השבועה - סיפור אמיתי

by Ram Oren

זהו סיפורם המופלא של אישה וילד שנקלעו לעין הסערה במלחמת-העולם השנייה והיטלטלו ללא רחם בין ייאוש לתקווה, בין סכנת חיים לנס גדול זהו סיפור נוגע ללב על אהבה גדולה ומסירות יוצאת דופן, על כוחות אנוש נדירים ועל מסע הישרדות מדהים בעולם הזוי שהמוות משתולל בו באין מפריע.

גרטרודה בבילינסקה הייתה קתולית אדוקה, תושבת עיירה בפולין שמרבית תושביה תיעבו יהודים. מיכאל סטולוביצקי היה ילד יהודי, בן עשירים, יורש יחיד של אימפריית עסקים אדירה, ושניהם כאחד היוו כלי משחק ביד הגורל, שחיבר אותם זה לזה בעבותות בל-יינתק.

זהו סיפור אמיתי, רב תהפוכות, על אנשים שחלקם חיים בינינו עד היום. את הסיפור הזה אף אחד לא יכול היה לספר טוב יותר מן המציאות עצמה.

Genres: Nonfiction, Holocaust, History, Biography, World War II, Historical, Jewish

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Ram Oren (רם אורן) is an Israeli author of mysteries and thrillers.

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.

Reviews

[Gary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ram Oren is one of Israel's most popular authors' and indeed one of the most talented authors of the 21st century. This book is remarkable in that is non-fiction but reads like a brilliant novel. Begins with the story of the wealthy Stolowitzky family, who lose everything they own in Poland and flee to Lithuania after the Nazis and Soviets divide Poland between them in 1939.Michael Stolowitzky is only three when all this happens and his father travels to Paris to try to salvage the family business.
But Things get darker as the Nazis Einstatzgruppe sweep into Lithuania and begin the genocide of Jews there. The family disguise themselves and flee and Michael's mother suffers a fatal stroke. Michael's devoted Catholic nanny, Gertruda, promises Michael's dying mother she will always stay with the child and take him to Palestine when the war is over. Harrowing testimony of the mass murder of Jews in Eastern Europe by the Nazis, and the starvation that killed so many more innocents. The book follows on to how Michael is hidden in a Catholic orphanage and his identity hidden by a righteous Catholic Priest.

The real life story is paralleled by that of Karl Rink, who is married to a Jewess, Mira, but nonetheless out of desperation for the promising livelihood offered and patriotic fervour, agrees to join the SS. when his wife is murdered he sends their 24 year old daughter Elisheva to Palestine, out of danger from Nazi death machine, and she settles on a kibbutz in the Land of Israel.
Meanwhile Karl rink will be instrumental in saving the life of Gertruda and Michael.
Also focuses on the journey of the Exodus after World War, ruthlessly refused entrance to the Land of Israel by the British who force the ship back to Europe where many already traumatized Holocaust survivors are re-interned in Germany.
Others had been killed when British troops stormed the ships, determined that no Jew enter the Holy Land at any cost.

Beautifully written, harrowing and heartbreaking like all Holocaust memoirs, but thrilling and breathtaking at the same time as being soul-touching and revealing.Ultimately uplifting. If you read one holocaust memoir this must be the one.

[Barb H · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oren has written a touching, commendable tale of a Polish Christian woman, who risked her existence to save the life of a small Jewish boy during WW II and the Holocaust. She had started out as the nanny to this child of extreme wealth. It was clear from the onset that both the boy, Michael and the woman, Gertruda were bonded in love. She possessed great inner resources and intelligence to enable them to remain relatively safe. Although her status as a Christian could have saved her alone, she did not seek this route. The author tells quite clearly of the starvation, the cold and the many perils they encountered. Oren has written a memorable, heartbreaking and suspenseful accounting.

[Mary-Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

One little Polish-Jewish boy's World War II tragedy could have been so much worse without his protector-nanny, Gertruda, who promised Michael's mother that she (Gertruda) would protect Michael from the Nazis as best she could. Honor was in short supply in Nazi-occupied territory, but some people risked their lives to do the right thing.

My only quibble with the book was that the writing seemed to be more at a young adolescent's level rather than at an adult's. I don't know whether the author or the translator was responsible. However, the writing level did not prevent me from reading this book straight through.

[Susan Lerner · Rating 5 out of 5]

An account of how a young Polish nanny saved a young Jewish boy in the Holocaust. Concurrent background story of a young SS man who saves her life with a spur of the moment gesture. written in a very straightforward, unadorned manor, which is fitting because the tale is incredible on its own. Also tells the story of the Exodus voyage, life in Israel and the young man's efforts to claim his inheritance.

[Gina Davies · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book based on real people and actual events needs to be read by all. The Holocaust needs to be remembered. What humans did to other humans is unbelievable. One man convinced so many to hate one group of people and to torture them, many to death. The beautiful thing that I realized after reading this book was despite the horror suffered the survivors went on to live happy and productive lives. The resiliency of the survivors is radical!! Hope, love and faith can take one a long way❤️

[Elaine Nickolan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first came across this title while i was in the gift shop of a WWII airplane museum. I thought at the time that it looked interesting and may be something I would consider reading when I took my breaks from mysteries and thriller books. Little did I know that this is would be one of those stories that will remain with me forever. Gertruda's Oath is the telling of how a brave woman, under the harshest of conditions, kept her promise to a dying woman. Against all odds, Gertruda succeeds and brings this young, Jewish boy out of Poland as it is being overrun with Nazis at the beginning of WWII. With the barest of funds, but the heart of a lioness, she perseveres and fights for everything to keep going. She must make unimaginable sacrifices to help this young boy, even though she could easily walk away because she is Catholic. Thru this all, Gertruda finds the faith and hope to keep going and brings her young boy to the promised land.
I cheered her on, I cried with her, and her story, and that of young Michael, will forever be in my memory. An SS officer also has his story told and we get to see how it all connects within these pages. The love between nanny and charge is so strong that it actually lasts a lifetime. This book I would recommend to all my fellow readers without hesitation.

[Ranjit Powar · Rating 4 out of 5]

The style is simple and direct. More than a play of words or expression, it is the stark , undiluted truth about the atrocities and loss of all that is human that hits you in the gut.The second world war - a people hounded out of the securities of a normal life for no fault of their own. And amidst it all, the amazing courage and compassion of one woman who survives it all. Read and remember, so this may never be repeated any place, any time.

[Liane Wakabayashi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading the true story of a Jewish Holocaust survivor doesn't get easier the more memoirs are published. In fact, I think it gets harder. We expect more. It's not enough to relive Nazi atrocities and sigh in relief every time an angelic Righteous Gentile intervenes to save a life. We're at the stage now in World War II Holocaust literature where it's the children of the survivors whose turn it is to tell their stories. Which makes Getruda's Oath quite unusual. Michael Stolowitzky, the orphaned son of a wealthy Polish Jewish parents who both perished in the Holocaust, is alive and wanted to offer thanks to the woman who saved his life. Gertruda Babilinska is the Polish Catholic woman who takes it upon herself to save Michael. She had been nanny to him in pre-Nazi Warsaw, and remains a saint from start to finish. The little boy she saves and raises in Israel remains an adoring adoptive son from start to finish. The problem with Gertruda's Oath is that the characters are predictable from start to finish. The dialogue is out of sync here. Terrible things happen. Reactions are often missing. Humiliations, acts of violence, rape, starvation, hiding Jewish identity and recurring death threats would be enough to send any ordinary mortal to an early grave. The resilience that mother and child show raises more questions than are answered here--unless we are to believe that love alone is enough to save them from Nazi savagery, illness, starvation and impoverishment that are their constant companions for seven years. I want to believe that love is so powerful that it can save lives. Honestly I do.
Hmm. I wish that I came away feeling more for Getruda than I do. Successful biographies can and should be offered in the spirit of immense gratitude. We feel that adoration from Michael, the little boy who was saved. Michael is approaching 80 now. Gertruda is long gone.
Michael eventually will grow up and leave Israel and Gertrude won’t follow him to a new life in the USA. This I find fascinating and disturbing after all they went through together. I'll spare the details because the story has to be read to reach your own conclusions. I could be over-reacting to this point because there is so much rich and essential European World War II history packed into this memoir--and especially the harrowing trials of the Exodus ship carrying 4500 camp survivors to British Palestine including Gertruda--who had to fight for her right to accompany Michael.
It's almost inconceivable that they could ever have left each others’ sides. But children do grow up and leave home. Michael reached adulthood and he apparently left too. This memoir, regrettably, leaves us in suspense as to how he outgrew his completely reasonable emotional attachment to Gertruda, and what were his feelings that allowed for this right of passage to take place while Gertruda advances in age all alone in Israel. It just doesn't add up for me. Gertruda Babilinska, courageous and righteous as she was, remains an aloof, enigmatic saint.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclousre: won though Goodreads giveaway.

Last semester, I taught Anne Frank The Diary of a Young Girl for my reading skills class. My intention was to use the work as a jumping off point and go into the editing that had been done and how Frank's work compared to other diaries from the time. In other words, I wanted my students to look beyond the work and to place it in the wider context, to even challenge the idea of the "saintly" Anne Frank. My students read information from the U.S. Holocaust Museum's website, looked at pictures, and heard a speaker, Ruth Hartz. With the speaker, my students impressed me because several of them brought the speaker's book Your Name Is Renee Ruth Kapp Hartz's Story as a Hidden Child in Nazi-Occupied France, very impressive when you consider very few of them read outside of class.

What shocked me as I was teaching this was what my students (18 and older) didn't know. By now, I've gotten use to the fact that some students lack knowledge of basic geography (a student once pointed to Russia when he volunteered to find England on the map), but the sheer lack of awareness of history was shocking. There were some out there questions, do people in the Netherlands have running water? Do they live in huts? The truly shocking fact was that many students lacked basic knowledge about the Holocaust. They know about it in an abstract sense. They know there was a war fought called WW II, and they know that the Jews were exterminated in camps. That's it.

This lack of knowledge made me think. Before teaching The Diary I did a large amount of reading on the subject. I wanted to teach it because the semester before there were Anne Frank projects in my classroom, and my students asked me about her. That class was a level above, so I thought, why not. One of the things that I quickly became aware of is how The Diary of Anne Frank is taught almost in a vacuum with some readers not fully realizing that with one exception everyone in the attic died. This caused many critical responses, including an excellent article called "Beyond Anne Frank". If the only thing that students are learning about the Holocaust is Anne Frank, then that is a huge disservice. The effects of the Holocaust are still felt today. Not only in the Middle East and Europe, but in other places. Two years ago, I was in Montreal and visited the Holocaust Museum there. The guide said that Montreal and Quebec were losing their Jewish population because of the independence/French debate, and how some saw an echo of Germany in it. If all students are taught about the Holocaust is Anne Frank and abstract numbers than they lack something vital. Students need to read other accounts.

Gertruda's Oath is a book that should be read in classes. It is an inspiring and moving story. It is compellingly told. It is a 4.5 star book, taking off .5 of a star because of Oren's facilitating of the narrative. I understand why he did it. It works; the book reads like a movie, but I minored in history and my personal biased runs against such style.

Gertruda's Oath is important for a several reasons. The first is that it presents a story of hiding outside of an attic or ghetto. This gives the reader another view to what was happening in the War. Gertruda and her charge hid in plain sight. The reader is taken though war torn Poland and shown how everyday people survived. They are showed all the risks -death, deportation, rape, robbery, torture, and arrest

The second is Rink. While the book mainly focuses on Gertruda and Michael, Oren includes a great deal about Rink, who in a brief and important moment, added Michael, allowing him to be undiscovered. Rink was married to a Jewess and sent his daughter to Palestine to keep her safe, but he was a SS officer who protected those he could. The inclusion of his story is important because it widens the picture of Germany and the Nazi party, and shows, to a degree, how such things could happen, why some people followed Hitler. I wish my students could have read this book because Oren's showcasing of Rink's internal conflict would've answered some of my student's questions.

The third reason is that the story speaks to people; it is about simple human love. Gertruda is a woman who does what is right because it is right. She is a resourceful woman. We need to hear more about real women like her. While some critics have pointed out that there seems to be many stories about Jews being saved and few stories about Jews saving each other (such as Defiance The Bielski Partisans) and this story fits that pattern, one has to wonder whether Michael, despite his young age, was the reason for Gertruda's own survival of the war. She had to keep going for him; he was strong for her. His mother, one could say, saved Gertruda.


The book should also get a mention because it covers the aftermath of the War, in particular the fact of those on The Exodus, a ship that took Holocaust survivors to Palestine, something the British did not want at the time. I knew very little about this event, and was shocked at the callous treatment of the survivors by the British. Not a proud moment for the Brits. Illegal immigrants or not, to send them back to Germany was not good. Oren also includes a nice coda about Michael trying to get his family's money back from a Swiss bank. The last few chapters take the reader beyond the Holocaust and into it's aftermath, an important reason to use it in class. An important reason for anyone to read it. It offers a large perspective on the whole sequence of events.

Gertruda's Oath is an important book. It is a book that should be read.

[Leslie Maughan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really great true story about a Catholic nanny of a Jewish child. She swears to his dying mother to keep him safe and get him to Israel after WWII. Some other subplots are told of people who impacted their story. Only reason I didn’t give it five stars is because it is a translated book, so it’s not beautiful prose. But the story is wonderful and true.

One line that really resonated with me, speaking of an SS officer and attacks on Jews:
"He loathed those attacks, but still believed they were merely pitfalls on the way to the goal."

[Terri · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the most engrossing books I have read in a long time; I could not put it down.

Generally I steer clear of World War II books because I know it was an horrific period and I don't want to dwell on the horrors of it in a book or a movie for that matter. So with trepidation I began reading this book.

Yes, the horror and hatred that one man can do to another with relish is here; the absolute devotion to Hitler and his final solution is eery and leaves you heartbroken. BUT the kindness and love of other characters in the book for mankind prevails in this book.

The love for family and humanity in a time of such horror and fear of the regime permeates this book.

The constant fear that the author, Ram Oren, allows you to experience through his excellent narration is sad and nerve wracking and yet the doctor who tirelessly and without any compensation loves his fellow man is triumphant.

Gertruda's Oath is an oath that takes her on a harrowing quest to find safety and life for her little charge, Michael Stolowitzky.

I absolutely recommend this incredibly written and translated book. The translation into English gives the reader a few quaint ways of saying things that further adds to the telling of this story.

[Shelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gertruda's Oath is a beautiful and tragic story about a young Jewish boy and his Catholic nanny, and those who helped them survive during the Nazi regime.

Written simply, it can be read in a few hours, but the lasting impression of Gertruda's devotion to her young charge, along with the characters that shape and influence their survival is tangible.

You begin reading, knowing that Michael is going to be saved and protected by Gertruda; knowing that the fate of his mother and father is destined to be tragic, and yet, Oren leaves you with enough hope that everything could work out for the loving, generous couple who dote on their son.

Even with the story told, I have a hard time imagining the things Gertruda and others suffered during the Nazi occupation of Poland and throughout Europe. I can't imagine the fear, the hunger and the desperation one must have felt during that time, as they struggle to survive.

Not only that, but this story is true. Jacob and Lydia, their son, Michael and his nanny along with countless heroes and bad guys are real people.

I recommend this book for everyone.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good story about a woman who did everything she could to protect the boy she nannied from the camps during the WW 2. It also includes a the story of a German soldier in the SS regime and his family. Reading books like this always make me wonder what kind of person would I turn out to be if faced with such a thing. Would I resign my fate to the mercy of others, would I give up and die, would I only think of myself and hurt others to survive or would I be the person people wrote about as a hero.

[Lynette · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know if I'm just burned out of reading WWII stories or if it was the writing style of this book, but I just didn't feel the same passion for this story as I have others in this genre. The very true story is very dramatic and amazing. Maybe it's because this is his first book but it felt like a reporter's account of this story. I never felt fully engaged. Whether that's my own problem or the author's, we may never know. I recommend the book. It's a good read-- just not my favorite so far.

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a true story of the Holocaust, a child, a promise and a heroic escape, a story of survival and strong character. I could not put it down!
The Stolowitzky family along with Gertruda Bablinska, the nanny, work their way through life in Poland and Russia during World War II. Some survive and many die, of course. The story also describes the Karl Rink family and their pain and suffering. Without spoiling the story itself, the author details betrayal, allegiance and dedication.

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was amazed at Gertruda's promise and dedication to Michael and happy at the resolution of this true story.


A lot of different stories that eventually, kind of come together. There were so many stories, and some little ones that really didn't have to do with the main story, it was a distracting format.

[Crystal · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't finish this one... but decided to post it anyways. It's a shame, because this is a great story, but the writing was so awful, and the dialogue so cheesy I just couldn't keep going. :(

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good and true story about the Holocaust and how a Catholic nanny saved a young Jewish boy and raised him as her own.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing true story about sacrifice, loyalty, and small kindnesses that put individuals at risk during a horrific time in our history.

[Nina · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of good and loving people, not only Gertruda, also, for instance, a Polish priest and a German SS-man, is unusal in many respects. First of all, because it is based on facts. None of the situations or characters are fictitious. Michael Stolowitzky is the author's close friend. One can complain that the form of the book is not well fit to non-fiction narrative, that it resembles a goodnight fairy tale for kids. However, it seems that this is the way Michael would like his chiildhood to be remembered, as story of love and goodness. (Unlike the English edition of Gertruda's Oath, its Polish subtitle refers to 'love and goodness').

Podtytuł polskiego wydania - inny niż Przysięgi Gertrudy w wersji angielskiej, która była podstawą polskiego tłumaczenia - brzmi: Opowieść o miłości i dobroci w czasie wojny i Zaglady

Książka niezwykła z kilku względów. Opowiada o miłości Polki do żydowskiego dziecka, którego przed wojną była niańką, i któremu po śmierci rodziców stała się matką. Gertruda przeżyła wraz z Michałem straszne czasy, najpierw w Wilnie, potem, już po wyzwoleniu, usiłując dostać się z nim do Palestyny. Wierna przysiędze złożonej na łożu śmierci bilogicznej matce chłopca, nie opuściła go aż do swej śmierci, tak jak przyrzekła - w Izraelu, który musiał ją przyjąć, mimo że była katoliczką. Bo tego chciał Michał.

Michał i Gertruda przeżyli okupację, bo ona była silna, nie poddawała się, a nawet pomagała ludziom z wileńskiego getta. Mieli szczęście, także dlatego, że trafili na dobrych ludzi, polskiego księdza i ... niemieckiego esesmana. Karlowi Rinkowi własnej ukochanej żony, Żydówki, nie udało się ocalić, córkę w ostatnim momencie wysłał z Berlina do Palestyny. Wcześniej do nazistów przyłączył się z przekonania, wierzył w Hitlera. Kiedy wyrwał z rąk swoich podwładnych esesmanów Michała i Gertrudę, potem, w Kownie, gdy pomagał innym Żydom, nie był jakimś wallenrodem w SS. Działał w odruchu miłości i dobroci.

Książka Orena Rama jest niezwykła przede wszystkim dlatego, że nie ma w niej ani jednej wymyślonej sceny, ani jednej fikcyjnej postaci. Gertruda Bablińska ma swoje drzewko w Yad Vashem. Karl Rink nie zdążył co prawda odwiedzić córkę w Izraelu, ala dano wiarę świadectwu Gertrudy i innych, że był przyzwoitym czlowiekiem. Michał Stołowicki, obecnie w Izraelu znany jako Michael Stolowitzky, jest przyjacielem autora. Można się zżymać, że popularnemu izraelskiemu pisarzowi nie całkiem udało się trafić z formą w tej opowieści o dobrych ludziach, że jej atmosfera i język są przesłodzone, niczym w bajkach opowiadanych dzieciom na dobranoc. Tak sobie myślę jednak, że jej prawdziwym autorem w dużym stopniu jest sam Michał, tak pewnie chciałby, abyśmy historię jego dzieciństwa w czasach zagłady zapamiętali. Dlatego, jeśli o mnie chodzi, ładunku emocjonalnego tej prawdziwej historii owa "niedoskonałość" formy przekazu nie jest w stanie osłabić.

Ponadto, moja znajomość co najmniej dwóch jeszcze obszarów, składających się na panoramę tamtych okrutnych czasów, była dotychczas powierzchowna. Niewiele bowiem wiedziałam o wileńskim getcie, o zdławionym tam w zarodku powstaniu. Z kolei o tym, że Brytyjczycy nie dopuszczali do ziemi Izraela transportów z uchodźcami, tymi którym udalo się przeżyć Holokaust, co nieco wiedziałam. Ale zupełnie co innego zobaczyć to od środka, od strony pasażerów brudnego, zatłoczonego statku, na który siłą wdzierają się brytyjscy komandosi, na którym ludzie najpierw umierają z głodu, potem giną od kul, i który zawracany jest z portu w Hajfie. To także były doświadczenia Michała i Gertrudy.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Esta novela, basada en hechos reales, trata sobre Gertruda, una mujer católica que hace de niñera de un niño judío adinerado llamado Michael Stolovitzky. Cuando la Segunda Guerra Mundial estalla, el padre de Michael, Jacob se encuentra en París y no puede reunirse con su familia en Polonia. Por lo que Lydia, la madre de Michael, decide huir con el niño, la niñera y el chófer. Cuando la madre de Michael muere, le hace prometer a Gertruda que llevará el niño a Israel y lo protegerá de los nazis. ¿Podrá Gertruda proteger a Michael de los nazis y llevarlo a Israel?

También nos habla de Karl Rink, un oficial de las SS casado con Mira, una mujer judía. Él no comparte la idea antisemita de sus compañeros, simplemente se unió al partido por el alto desempleo del país y porque en él financiaban el deporte (una de las mayores pasiones de Karl era el ciclismo). Sin embargo, llegará un momento en el que obligarán a Karl a elegir: su mujer y su hija o el partido. ¿Qué elegirá Karl?

Lo que más me ha gustado de esta novela es que de ella se puede aprender que el amor va más allá de la sangre o la religión, como es el caso de Gertruda y Michael, a la ideología de un partido o el antisemitismo de tu país, como es el caso de Karl y su familia.
Nos enseña que no todos los miembros de las SS eran antisemitas y que no todos compartían la ideología de Hitler, simplemente se unieron por pura necesidad.

Algo que no me ha gustado es la distribución de los capítulos. Son demasiado largos y encima se dividen en subapartados, en cada uno de ellos puede haber un protagonista diferente (Jacob Stolovitzky, Gertruda, Karl o su hija Elisheva). Yo habría hecho que cada subapartado fuera un capítulo. Y algunos hechos te los narraban poco, como la estada de Michael en la escuela católica, hubiera preferido que se desarrollara más esa parte.

Algo que tampoco me ha gustado es que no se cuenta el destino de algunos personajes, como el niño al que Gertruda le daba comida en el gueto de Vilna. Es decir, prefiero que me digan, "no sé supo cual fue su destino" a dejar de hablarme así de repente. Tampoco se sabe nada de Joseph Yakobovicth, cuyo hermano murió asesinado por los británicos cuando los asaltaron a bordo del Exodus. Es decir, se sabe que no murió en el barco ni cuando desembarcaron porque los demás pasajeros lo habrían visto, pero no sé sabe cual fue su destino. I en cambio, nos cuentan que fue del padre Grauel y el Exodus (que me dan igual, sobre todo el barco).

Aún así, es muy recomendable para aquellas personas que quieran saber sobre casos reales del Holocausto menos conocidos y como fue su destino a Israel a bordo del Exodus. Incluso hay un personaje homosexual (no hay ningún romance, simplemente, es un hombre al que se le declaran pero él rechaza porque no le gustan las mujeres y por eso no se ha casado).

[Katy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A true story that reads like a novel, just as the author intended. Gertruda is the Catholic nanny for a wealthy Jewish- Polish boy in the 1930s-40s. She becomes Michael's sole protector after his mother's death. Michael's father had disappeared while on a business trip to France. Despite his money and connections, he was prevented from returning to Poland due to the Nazi invasion of that country.
While the author's focus is upon Gertruda and Michael, another family adds interest to the story: a German SS Officer, his Jewish wife, and their daughter. It does not reveal too much to say that the Officer saves Michael's life at one point, as well has his daughter's, when he sends her to Palestine in the nick of time.
Although there is much that is shocking and sad in Oren's work, the reader is left with admiration for the heroism and compassion of Gertruda especially, but many others as well.
Translated from the Hebrew

[Elvis2 · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have made it to page 46 and that's more than enough. I've wanted to stop reading for about twenty pages but, because of so many glowing reviews, kept going hoping the book would improve. It's poorly written and a waste of precious reading time. I am always bothered by obvious fictional dialogue in what is purported to be a true story. That's what we have here. If an author fictionalizes conversations with abandon, what else is a lie? Shame on this author for ruining what should be a great story.

If you want to read books about the Holocaust that you will not be able to put down, try All But My Life or Gizelle, Save the Children.

[marcelinka ;--) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a story about Jewish boy and his nanny who protects him from Nazis and dangerous situantions in time of WW2. The plot is really touching.

Language of the book is simple and understandable for everyone so it's a plus for me.

It's a sensitive topic so there are obviously a lot of heartbreaking moments. I'm touched by the relation of the boy and the nanny. The book is based on the real people and situations so it's even more touching.

Love this book, cried a lot and definitely recommend it.

[jtpheb · Rating 4 out of 5]

A historical fiction about a woman and boy doing what they can to survive during WWII, and it has very sad and happy moments. This is a very important time in history to understand and this book lays out a lot of the struggles in an interesting and suspenseful narrative. It doesn't deal a lot with the Holocaust in a larger sense but it shows the moral struggles in this specific story. It contains some violence and sexual assault but it is generally clean.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This non-fiction novel transports you back to Poland before and during WWII. Michael Stolowitzky is the son of a wealthy businessman. His father traveled extensively. So he lives with his mother and his nanny Gertruda. When Michael's mother is ill ,she promised to always take care of Michael and to take him to Palestine.
What they endured during the next four years! What courage Gertruda showed during the worst days.
4.5 rating

[Shei · Rating 5 out of 5]

Historia real de una niñera que promete proteger al niño que tiene a su cargo, Michael, durante la Segunda guerra mundial en donde los judíos eran perseguidos para su exterminio por los alemanes, cuando queda huérfano de madre.
Historia llena de penurias y en la que gracias al buen quehacer de diferentes personajes, Gertruda puede cumplir con su promesa.
Drama con la que será difícil aguantar las lágrimas.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read a lot of WWII nonfiction books because I find it fascinating to understand another perspective or to know what was experienced in another corner of the world. This story was an amazing recounting of a Catholic nanny who watched over and saved the life of a Jewish boy in Poland during World War II when the mother died and father was separated from the family. It was worth reading.

[Donna Dobihal Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This amazing true story had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. One woman's immense courage and resiliency is apparent when she inadvertently finds herself the lone protector of the Jewish child in her care after Germany invades her country at the start of WWII. This memoir is remarkable; highly recommended.

[Aimee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading personal stories of survival and heroism during the Holocaust is always interesting. Nonetheless, it is difficult review and critique a nonfiction work such as this because the purpose of the story is to pay homage, show respect and possibly educate.