serves as a reminder that history isn't just something that is written in books but events of horror that actually took place. I recommend this.
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Rating : 4.3/5.