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I Will Protect You: A True Story of Twins Who Survived Auschwitz
The illuminating and deeply moving true story of twin sisters who survived Nazi experimentation, against all odds, during the Holocaust.
Eva and her identical twin sister, Miriam, had a mostly happy childhood. Theirs was the only Jewish family in their small village in the Transylvanian mountains, but they didn't think much of it until anti-Semitism reared its ugly head in their school. Then, in 1944, ten-year-old Eva and her family were deported to Auschwitz. At its gates, Eva and Miriam were separated from their parents and other siblings, selected as subjects for Dr. Mengele's infamous medical experiments.
During the course of the war, Mengele would experiment on 3,000 twins. Only 160 would survive--including Eva and Miriam.
Writing with her friend Danica Davidson, Eva reveals how two young girls were able to survive the unimaginable cruelty of the Nazi regime, while also eventually finding healing and the capacity to forgive. Spare and poignant, I Will Protect You is a vital memoir of survival, loss, and forgiveness.
Eva and her identical twin sister, Miriam, had a mostly happy childhood. Theirs was the only Jewish family in their small village in the Transylvanian mountains, but they didn't think much of it until anti-Semitism reared its ugly head in their school. Then, in 1944, ten-year-old Eva and her family were deported to Auschwitz. At its gates, Eva and Miriam were separated from their parents and other siblings, selected as subjects for Dr. Mengele's infamous medical experiments.
During the course of the war, Mengele would experiment on 3,000 twins. Only 160 would survive--including Eva and Miriam.
Writing with her friend Danica Davidson, Eva reveals how two young girls were able to survive the unimaginable cruelty of the Nazi regime, while also eventually finding healing and the capacity to forgive. Spare and poignant, I Will Protect You is a vital memoir of survival, loss, and forgiveness.
240 pages, Paperback
Published October 3, 2023
37 people are currently reading
1136 people want to read
About the author
Eva Mozes Kor
11 books133 followersEva Mozes Kor was a Romanian survivor of the Holocaust. Along with her twin sister Miriam, Kor was subjected to human experimentation at the Auschwitz concentration camp during World War II. She lost both of her parents and two older sisters to the Holocaust; only she and Miriam survived. Kor founded the organization CANDLES (an acronym for "Children of Auschwitz Nazi Deadly Lab Experiments Survivors") in 1984 and through this program located 122 other survivors. In 1984 Kor founded the CANDLES Holocaust Museum and Education Center to educate the public about eugenics, the Holocaust, and the power of forgiveness.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 102 reviews
August 18, 2022
I am so grateful that Eva was able to survive and tell her story. This is such an important book and it does something that I don't think happens enough in Holocaust literature for children.
First, this book goes out of its way to explain repeatedly that the Nazis were not original. They took ideas and hate towards Jews that had been circulating for thousands of years. The Nazis didn't invent Antisemitism. They just industrialized it.
Second, the book doesn't end once the camps were liberated. We get to follow Eva into adulthood and see how the experiences she suffered during the war affected her entire life. I think too often books for children want to end with liberation and then we're supposed to believe that they just lived happily ever after. This book chooses to show the reality, which is sometimes not as pretty.
Read my full review here: http://historybookbybook.com/I_Will_P...
First, this book goes out of its way to explain repeatedly that the Nazis were not original. They took ideas and hate towards Jews that had been circulating for thousands of years. The Nazis didn't invent Antisemitism. They just industrialized it.
Second, the book doesn't end once the camps were liberated. We get to follow Eva into adulthood and see how the experiences she suffered during the war affected her entire life. I think too often books for children want to end with liberation and then we're supposed to believe that they just lived happily ever after. This book chooses to show the reality, which is sometimes not as pretty.
Read my full review here: http://historybookbybook.com/I_Will_P...
April 28, 2022
This memoir is beautifully written and no words can do it true justice. Several parts were hard to get through without breaking down crying, but Eva and Miriam's bravery kept me reading on.
As a parent, it is hard to determine how and the right time to introduce the topic of the Holocaust to your children. I read this book with my elementary aged children prior to visiting the Holocaust museum in DC and it really helped my kids to understand what they would see. This book is very relatable to kids because it is the first hand experiences of Eva and Miriam being child survivors. The really dark parts aren't glossed over which is important, but seeing everything from a child's eyes helps lessen the scariest parts for child readers.
I am so thankful for people like Eva that are willing to share their stories so that future generations can learn from these horrible events and try to make the world a better place by showing respect and understanding others differences. My kids and hopefully many more will learn about Auschwitz and the Holocaust through reading this book.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing a copy of this ARC for my honest review.
As a parent, it is hard to determine how and the right time to introduce the topic of the Holocaust to your children. I read this book with my elementary aged children prior to visiting the Holocaust museum in DC and it really helped my kids to understand what they would see. This book is very relatable to kids because it is the first hand experiences of Eva and Miriam being child survivors. The really dark parts aren't glossed over which is important, but seeing everything from a child's eyes helps lessen the scariest parts for child readers.
I am so thankful for people like Eva that are willing to share their stories so that future generations can learn from these horrible events and try to make the world a better place by showing respect and understanding others differences. My kids and hopefully many more will learn about Auschwitz and the Holocaust through reading this book.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing a copy of this ARC for my honest review.
December 15, 2022
What a powerful punch this short book packs.
Eva and her twin sister Miriam, along with their family, are taken away to Birkenau in a Jewish transport. The two little girls witness many people being sent in one particular direction after reaching the camp; they are directed the other way. Eva soon figures out why; she and all the other sets of twins become the “lab rats” belonging to Dr. Joseph Mengele, for the purposes of his “experiments”. When he’s finished with them, they are left to die. However, this evil man did not reckon with the inner strength of this particular child he was torturing. Eva is determined that she and her twin will make it out of the concentration camp, together and alive…
As are all books about the Holocaust, this was a difficult book to read. It was also hard to put down, when one is reading about the courage little Eva demonstrated. Even more touching are the themes of love and forgiveness that are present in her later life, even toward Mengele himself.
This should be a must-read for middle-graders and older. It introduces the Nazi atrocities and aspects of the Holocaust without the gore and graphic detail in more adult books. Adult guidance would certainly be necessary even so.
Memorable Quotes:
(Pg.84)-“The word for him was aristocratic. This man had never known the struggles of a peasant. He looked like someone who’d spent his whole life being applauded by friends and family for how great he was, and now he believed every word of it. This was Dr. Mengele.”
(Pg 196)-“Respecting people does not mean you have to agree with them on everything. But you hear them out and they hear you out. When all respect is lost, then we reach extremes like Nazism.”
(Pg.199-“Mama’s embroidery was right. “Your mind is like a garden. Plant flowers so weeds can’t grow”.”
Wow.
Eva and her twin sister Miriam, along with their family, are taken away to Birkenau in a Jewish transport. The two little girls witness many people being sent in one particular direction after reaching the camp; they are directed the other way. Eva soon figures out why; she and all the other sets of twins become the “lab rats” belonging to Dr. Joseph Mengele, for the purposes of his “experiments”. When he’s finished with them, they are left to die. However, this evil man did not reckon with the inner strength of this particular child he was torturing. Eva is determined that she and her twin will make it out of the concentration camp, together and alive…
As are all books about the Holocaust, this was a difficult book to read. It was also hard to put down, when one is reading about the courage little Eva demonstrated. Even more touching are the themes of love and forgiveness that are present in her later life, even toward Mengele himself.
This should be a must-read for middle-graders and older. It introduces the Nazi atrocities and aspects of the Holocaust without the gore and graphic detail in more adult books. Adult guidance would certainly be necessary even so.
Memorable Quotes:
(Pg.84)-“The word for him was aristocratic. This man had never known the struggles of a peasant. He looked like someone who’d spent his whole life being applauded by friends and family for how great he was, and now he believed every word of it. This was Dr. Mengele.”
(Pg 196)-“Respecting people does not mean you have to agree with them on everything. But you hear them out and they hear you out. When all respect is lost, then we reach extremes like Nazism.”
(Pg.199-“Mama’s embroidery was right. “Your mind is like a garden. Plant flowers so weeds can’t grow”.”
Wow.
May 14, 2022
Wow. Every once in a while, you read a book that pierces you through the heart and changes it forever. Being a true story and dealing with the Holocaust, I knew this story would be emotional, but I truly didn’t expect it to affect me as strongly as it did. Learning of Eva Mozes Kor’s story and so many others like her, is as life-changing and heroic as Anne Frank’s story.
Before reading I WILL PROTECT YOU, I knew little about Dr. Mengele (known as The Angel of Death) and his genetic experiments and research on the young twin prisoners at the Auschwitz concentration camp. I’m baffled how he (and the countless other Nazis) could hate and hurt others so deeply and without remorse.
Although Eva and her twin sister Miriam were so young, they showed extraordinary strength and determination to survive the evil camp, but that’s not where the story ends. The healing that takes place afterwards gives the story a resolution of astonishing hope.
This book is painful to read. It tells of ungodly, horrific acts, but does so in as gracious a way as it can. But the antisemitism, indoctrination, death camps, selection process, gas chambers, and pure evil against humans by other humans like Mengele, Hitler, etc., sickens me.
I’m glad Eva was able to educate people on what happened at the concentration camps and to contribute to this book before her unexpected death while on one of her yearly trips to Auschwitz in 2019.
Disclosure: #CoverLoverBookReview received a complimentary copy of this book.
Before reading I WILL PROTECT YOU, I knew little about Dr. Mengele (known as The Angel of Death) and his genetic experiments and research on the young twin prisoners at the Auschwitz concentration camp. I’m baffled how he (and the countless other Nazis) could hate and hurt others so deeply and without remorse.
Although Eva and her twin sister Miriam were so young, they showed extraordinary strength and determination to survive the evil camp, but that’s not where the story ends. The healing that takes place afterwards gives the story a resolution of astonishing hope.
This book is painful to read. It tells of ungodly, horrific acts, but does so in as gracious a way as it can. But the antisemitism, indoctrination, death camps, selection process, gas chambers, and pure evil against humans by other humans like Mengele, Hitler, etc., sickens me.
I’m glad Eva was able to educate people on what happened at the concentration camps and to contribute to this book before her unexpected death while on one of her yearly trips to Auschwitz in 2019.
Disclosure: #CoverLoverBookReview received a complimentary copy of this book.
May 13, 2022
Review to come. But all I have to say is go and read this book and share it with the world.
Thank you Hachette Audio for the review copy.
Thank you Hachette Audio for the review copy.
September 17, 2022
Your mind is like a garden. Plant flowers so weeds can’t grow 🌸 🌺
September 19, 2025
I WILL PROTECT YOU is the autobiography of Eva Mozez Kor, an identical twin who suffered under Dr Mengele in Auschwitz along with her twin Miriam. The twins lived under nazi rule from ages nine until eleven. The four other members of their immediate family did not survive.
When I read THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK as a tween, most of the book went over my head. I would have better understood I WILL PROTECT YOU at age nine, my first attempt at Anne Frank’s masterpiece after I visited her house in Amsterdam.
I WILL PROTECT YOU is more relatable to middle grade readers, although it’s just as appropriate for all ages. As an adult, I didn’t feel like I was reading a children’s book.
When I read THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK as a tween, most of the book went over my head. I would have better understood I WILL PROTECT YOU at age nine, my first attempt at Anne Frank’s masterpiece after I visited her house in Amsterdam.
I WILL PROTECT YOU is more relatable to middle grade readers, although it’s just as appropriate for all ages. As an adult, I didn’t feel like I was reading a children’s book.
July 23, 2022
Teaching children about the Holocaust is hard, because so many of the horrors are so harsh and over the top. Many schools have been teaching the Holocaust by having kids read "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas", by a German boy who has no idea what is going on. Yet that glorifies ignorant innocence and absolves any possible guilt without acknowledging the complicity implied by that willful innocence. "I will Protect You" is much better. It centers on one girl's experiences, and in a child-appropriate way doesn't shy away from the long history of anti-Semitism, the propaganda that inflamed it, or the complicity of their friends and neighbors in their abuse. Eva and her twin sister. alone out of their whole family, survived the horrors of Auschwitz, but remained scarred for life both emotionally and physically by Dr Mengele's horrific experiments. I hadn't realized that Dr Mengele was never prosecuted for any of his crimes, and lived a free man. Yet the end is also important: despite the horrors, Eva chose to forgive Dr Mengele - not because he deserved it, or because he *ever* expressed any remorse, but to release herself of the burden of hate and anger she had carried for so many years. This is what ultimately makes this a hopeful book for children.
March 8, 2022
I read this book in one sitting. What a beautiful book for children, and I know that Eva would have been very proud of the finished piece. What I like about this book is that it doesn't sugarcoat anything revolving around the Holocaust and yet is still written in a way that is easy for a younger audience to read and understand. When I was in school, we had to read Night by Elie Wiesel, which was too difficult for me and so I didn't appreciate it until I read it again as an adult. This book is a lot like Night, only in a format that I think young children can resonate more with.
Eva and Miriam's story of survival in Auschwitz is a unique one. They survived the first day because they were identical twins, and Mengele was obsessed with running experiments on twins. Eva and Miriam were used as test subjects for diseases which is horrible, but it gave them leverage in the camp to be kept alive. After the camp was liberated, they had almost no one left, and their parents and two other sisters probably didn't even survive the first day there. Since she was a child herself when she was taken to the camp, Eva became passionate about teaching children about the Holocaust, and this children's book was part of that educational dream. Even though she began to heal and forgive, she never completely healed from the trauma. I don't know how she could.
I have been to Dachau camp in Germany and reading survivor stories hurts me on such a new level now since I have such a vivid image of the camps. The voice in this book is very simple and matter-of-fact for children, and even though I am not a crier, this book made me cry by the end. Also, reading Survivor stories is important, but make sure your reading also includes Jewish joy and resilience because that is just as important.
Thank you to netgalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
Eva and Miriam's story of survival in Auschwitz is a unique one. They survived the first day because they were identical twins, and Mengele was obsessed with running experiments on twins. Eva and Miriam were used as test subjects for diseases which is horrible, but it gave them leverage in the camp to be kept alive. After the camp was liberated, they had almost no one left, and their parents and two other sisters probably didn't even survive the first day there. Since she was a child herself when she was taken to the camp, Eva became passionate about teaching children about the Holocaust, and this children's book was part of that educational dream. Even though she began to heal and forgive, she never completely healed from the trauma. I don't know how she could.
I have been to Dachau camp in Germany and reading survivor stories hurts me on such a new level now since I have such a vivid image of the camps. The voice in this book is very simple and matter-of-fact for children, and even though I am not a crier, this book made me cry by the end. Also, reading Survivor stories is important, but make sure your reading also includes Jewish joy and resilience because that is just as important.
Thank you to netgalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
January 2, 2024
This is the story of Eva Mozes Kor and her twin sister Miriam. The twins were among those selected for experimentation by Dr. Mengele in Auschwitz. The two little girls, among the others, had to undergo terrible experiments without knowing what was going on. The experiments were sometimes very painful. Eva was the more outgoing of the twins and was the protector. She did what she could to help Miriam survive the tests she had to undertake while at the same time surviving herself. Death meant death for the other twin.
Since this book was written for younger readers, the experiments are not related in graphic terms; but the idea is still there.
Since this book was written for younger readers, the experiments are not related in graphic terms; but the idea is still there.
April 9, 2024
More in depth view of Eva Mozes Kor's experiences growing up and surviving Auschwitz. The ending and her written speech for the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz was beautiful and moved me to tears. I loved the part where she said children from all over the United States fundraised money to help her reopen her CANDLES museum in Indianapolis when it was burned down by a hateful person.
I loved the part where she says she focuses her talks on children to prevent future atrocities from happening.
I recommend her books for everyone to read and I am interested in watching her documentaries. Her life was truly worthwhile and her dedication to education, respect, peace is admirable for generations to come.
I loved the part where she says she focuses her talks on children to prevent future atrocities from happening.
I recommend her books for everyone to read and I am interested in watching her documentaries. Her life was truly worthwhile and her dedication to education, respect, peace is admirable for generations to come.
June 8, 2024
This was a fascinating book and would be a perfect read to introduce young adults to the horrors and happenings of World War II and the atrocity to the Jews. Eva and Miriam are 10 year old Jewish twins. When their family is taken to Auschwitz, their parents and 2 older sisters are immediately taken to the gas chamber, but the twins are diverted to Joseph Mengele to be used for experimentation. This nonfiction biography story tells the horrors they faced, their bravery in fighting to each stay alive, and their final release. Definitely an eye opening and heartbreaking read that will help young adults understand the evils of war.
February 4, 2023
Eva tells the story of how she and her twin sister survived the medical experiments in the concentration camp.
Read
September 4, 2024I have not read a book in 2 days in soooooo long but this one sucked me in. Before I knew it, I was almost halfway through. Definitely one to read!
May 1, 2023
The story of two young twins who survived Auschwitz and Mengele's experiments. The girls were around the age of ten during the Holocaust, giving their perspective a fascinating look into the perspective and awareness of children. The book is also aimed at children and despite that, it doesn't pull its punches when describing the twins' experience, making this a wonderful introduction to the topic for a young audience. The later portion of the book also looked into life after the Holocaust for survivors, specifically Eva's powerful perception of forgiveness
November 9, 2025
5 ⭐️ What comes across as a simplified version of the retelling of the holocaust is actually what makes this book a bold statement. Eva Mozes Kor speaks to children on this topic as those are the ones who will make the most of her words and actually hear her for what this is: a survival story of a dark time in our history. Submerged into this memoir easily I couldn’t put it down. Her gumption and will to live are inspiring. She amazed me in every way. Recommend for all ages.
October 4, 2025
Audible - 5⭐️ While the actor/narrator was perfect, this is one of those books that I really think should be read. This was written for a preteen at a preteen level. It is a fascinating, terrible, heartbreaking yet beautiful biography of a time in history that should never, ever be forgotten.
March 25, 2024
This middle grade memoir does a great job explaining the Holocaust, the events and mindset that led to it, and what survival after requires.
July 13, 2022
I think this book should be read by every kid who is 12 and up. It's very important for the generations to come that this huge part of history be passed on.
November 8, 2022
Upon first inspection, I Will Protect You felt perhaps like an overly-simplified Holocaust memoir. But as I proceeded to the end, and to Eva Mozes Kor's purpose in sharing her memoir with children, I see her bold choice to speak to those most likely to listen. Her words and memories of her time in Auschwitz are written here to help children relate, feel a place in her story, without the overwhelming fear or worry that such a story could illicit. Her message is one of memory, of hope, and of healing for a world that needs it. She inspires us not only to "never forget," but to look further to how we can respect and CHANGE the future for the better. Her story and this book go a long way toward that mission and she has left a piece of herself that exceeds any power the Nazis had or will ever have. Dark can not survive the light. This book is an invitation to seek the light, share the light, and never return to the shadows of the past.
"Some places teach tolerance to prevent hatred. I prefer respect. I think if we learn to respect one another in the first place, this will prevent many terrible things from happening. Respecting people does not mean you have to agree with them on everything. But you hear them out and they hear you out. When all respect is lost, then we reach extremes like Nazism."
"Whoever thinks children can't do amazing things doesn't know children very well."
"Your mind is like a garden. Plant flowers so weeds can't grow."
Read as a nomination in the non-fiction book award category as a panelist for Children's and Young Adult Bloggers' Literary Awards (Cybils Awards).
"Some places teach tolerance to prevent hatred. I prefer respect. I think if we learn to respect one another in the first place, this will prevent many terrible things from happening. Respecting people does not mean you have to agree with them on everything. But you hear them out and they hear you out. When all respect is lost, then we reach extremes like Nazism."
"Whoever thinks children can't do amazing things doesn't know children very well."
"Your mind is like a garden. Plant flowers so weeds can't grow."
Read as a nomination in the non-fiction book award category as a panelist for Children's and Young Adult Bloggers' Literary Awards (Cybils Awards).
July 27, 2021
Powerful story of Eva and Miriam Mozes, who were taken to Auschwitz and experimented on by Mengele. They survived. The storytelling style of this book, written as a collaboration between Kor and writer Danica Davidson, is stark, almost numb, and is a remarkably effective communication of events that are so inhumane as to be hard to believe. Eva's extraordinary will to survive and her furious inner life underpin the litany of terrible experiences, and give the memoir life. I love that this book speaks to survival on a physical level, but also, later, to how Eva came to better mental health and a place of healing.
I'm annoyed that the cover currently only lists Kor as the author, but I really appreciate the collaboration between Davidson and Kor is discussed extensively and openly both before and after the main text.
Advanced Readers' Copy provided by Edelweiss.
I'm annoyed that the cover currently only lists Kor as the author, but I really appreciate the collaboration between Davidson and Kor is discussed extensively and openly both before and after the main text.
Advanced Readers' Copy provided by Edelweiss.
January 19, 2023
True story of how twins were used for experiments at Auschwitz - Birkenau. One twin was the test subject and the other used for baseline. The author was one twin who survived and is her story. One of the most insightful things I got out of the story, besides another look at the horrors Jewish people faced at the hands of the Nazis, was about forgiveness. Eva said to use "forgiveness as a way to heal ourselves". The acts of the Nazis are not to be forgotten, forgiven, pardoned or excused - "forgive them not because they deserve it, but because I deserve it". Some interesting narrative by the author to end the audiobook. 6 out of 10.
April 2, 2023
Well written kids book on the Holocaust
January 2, 2024
This was a very fast read, and after reading it I'm convinced it was written with young people in mind. It is the story of Eva & Miriam, Jewish twins, eleven years old, who are bullied in their town, then taken with their family to Auschwitz. Because they were identical twins, they were chosen by Dr. Mengele as subjects for his scientific experiments, the rest of the family was killed immediately.
Once again, I am saddened, no, sickened by man's inhumanity to man. This must not be forgotten. Even with the knowledge of the holocaust, hatred between peoples continues, including atrocities. This is a very sad but important story.
Near the end of the book is a chapter called "Flowers in the Garden" in which Eva talks about the healing power of forgiveness in her life:
"I believe fully that if you are being attacked, you have every right to defend yourself. You don't have to sit back and take abuse. But if the trauma is over and still controls your whole life, I feel you have a right to heal yourself."
Eva forgave, she "no longer let myself hate him [Mengele] because that keeps him on my mind and gives him power over me. By not letting him hurt me anymore, I let myself continue my life and no longer feel like a trapped victim. For me, forgiveness is about PERSONAL HEALING.
After this, she says she "became a new Eva."
This gives me hope. In the darkest times of our lives, we likely are not facing the agony and terrors of these two young girls, but we still have troubles. Healing, and even forgiveness, is possible.
5 stars because it is simply written and told, but an important story.
Once again, I am saddened, no, sickened by man's inhumanity to man. This must not be forgotten. Even with the knowledge of the holocaust, hatred between peoples continues, including atrocities. This is a very sad but important story.
Near the end of the book is a chapter called "Flowers in the Garden" in which Eva talks about the healing power of forgiveness in her life:
"I believe fully that if you are being attacked, you have every right to defend yourself. You don't have to sit back and take abuse. But if the trauma is over and still controls your whole life, I feel you have a right to heal yourself."
Eva forgave, she "no longer let myself hate him [Mengele] because that keeps him on my mind and gives him power over me. By not letting him hurt me anymore, I let myself continue my life and no longer feel like a trapped victim. For me, forgiveness is about PERSONAL HEALING.
After this, she says she "became a new Eva."
This gives me hope. In the darkest times of our lives, we likely are not facing the agony and terrors of these two young girls, but we still have troubles. Healing, and even forgiveness, is possible.
5 stars because it is simply written and told, but an important story.
December 1, 2022
I have had the opportunity to read several books about WW2 in general and the Holocaust (Shoah) specifically. Sometimes I feel as though that I have saturated myself in the subject matter, meaning that I do not need to read one more book. Kor, however, persuaded me that there are perspectives that still need to be shared. She and her twin sister Miriam where studied (tortured) by the infamous Dr. Mengele as part of his twins study.
She is able to witness to her experience as a member of a Jewish family living in Romania who were transported to Auschwitz and separated. She later learned that her parents and other siblings died at Auschwitz, but she and her sister survived along with several other children, primarily because they were research subjects who underwent cruel experiments. Her twin died decades later (1993) from kidney cancer that very well may have been caused by the many injections (of unknown-to-her substances) at the hands of her captors.
Yes, the subject matter is alarming, but the point of view comes from a young person and the language is simple enough for readers aged 9 to 13 to understand. I agree that if we do not study our history, we are condemned to repeat it. Eva describes the bigotry she endured at the hands of non-Jews before she and her family were sent to a concentration camp. She also describes how her small museum in Terre Haute, Indiana was firebombed in 2003 by anti-Semites in the US in the 21st Century.
Bigotry that often leads to violence and death is STILL a problem that needs to be addressed.
She is able to witness to her experience as a member of a Jewish family living in Romania who were transported to Auschwitz and separated. She later learned that her parents and other siblings died at Auschwitz, but she and her sister survived along with several other children, primarily because they were research subjects who underwent cruel experiments. Her twin died decades later (1993) from kidney cancer that very well may have been caused by the many injections (of unknown-to-her substances) at the hands of her captors.
Yes, the subject matter is alarming, but the point of view comes from a young person and the language is simple enough for readers aged 9 to 13 to understand. I agree that if we do not study our history, we are condemned to repeat it. Eva describes the bigotry she endured at the hands of non-Jews before she and her family were sent to a concentration camp. She also describes how her small museum in Terre Haute, Indiana was firebombed in 2003 by anti-Semites in the US in the 21st Century.
Bigotry that often leads to violence and death is STILL a problem that needs to be addressed.
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July 16, 2023Not sure how to rate this one. It's a powerful and important memoir that asks its readers to think critically about patterns of genocide and hate speech, but it also refuses to address the genocide against Palestine by the apartheid state of Israel.
The book does a good job of showing complexities in the humanization (not in an apologetic way, just in showing how horrible people were humans not supernatural evil beings) of the axis powers and the cruelties and flaws of the allied powers (such as in refusing to allow Jewish refugees to escape into their nations) EXCEPT when discussing Palestine (which the book does frequently). Readers would do well to use the critical thinking skills taught in this book to examine the book's own portrayal of the creation of Israel as that of taking uninhabited land and without its own ongoing genocide (views that do not reflect recorded history). Within that lense of understanding this narrative's own prejudices, I do think this book is a critical read.
Reading real stories about real people who experienced genocide instead of fictional, made-to-sell, pajamified, anti-semetic stories (looking at you, Boy in the Striped Pajamas >:( ) is essential especially for young readers in a world where too many people in power want to censor and pretend that patterns of oppression, hate, and genocide as well as those of survival, healing, and own voices don't exist.
The book does a good job of showing complexities in the humanization (not in an apologetic way, just in showing how horrible people were humans not supernatural evil beings) of the axis powers and the cruelties and flaws of the allied powers (such as in refusing to allow Jewish refugees to escape into their nations) EXCEPT when discussing Palestine (which the book does frequently). Readers would do well to use the critical thinking skills taught in this book to examine the book's own portrayal of the creation of Israel as that of taking uninhabited land and without its own ongoing genocide (views that do not reflect recorded history). Within that lense of understanding this narrative's own prejudices, I do think this book is a critical read.
Reading real stories about real people who experienced genocide instead of fictional, made-to-sell, pajamified, anti-semetic stories (looking at you, Boy in the Striped Pajamas >:( ) is essential especially for young readers in a world where too many people in power want to censor and pretend that patterns of oppression, hate, and genocide as well as those of survival, healing, and own voices don't exist.
July 9, 2022
This book for middle grade readers is a powerful and chilling firsthand account of survival from the brutal Auschwitz concentration camp during WWII. Eva Mozes recounts the time she and her twin sister Miriam spent at the camp. Since they were twins, they were separated from the rest of the captives so that Dr. Joseph Mengele...the “Angel of death” could do experiments on them. Despite the cruelty, starvation, and deprivation Eva and Miriam were exposed to by Mengele, they survived. They emigrated to the US and lived their lives. Eva spent her later years educating others by sharing her story and spreading her message of forgiveness.
While there are many adult books written by Holocaust survivors, few are written for children. It is not an easy read. It makes the reader sad, scared, uncomfortable, and angry. But it is an important book about an important time in history. A time we should always remember. Because it is through the open minds of children that we can change points of view about the world for the better and stop such horrors from happening again.
Spare and well written, this book should be part of every classroom discussion about the Holocaust.
While there are many adult books written by Holocaust survivors, few are written for children. It is not an easy read. It makes the reader sad, scared, uncomfortable, and angry. But it is an important book about an important time in history. A time we should always remember. Because it is through the open minds of children that we can change points of view about the world for the better and stop such horrors from happening again.
Spare and well written, this book should be part of every classroom discussion about the Holocaust.
April 22, 2022
What an unbelievably powerful memoir about Eva and Miriam Mozes. The pair survived the atrocities of Dr Mengele at Auschwitz.
I find myself struggling to grasp at words that accurately depict how moving and heartbreaking I Will Protect You is. It's dark and gruesome, but offers a ray of hope at the end. Eva displayed so much strength and wisdom at such a young age and dedicated her life to spreading knowledge about the Holocaust to others. Sadly, she didn't get to see the final product of this book being released, but I just know that she would be so proud of it.
Anti semitism and the Holocaust are extremely difficult and sensitive topics to cover in books geared towards children. But I think Danica Davidson took such care in conveying the darkness in an age appropriate way. This would be a book I would suggest to be required reading in middle school classrooms.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a free digital copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.
I find myself struggling to grasp at words that accurately depict how moving and heartbreaking I Will Protect You is. It's dark and gruesome, but offers a ray of hope at the end. Eva displayed so much strength and wisdom at such a young age and dedicated her life to spreading knowledge about the Holocaust to others. Sadly, she didn't get to see the final product of this book being released, but I just know that she would be so proud of it.
Anti semitism and the Holocaust are extremely difficult and sensitive topics to cover in books geared towards children. But I think Danica Davidson took such care in conveying the darkness in an age appropriate way. This would be a book I would suggest to be required reading in middle school classrooms.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a free digital copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.
August 17, 2022
This is a book that I plan on buying and making my kids read. Told from the perspective of Eva Mozes Kor as a young child, with her twin sister, Miriam--I Will Protect You is Eva's story of how she vowed to protect her sister in the midst of the Holocaust.
Eva and Miriam were just two of the twins taken for experiments by Dr. Mengele at Auschwitz. At the time the girls were merely nine years old, taken from their father, mother, and two sisters, and were subjected to horrible, life-altering experiments.
The whole point of Eva's life in her later years was to educate people of what the Holocaust was really like. It was to help people understand so that history wouldn't be repeated.
This book, although geared for younger readers, is appropriate for all ages. It definitely made me feel--sadness, anger, grief... And it will be a book I suggest to anyone who would like to know more about the horrors of the holocaust.
Eva and Miriam were just two of the twins taken for experiments by Dr. Mengele at Auschwitz. At the time the girls were merely nine years old, taken from their father, mother, and two sisters, and were subjected to horrible, life-altering experiments.
The whole point of Eva's life in her later years was to educate people of what the Holocaust was really like. It was to help people understand so that history wouldn't be repeated.
This book, although geared for younger readers, is appropriate for all ages. It definitely made me feel--sadness, anger, grief... And it will be a book I suggest to anyone who would like to know more about the horrors of the holocaust.
October 29, 2022
I'm so glad I got to read this book. Most of my knowledge of the Holocuast started with Anne Frank and went from there. This book is not only for children. Adults will find this a very good read. Simple enough to follow without sugarcoating the atrocities that Eva and her twin sister Miriam had no choice but to witness and endure.
The aim of this book is to not only educate kids on the Holocaust and its horrors, but it also serves as a lesson in forgiveness and respect. Older children will benefit the most from reading this book. I hope you make this book an addition to your child's reading list. It is survivors like Eva and the stories they tell and leave behind that are extremely important in a world that seems to be heading back into the same dark world that Eva, her sister and many other children of the 1940's grew up in.
The aim of this book is to not only educate kids on the Holocaust and its horrors, but it also serves as a lesson in forgiveness and respect. Older children will benefit the most from reading this book. I hope you make this book an addition to your child's reading list. It is survivors like Eva and the stories they tell and leave behind that are extremely important in a world that seems to be heading back into the same dark world that Eva, her sister and many other children of the 1940's grew up in.
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