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The Story of Blima: A Holocaust Survivor
In 1941, Blima Weisstuch was a young Jewish woman going about her life in a city in Poland.
She paid no heed to the stories about a man named Adolf Hitler, his Nazi Party, and their plan for a world that did not include Jews.
But almost overnight her ordinary life was gone, replaced by a nightmare world of terror and death. Millions of people disappeared into the horror of the Holocaust. But Blima's story survives. It is told here by her daughter, Shirley Russak Wachtel.
133 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2005
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468 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
July 31, 2018
I very much enjoyed this book, primarily because of how it was broken down into three particular periods of time: life before the Holocaust, life at the concentration camps during the Holocaust, and life after surviving the Holocaust. Shirley Russak Wachtel tells the story of her Jewish mother, Blima Weisstuch, who was kidnapped, held as a prisoner, and tortured during World War II. While I thought this story skipped around and was missing details, which is acceptable since Shirley wrote about what her mother experienced during the war, I did learn new, horrific facts about these people who suffered but were somehow strong enough to survive under Adolf Hitler.
May 17, 2025
Love History- This is a story you don’t want to miss.
Blima, a young Jewish woman, survives the horror of the Holocaust. When taken by the soldiers, Blima hears her mom’s screams. This is the last time she will hear her mom’s voice.
This is her story told by her daughter Shirley Russak Wachtel.
Blima, a young Jewish woman, survives the horror of the Holocaust. When taken by the soldiers, Blima hears her mom’s screams. This is the last time she will hear her mom’s voice.
This is her story told by her daughter Shirley Russak Wachtel.
April 23, 2010
this is an amezing book is the true story of blima during the holocaust and she works in a bakery with her aunt she is very conected with her family they are very reunited until one day when blima was coming from her aunt bakery she was taken away by the nazis in front of her mom and the last words she heard from her mom was she scream her name and when she got to one of the camp she found and old friend of hers so she felt a little better knowing she wasn't going to be al alone in that camp she learn how to sew and foun a woman her name was grizella and she saved her from starvation eventhough she was one of the commadeers in the camp. then they were moved to another camp in where she finds her sister in-law and she was so happy to see but she was sick she could hardly move the conditions on the camp was horry many people died. she and her sister-in law survived the camp and they finally got liberated they went to live together. at the end blima learnsa that her mom and dad didn't survive but later on she gets marry and she moves to america and starts a new life she had two kids and she and her husband died.
February 21, 2021
One of the better memoirs of the Holocaust that I've read in a while. Simple storytelling and sparse writing gives it a rawness that penetrates into the soul more than other Holocaust books I've read.
April 2, 2018
The book, “The Story of Blima: A Holocaust Survivor” was a book that piqued my interest when I saw its title. Initially, I was interested in the book because of it being described as a “true story” that happened to a real person. What was also interesting about this book was the fact that it was of the historical genre, and conveniently, I was looking for a historical book to read, so the fact that the book clearly aligned with my interests and was also a beneficiary read, made me decide to read “The Story of Blima: A Holocaust Survivor.”
The author of this book was Shirley Russak Wachtel, who also happened to be the daughter of the main character, Blima Weisstuch. The book was published on the 1st of May in 2005, and lies within the biographical history genre. In some points of view, it can also be seen as a historical memoir.
“The Story of Blima: A Holocaust Survivor,” was a book full of many emotions that made me feel one thing one one page, and another thing on the next. Despite being a short book, just halfway over 100 pages, Blima’s story was very powerful and heartbreaking to read. I appreciated the fact that we had so many glimpses of Blima’s town and home life, and also of Blima especially, who was a really strong character that I admire. I opened this book hoping that I could gain some information about the Holocaust and World War II, but I was glad I got much more than that. I got to learn of Blima inspirational story of living a normal life, to being imprisoned for many years, and back to being liberated. The book combined many horrifying facts of the Holocaust, but also focused a lot on Blima and who she was as a person, and her struggle to survive within a concentration camp, and learning to pick up the pieces of her life once the war ended. It wasn’t just a book about Blima’s pain and struggle, but also of her life before the war, and her life afterwards. All in all, “The Story of Blima: A Holocaust Survivor” was a very heartfelt book that I think everyone should read.
The main theme within this book is clearly the dark times within World War II in which Hitler was in control and took many jews hostage in concentration camps. The author speaks of this theme in the second part of the book, where she discusses Blima’s life in camp and how she has to work as a seamstress for German soldiers, while also trying to stay alive. While the clear main theme is of the horrific time of the Holocaust, I think the central idea within “The Story of Blima: A Holocaust Survivor,” is much deeper than just the war and the camps. To me, the central ideas was to focus on the specific story of Blima Weisstuch, a survivor of the Holocaust who was much more than just her time in the concentration camp. In the beginning, we see Blima for who she is, as a helper in her aunt’s bakery, an older sister and fellow twin, and although bright, sometimes insecure woman. In the war, we see how she is reduced to nothing but a number, where she is stripped of everything, her family, her home, and is put into a situation where the only thing that drives her struggle to stay alive is the memories of her loved ones. Lastly, we see Blima, a woman liberated from war, who although scarred and distraught, survives, regroups with her family, moves on, and learns to love again when she marries her husband. To me, the central idea of this book was to focus on Blima and her story, before and after the war, and to share her story in a way where Blima was not just a person who suffered from the war, but a strong person who survived it.
Although there were many shocking moments within “The Story of Blima: A Holocaust Survivor,” the one moment that stood out greatly to me was in the second chapter of the book, where Blima is put into a concentration camp and forced to work. Blima speaks of this moment in her story when she states, “‘Can you sew?’ She asks me the same question she has asked each girl down the line. I remember Clara’s advice and swiftly reply, “Yes, Commandant.’ I have no clue how to sew even a sock, but I tell her I can” (Wachtel 67). The reason I chose this scene as my stand out moment was because of how brave Blima was in this specific scene. Despite being in fear, Blima smoothly lies to the commandant about her ability to be able to sew, even though she has no knowledge of how to work the machines. Blima manages to catch on in a matter of days and is able to perfectly stitch up shirts and uniforms, all to make sure she is able to survive. I thought this was very inspiring, and also shocking, because reading that made me fear for Blima’s life, for I thought if the camp guards found out she was lying about her capabilities, something bad would have happened to her. To put it simply, I chose this moment within “The Story of Blima: A Holocaust Survivor,” because it was a moment that shocked me, made me fear for Blima’s life, but also made me appreciate how brave of a woman Blima was.
The author of this book, Shirley Russak Wachtel, who is also the daughter of the book’s main character, Blima, had a unique writing style throughout the book that I really appreciated. For one, the book was separated into three parts, Blima’s life before the war, in the middle of the war, and after it. I liked this format because we got to learn a lot about Blima’s character before she was imprisoned, and also after. One thing I was surprised by was how well rounded the plot was. The book was close to halfway over a hundred pages, so when I hit the halfway mark and we were barely at the beginning of the war, I suspected that I would not get much closure at the end of the book and that I would have a couple questions that would remain unanswered. However, despite my initial apprehension, there was none of that within the book. Shirley wrote in a way that easily explained all of the situations in the book, without anything seeming rushed or an important scene being glazed over. I appreciated the use of vivid word choice Shirley had in some scenes, where she painted the setting and the characters and emotions very explicitly to the point like I felt as if I were there with them. I also enjoyed the way the author wrote Blima’s character, who despite going through so much, remained positive and headstrong throughout her entire journey. All in all, I enjoyed how thoroughly detailed Shirley was in “The Story of Blima: A Holocaust Survivor,” and how she made it easy to fall into this book and its characters, without taking the spotlight away from the book’s main message and content.
The author of this book was Shirley Russak Wachtel, who also happened to be the daughter of the main character, Blima Weisstuch. The book was published on the 1st of May in 2005, and lies within the biographical history genre. In some points of view, it can also be seen as a historical memoir.
“The Story of Blima: A Holocaust Survivor,” was a book full of many emotions that made me feel one thing one one page, and another thing on the next. Despite being a short book, just halfway over 100 pages, Blima’s story was very powerful and heartbreaking to read. I appreciated the fact that we had so many glimpses of Blima’s town and home life, and also of Blima especially, who was a really strong character that I admire. I opened this book hoping that I could gain some information about the Holocaust and World War II, but I was glad I got much more than that. I got to learn of Blima inspirational story of living a normal life, to being imprisoned for many years, and back to being liberated. The book combined many horrifying facts of the Holocaust, but also focused a lot on Blima and who she was as a person, and her struggle to survive within a concentration camp, and learning to pick up the pieces of her life once the war ended. It wasn’t just a book about Blima’s pain and struggle, but also of her life before the war, and her life afterwards. All in all, “The Story of Blima: A Holocaust Survivor” was a very heartfelt book that I think everyone should read.
The main theme within this book is clearly the dark times within World War II in which Hitler was in control and took many jews hostage in concentration camps. The author speaks of this theme in the second part of the book, where she discusses Blima’s life in camp and how she has to work as a seamstress for German soldiers, while also trying to stay alive. While the clear main theme is of the horrific time of the Holocaust, I think the central idea within “The Story of Blima: A Holocaust Survivor,” is much deeper than just the war and the camps. To me, the central ideas was to focus on the specific story of Blima Weisstuch, a survivor of the Holocaust who was much more than just her time in the concentration camp. In the beginning, we see Blima for who she is, as a helper in her aunt’s bakery, an older sister and fellow twin, and although bright, sometimes insecure woman. In the war, we see how she is reduced to nothing but a number, where she is stripped of everything, her family, her home, and is put into a situation where the only thing that drives her struggle to stay alive is the memories of her loved ones. Lastly, we see Blima, a woman liberated from war, who although scarred and distraught, survives, regroups with her family, moves on, and learns to love again when she marries her husband. To me, the central idea of this book was to focus on Blima and her story, before and after the war, and to share her story in a way where Blima was not just a person who suffered from the war, but a strong person who survived it.
Although there were many shocking moments within “The Story of Blima: A Holocaust Survivor,” the one moment that stood out greatly to me was in the second chapter of the book, where Blima is put into a concentration camp and forced to work. Blima speaks of this moment in her story when she states, “‘Can you sew?’ She asks me the same question she has asked each girl down the line. I remember Clara’s advice and swiftly reply, “Yes, Commandant.’ I have no clue how to sew even a sock, but I tell her I can” (Wachtel 67). The reason I chose this scene as my stand out moment was because of how brave Blima was in this specific scene. Despite being in fear, Blima smoothly lies to the commandant about her ability to be able to sew, even though she has no knowledge of how to work the machines. Blima manages to catch on in a matter of days and is able to perfectly stitch up shirts and uniforms, all to make sure she is able to survive. I thought this was very inspiring, and also shocking, because reading that made me fear for Blima’s life, for I thought if the camp guards found out she was lying about her capabilities, something bad would have happened to her. To put it simply, I chose this moment within “The Story of Blima: A Holocaust Survivor,” because it was a moment that shocked me, made me fear for Blima’s life, but also made me appreciate how brave of a woman Blima was.
The author of this book, Shirley Russak Wachtel, who is also the daughter of the book’s main character, Blima, had a unique writing style throughout the book that I really appreciated. For one, the book was separated into three parts, Blima’s life before the war, in the middle of the war, and after it. I liked this format because we got to learn a lot about Blima’s character before she was imprisoned, and also after. One thing I was surprised by was how well rounded the plot was. The book was close to halfway over a hundred pages, so when I hit the halfway mark and we were barely at the beginning of the war, I suspected that I would not get much closure at the end of the book and that I would have a couple questions that would remain unanswered. However, despite my initial apprehension, there was none of that within the book. Shirley wrote in a way that easily explained all of the situations in the book, without anything seeming rushed or an important scene being glazed over. I appreciated the use of vivid word choice Shirley had in some scenes, where she painted the setting and the characters and emotions very explicitly to the point like I felt as if I were there with them. I also enjoyed the way the author wrote Blima’s character, who despite going through so much, remained positive and headstrong throughout her entire journey. All in all, I enjoyed how thoroughly detailed Shirley was in “The Story of Blima: A Holocaust Survivor,” and how she made it easy to fall into this book and its characters, without taking the spotlight away from the book’s main message and content.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 4, 2019
A story from the concentration camps.
Her Life.
1936. Poland. Blima Weisstuch was twenty years old, pretty, and Jewish. She worked in her Aunt Rachel’s bakery, chatting with the children, and serving customers. She wasn’t really interested in politics – she was just concerned with making it to the bakery on time each morning. But one morning, when she arrives at the bakery, she finds her aunt in tears and a yellow scroll with the word ‘JUDEN’ plastered to the window. It symbolizes that their establishment is owned by Jews; it also means that now their trade is practically destroyed.
Still, Blima continues to work with her aunt. One day, returning home from work, she is swept off of her feet and stuffed into an army truck. It belongs to the Nazis. She is taken away, through the snow to the Grunberg prison camp. Blima’s only chance for survival is to work with a dogged determination, willing herself to live, live, live.
Through it all, Blima remembers her lovely, loving family. Are they still alive? They must be!
Discussion.
The Story of Blima is a true story. The author, Shirley Russak Wachtel, is the daughter of Blima Weisstuch. For Blima did survive the prison camps. She, two of her brothers, and one sister-in-law were all that were left of her large family at the war’s conclusion.
Amazingly, Blima did not crumple. Instead she married, and found happiness with her husband who was also a Holocaust survivor.
The story itself can be regarded as a non-Christian version of The Hiding Place. Where Corrie rested in her faith in God, Blima strengthened herself with the memory of her family. Although a Jew, Blima never really affirms her faith in God or the Torah – she mentions different Jewish practices at the beginning and end of the book, but never during her imprisonment.
Conclusion. Good for mature readers - would serve well during a study of the holocaust.
Her Life.
1936. Poland. Blima Weisstuch was twenty years old, pretty, and Jewish. She worked in her Aunt Rachel’s bakery, chatting with the children, and serving customers. She wasn’t really interested in politics – she was just concerned with making it to the bakery on time each morning. But one morning, when she arrives at the bakery, she finds her aunt in tears and a yellow scroll with the word ‘JUDEN’ plastered to the window. It symbolizes that their establishment is owned by Jews; it also means that now their trade is practically destroyed.
Still, Blima continues to work with her aunt. One day, returning home from work, she is swept off of her feet and stuffed into an army truck. It belongs to the Nazis. She is taken away, through the snow to the Grunberg prison camp. Blima’s only chance for survival is to work with a dogged determination, willing herself to live, live, live.
Through it all, Blima remembers her lovely, loving family. Are they still alive? They must be!
Discussion.
The Story of Blima is a true story. The author, Shirley Russak Wachtel, is the daughter of Blima Weisstuch. For Blima did survive the prison camps. She, two of her brothers, and one sister-in-law were all that were left of her large family at the war’s conclusion.
Amazingly, Blima did not crumple. Instead she married, and found happiness with her husband who was also a Holocaust survivor.
The story itself can be regarded as a non-Christian version of The Hiding Place. Where Corrie rested in her faith in God, Blima strengthened herself with the memory of her family. Although a Jew, Blima never really affirms her faith in God or the Torah – she mentions different Jewish practices at the beginning and end of the book, but never during her imprisonment.
Conclusion. Good for mature readers - would serve well during a study of the holocaust.
October 6, 2014
I think that the author's purpose of writing the book was to tell everyone that you need to live day by day, not trying to thing when your getting out. In this book it talks about how her life was changed and reformed, how her daughter writes this book about Blima.
I think the theme of this book is a lesson to never repeat ourselves in this miserable history. Blima said there were two major concerns to people and they were "look on the brighter side and never give up on yourself or anyone else around you, no matter how much pain you are going through." I think the style of this book was description. I thought it was very effective. I think this books theme is description because it has the time, places, and events going on through her journey. I think this is an effective book because it doesn't just summarize her life story, it goes piece by piece telling you all the details of her life until she got out of the camp.
I really like this book in my opinion it was well written. The thing I liked most in this book was that it flowed and was a very easy understanding book to me. I didn't really dislike anything in this book nor would I change anything in this book. I don't reading non-fiction but this book was something that I would recommend to other people that would want to read about the holocaust survivors. It's nothing like any other book I have read but I think it will open the worlds history up and make us humans not want to go through that rough time again.
I think the theme of this book is a lesson to never repeat ourselves in this miserable history. Blima said there were two major concerns to people and they were "look on the brighter side and never give up on yourself or anyone else around you, no matter how much pain you are going through." I think the style of this book was description. I thought it was very effective. I think this books theme is description because it has the time, places, and events going on through her journey. I think this is an effective book because it doesn't just summarize her life story, it goes piece by piece telling you all the details of her life until she got out of the camp.
I really like this book in my opinion it was well written. The thing I liked most in this book was that it flowed and was a very easy understanding book to me. I didn't really dislike anything in this book nor would I change anything in this book. I don't reading non-fiction but this book was something that I would recommend to other people that would want to read about the holocaust survivors. It's nothing like any other book I have read but I think it will open the worlds history up and make us humans not want to go through that rough time again.
April 19, 2021
I would rate The Story of Blima a 4 star because it’s a book with bizarre events. It was a very interesting book. It started very well with the characters just enjoying their lives until the nightmare of the holocaust began. The story was getting interesting giving the life of the little girl during the holocaust. It was descriptive about how life was during these hard times. It ended differently than I was expecting. Young readers could also learn a lot about life by this. I would most definitely recommend this book to other people that are interested in the holocaust and the life of people through their eyes. This is a good book to read. People that are interested in suspense would love this book. I picked this book because it was about the story of a little girl that survived the holocaust.
February 6, 2020
The Story of Blima: A Holocaust Survivor, a non-fiction book writtin by Shirley Russak Wachtel, A girl named Blima Weisstuch is a Jewish women living in 1941 Poland. She did not pay much attention to what was happening to her country as Adolf Hitler took over, her life was changed in the blink of an eye. She is faced with hardships as she is taken and thrown a concentration camp where she is allowed to work. She must sew, but she doesn't know how. She only said yes to sewing because her friend Clara gave her advice to say yes to everything the guards have to say. But the lady's that cannot sew are taken down a tunnel, which no one knows what happens when they go down. Blima however, had to worry about her survival. A guard named Grizella looks after Blima in this concentration camp and they become close friends. For three years Blima stays at the camp but that time quickly comes to an end. Life for Blima gets worse from here. She along with other members of the camp are transferred to Camp C on January 21, 1945. They endure a great deal of suffering on their journey. They much travel on feet. The guards shoot guns just to mock the Jews. They would amuse themselves by making them run racing and force the loser to dig ditches for the dead. Eleven nights they march, and then they arrive in Bergen-Belsen. Blima, thin with sunken in eyes, is sent to Camp C, where they hold thousands of Jews. She is surrounded by skeletons of dead Jews who have died from starvation and or a disease. But here she is reunited with her unrecognizable sister-in-law. For six days she, along with others receives no food. A machine gun is fired at 3 p.m. A British soldier announces the Jews liberation of the Concentration camp on April 25, 1945.
I really enjoyed this book because it tells about what Jews had to face in the time of Hitlers dictatorship. This shows about a REAL story of a teenage girl and what grotesque things she had to witness and face which being in the concentration camps. I gave this book a rating of 5 stars because I could truly connect to what Blima was going through. I could envision what life must have been like and what a truly unremarkably strong women Blima is. I think it was very well written and would love to read a sequal to what happened to her life after the concentration camps. My heart goes out to the family and Blima herself.
I really enjoyed this book because it tells about what Jews had to face in the time of Hitlers dictatorship. This shows about a REAL story of a teenage girl and what grotesque things she had to witness and face which being in the concentration camps. I gave this book a rating of 5 stars because I could truly connect to what Blima was going through. I could envision what life must have been like and what a truly unremarkably strong women Blima is. I think it was very well written and would love to read a sequal to what happened to her life after the concentration camps. My heart goes out to the family and Blima herself.
March 26, 2019
The Story of Blima by Shirley Russak Wachtel takes place in Poland and is about a girl named Blima and her family. The books layout consists of three sections: before, during, and after the Holocaust. Blima’s daughter wrote this book to keep her memory and story alive. Wachtel is currently a writer and teacher. The Story of Blima was written in first person point of view and gives great detail about what she went through.
Having hope is a great trait that most of the characters have which makes the chronological aspect of the book work. Having only key glimpses into some major experiences and leaving out unnecessary events, shortens the book but gives great details. Blima is in Poland but is moved around to different areas for camps and work.
Learning about her life just days before she was taken added empathy that readers will feel. Reading that they had very little to eat before, during, and after the war was a shock. After the war, Blima and her sister-in-law had hope that her brothers would find them. Keeping this hope helps readers feel that something good could come from something tragic.
Readers who don’t have much time but like to enjoy a good, nonfiction story should check this out. It gives great detail about the Holocaust and camps that the Jewish were forced in to without excess detail.
Having hope is a great trait that most of the characters have which makes the chronological aspect of the book work. Having only key glimpses into some major experiences and leaving out unnecessary events, shortens the book but gives great details. Blima is in Poland but is moved around to different areas for camps and work.
Learning about her life just days before she was taken added empathy that readers will feel. Reading that they had very little to eat before, during, and after the war was a shock. After the war, Blima and her sister-in-law had hope that her brothers would find them. Keeping this hope helps readers feel that something good could come from something tragic.
Readers who don’t have much time but like to enjoy a good, nonfiction story should check this out. It gives great detail about the Holocaust and camps that the Jewish were forced in to without excess detail.
November 3, 2023
This is a short book about one person’s experience during the Holocaust. It would be a good read for someone who doesn’t know much about the Holocaust; for that reason I would consider this as a YA book. This is the true story of the author’s mother, Blima Weisstuch, a Polish Jew and covers the years from 1936-1947. The story starts with a good description of the comfortable life Blima and her large middle class family enjoyed before Hitler came to power. That is followed by the impact on Blima and her family after Hitler took over. Like all other Jewish families in Poland during those years the family experienced such things as separation, life in a concentration camp, starvation, poor health, no knowledge about what happened to other family members, and death either on the battlefield or in the camps. The main objective was to try to survive. The final section of the book was about what happened after the defeat of Germany and the liberation of the death camps. Physical recuperation was slow but emotional recovery was much more difficult. Recommended for someone with little or no knowledge of the Holocaust.
January 15, 2019
The Story of Blima by Shirley Wachtel is about a young Jewish girl living in Poland. Blima did not pay much attention to the news about Adolf Hitler or the Nazis taking over Europe. The time shifts between 1936 when Blima was a young girl before the war and 1941 when Blima was in the labor camp when notorious leader Adolf Hitler took over Germany. An impactful quote from this novel would be at the very end of the book when Blima says “The days are gray, but there are glints of radiant sun as Chiel takes my hand” this quote is impactful because Blima suffered many times throughout this book, but now she has a glimpse of hope for a better future.
The Story of Blima has touched me like no book before. This book is filled with sadness, happiness, and anger. I believe people should read this book because it shows the struggles and sacrifices Blima had to make in order to survive. I absolutely recommend this book to anyone who is interested in learning about the Holocaust.
The Story of Blima has touched me like no book before. This book is filled with sadness, happiness, and anger. I believe people should read this book because it shows the struggles and sacrifices Blima had to make in order to survive. I absolutely recommend this book to anyone who is interested in learning about the Holocaust.
April 19, 2021
The Story of Blima, a Holocaust Survivor, was very descriptive and told me about all the things that happened to the girls during that time. I chose this book because it seemed like it would be a very interesting book. I agree with some of the reviews that are over 3 stars because it’s one of the good books I read. The book opening reminded me about Schindler’s list my class watched in history class. The book didn’t end the way I thought it did. People will learn how the Jews were treated in the ’30s and ’40s. They got stomped on all the time. I would recommend this book to my friends because it will teach them how they were all treated back then. They will learn a lot of things from this book. I give this book 4/5 stars because the story got confusing at one point in the book.
September 13, 2025
A Story of a Young Woman Struggling to Survive , and Triumph
The horrors of the Holocaust were in Blima's lfrom the beginning when she was abducted as she was returning from work. She had no choice but to accept what wss happening to her. She survived the War, Aushwitz, the other camps and eventually was introduced to a man she married. They were both Holocaust survivors. They emigrated to America, had children and enjoyed their Grandchildren. Their story was written by their daughter. It is well written. The love for Blima shines through as does Blima's love and kindness to all the people she met before and for the rest of her life. I recom- mend this book wholeheartedly.
The horrors of the Holocaust were in Blima's lfrom the beginning when she was abducted as she was returning from work. She had no choice but to accept what wss happening to her. She survived the War, Aushwitz, the other camps and eventually was introduced to a man she married. They were both Holocaust survivors. They emigrated to America, had children and enjoyed their Grandchildren. Their story was written by their daughter. It is well written. The love for Blima shines through as does Blima's love and kindness to all the people she met before and for the rest of her life. I recom- mend this book wholeheartedly.
January 23, 2018
I very much enjoyed this book. I felt like this book was very interesting and informational. I find the topic of the holocaust very interesting so I like to learn and read about the topic. Another reason why I liked this book is because it told a different kind of story about the holocaust. It told a story how someone was helped and was able to survive. Therefore, I liked this book very much and enjoyed it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 10, 2025
The Story of Blima: A Holocaust Survivor is a powerful and emotional book about strength and survival. Blima’s life is completely changed when she is taken to a concentration camp, and her journey is both heartbreaking and inspiring. The story makes you feel her fear, pain, and hope, showing the brutal reality of the Holocaust. It’s a reminder of history’s cruelty but also of the incredible resilience of the human spirit.
April 20, 2022
I would recommend The Story of Blima: A Holocaust Survivor to a middle school level reader. Shirley Russak Wachtel did a great job putting Blima's life in concentration camps into a story but the novel lacks many details and literary devices. This simple read is a condensed version of a longer novel so if you are wanting a more detailed story, I recommend reading the full version of this novel.
May 30, 2025
I read this book in one sitting. I could not put it down. Blima's story is told in three parts: her life before the war, her horrible experiences in the factory and camps, and her life after liberation. Although it is difficult to read about the horrors she experienced, the story is balanced by telling of her survival and creating a new life for herself.
March 23, 2020
A touching short book. The reader gets a small glimpse of the reality of what the Jewish people went through. Although there is plenty of tragedy, it's really a story of strength, endurance, and faith. I have the utmost respect for Blima.
October 22, 2020
I devour anything to do with the Holocaust. This book was so very interesting because it tells about her life before, during and after the War. She is a strong girl, that's for sure. It is well written and detailed.
May 22, 2017
The story of Blima
A remarkable book, shocking. This book is not faint hearted. I'm glad Blima and her family managed to survive and make a new life for themselves.
A remarkable book, shocking. This book is not faint hearted. I'm glad Blima and her family managed to survive and make a new life for themselves.
March 5, 2022
Remarkable
Unbelievable story that I was shocked.
The way it was written and detailed was amazing and good in the way the author remembers all that terror
Unbelievable story that I was shocked.
The way it was written and detailed was amazing and good in the way the author remembers all that terror
February 27, 2023
Hard story to read but so glad to have read it.
Read
October 7, 2024Read it in February/March 2024 bc the author was my professor
December 28, 2024
Excellent! Amazing story of resilience, the horrors, and survival of one young Jewish girl.
April 19, 2022
I was pleased that this book about victims of the Holocaust had a good ending considering the horrific enormity of the Holocaust. It is a book worth reading, and I recommend this book.
April 11, 2012
The Story of Blima: A Holocaust Survivor, by Shirley Russak Wachtel was an amazing it reminded me of a book we read about the holocaust lest year in my English class. The character talked about her experience in the holocaust and about the things she saw and had to do. Even though it’s a very slim book, weighing in at 133 pages but the subject matter is heavy, and the vocabularies are every.
The take place between the year 1936 and 1947 and it talk about before, during and after the holocaust. Blima the main character works in bakery with her aunt. There was one day when she was coming from her aunt bakery she was taken by the Nazis to a train where she’s boarded with many other women to be taken to a labor camp. There she is put to work, but finds comfort in German women there who watches and keeps all the Jews in line. They share a special bond but then Blima leaves and are brought to a new camp. That’s when she fined her sister-in-law and later reunites with her twin brother and younger brother than they were released by the British troops.
To me the book shows how people should appreciate every little thing the have. I sad that because in the beginning of the book her and her little brother will argue about every thing. They did not appreciate any thing the had but when she get to the camp she started to think about all of that and how much she want all of that at that moment.
This was a really good book and I really enjoyed reading it. When I was reading it I didn’t want to stop for anything. I also think it was every nice how she and some of her family made it out of it
The take place between the year 1936 and 1947 and it talk about before, during and after the holocaust. Blima the main character works in bakery with her aunt. There was one day when she was coming from her aunt bakery she was taken by the Nazis to a train where she’s boarded with many other women to be taken to a labor camp. There she is put to work, but finds comfort in German women there who watches and keeps all the Jews in line. They share a special bond but then Blima leaves and are brought to a new camp. That’s when she fined her sister-in-law and later reunites with her twin brother and younger brother than they were released by the British troops.
To me the book shows how people should appreciate every little thing the have. I sad that because in the beginning of the book her and her little brother will argue about every thing. They did not appreciate any thing the had but when she get to the camp she started to think about all of that and how much she want all of that at that moment.
This was a really good book and I really enjoyed reading it. When I was reading it I didn’t want to stop for anything. I also think it was every nice how she and some of her family made it out of it
November 12, 2014
I have just finished reading the book. As a daughter of Holocaust survivors and as a holocaust researcher, I am striving to read anything which has been written about the topic. I am especially interested in reading memoirs and testimonies of survivors.
I always find each story unique and compelling. So is The Story of Blima.
However, I was utterly dismayed by the following: 1. The transition to chapter 2 was very abrupt, and it seemed that nothing really happened since September 1st, the first day of WWII until Blima was herself arrested.
2. Then I found out that although the book was written by Blima's daughter, an English professor by her own account, the book contains numerous mistakes and is written in poor English.
3. I was truly annoyed by expressions like, "..rounded up and slaughtered as if they were rabid dogs" ( page 6), "...he treats him more savagely than one would treat a dog" ( page 94), etc.
I was also puzzled by statements like, "it's not that I miss Smulke so much..." ( page 117).
In short, the story itself has a potential to become a good book, but this one is sloppy, poorly written and leaves out many important facts.
I always find each story unique and compelling. So is The Story of Blima.
However, I was utterly dismayed by the following: 1. The transition to chapter 2 was very abrupt, and it seemed that nothing really happened since September 1st, the first day of WWII until Blima was herself arrested.
2. Then I found out that although the book was written by Blima's daughter, an English professor by her own account, the book contains numerous mistakes and is written in poor English.
3. I was truly annoyed by expressions like, "..rounded up and slaughtered as if they were rabid dogs" ( page 6), "...he treats him more savagely than one would treat a dog" ( page 94), etc.
I was also puzzled by statements like, "it's not that I miss Smulke so much..." ( page 117).
In short, the story itself has a potential to become a good book, but this one is sloppy, poorly written and leaves out many important facts.
March 9, 2010
The Story of Blima: A Holocaust Survivor, by Shirley Russak Wachtel
"The Story of Blima" is a very slim book, weighing in at 133 pages. But the subject matter is heavy, and while you'll likely read the book quickly, Blima and her story will stay in your mind for a while.
The book takes place between the years of 1936 and 1947 and covers Blima's life before, during, and after the Holocaust. Captured off the street of her hometown by the Nazis, Blima is imprisoned in a forced labor camp for the majority of the war. The recollections of camp life are short but harrowing; instead the book mainly focuses on Blima's attempts to rebuild her life after being freed. The difficulty and tragedy of attempting to find surviving family members is heartbreaking to read.
A note in the book says that "The Story of Blima" is taken from a larger work, "My Mother's Shoes", which I am now trying to find. The story and book are written by Blima's daughter.
4/5.
"The Story of Blima" is a very slim book, weighing in at 133 pages. But the subject matter is heavy, and while you'll likely read the book quickly, Blima and her story will stay in your mind for a while.
The book takes place between the years of 1936 and 1947 and covers Blima's life before, during, and after the Holocaust. Captured off the street of her hometown by the Nazis, Blima is imprisoned in a forced labor camp for the majority of the war. The recollections of camp life are short but harrowing; instead the book mainly focuses on Blima's attempts to rebuild her life after being freed. The difficulty and tragedy of attempting to find surviving family members is heartbreaking to read.
A note in the book says that "The Story of Blima" is taken from a larger work, "My Mother's Shoes", which I am now trying to find. The story and book are written by Blima's daughter.
4/5.
April 25, 2021
This book details the life of Blima Weisstuch, who was living in Poland in 1941. She, like a lot of people, paid no attention to the rise of the Nazi Party and Adolf Hitler. A lot of people really liked some of the ideals and policies he was spewing, but a lot of people thought he would go nowhere with it. They thought this fervor would fizzle out. This book is actually written by her daughter, who has an intimate understanding of what her mother went through once the Nazis took control. There were a lot of terrible things that Blima experienced and witnesses. This was a short book, and probably would be good for those just getting into this subject, or younger people.
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