Torn Thread

by Anne Isaacs

A searing Holocaust novel based on a true story. Twelve-year-old Eva and her sister have been forced to leave their home in Poland and are imprisoned in a Nazi labor camp. There they must spin thread on treacherous machinery to make clothing and blankets for the German Army. As Eva struggles amid ever worsening dangers to save her life and that of her sick sister, readers witness how two teenagers strive to create home and family amidst inhumanity and chaos. Written in exquisite prose, this story of heartbreak and hope that is rich in detail and symbolism will deeply move readers of all ages.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Holocaust, Young Adult, World War II, Fiction, Historical, Middle Grade

192 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2000

Reviews

[Jocelyn L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Torn Thread” By Anne Isaacs tells the story of Eva, a young Jewish girl from Bedzin, Poland. In the beginning, 12-year-old Eva is living in a Jewish ghetto with her father and her older sister Rachel. When Rachel is taken by Nazi soldiers, her father uses the connections from his job to find out that she has been sent to a labor camp in Parschnitz, Czechoslovakia. He asks for Eva to be sent there as well, because then he’ll know that she’s safe with her sister, and she’ll be less likely to be killed if the Nazis need her to work. She soon finds that she’s certainly no safer in the camp than in the ghetto. Here, she has to combat hunger, long work days, sickness, and lack of basic care. She also has her sister Rachel’s health to worry about. Rachel had always been sickly, and the poor conditions were making it even worse for her. Somehow, Eva finds the strength to keep her faith and struggle through her life in the camp.
I found this book very interesting. People usually learn about the Holocaust on a large scale, since so many people were killed. When they do hear personal accounts, it’s usually about the worst camps, like Auschwitz. This book gives a lot of insight about the lives of young Jewish girls in a labor camp, where they were kept alive, but just barely. It tells the true story of people living on the brink of life and death, and how some people persevered, while others gave in, willingly or otherwise.
I rated this book a 4 out of 5. It seems like it would be a depressing read, but it really makes you appreciate all the basic things in life, like food, medicine, and kindness, that these girls were being deprived of. I was sort of wondering throughout the book whether this was a true story or not. My favorite part of the book was the epilogue, where it explains that Eva got married and moved to Canada, and that "Eva's son, Smuel is married to the author of this book" (184). The fact that it’s a true story about the author’s mother-in-law just made the book seem a lot more real to me. I always picture the Holocaust as a long-gone part of history, but the story of its survivors is still not over yet for some.

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is based on what happened to two Polish sisters during the Holocaust. Eva, 12, is the youngest of the sisters and joins her sickly sister Rachel at a camp after her father's request to. Rachel was captured during a raid by the Nazis while in a Jewish ghetto and taken to the Nazi labor camp. Eva's father has some influence with the Nazis and finds out Rachel is safe and decides Eva will be safer there than in the ghetto. The sisters work in a textile mill with dangerous machines, mostly unsympathetic guards, and horrible working conditions. They go through unspeakable hardships that will move readers to tears. It moved me to tears anyways! The story is full of heart ache, bravery, and simply survival in an unlikely place. This would be a great book for any teen or adult to read while studying World War II or just to have a book to read. The writer connects Eva, the main character, to the reader as well as the other characters. An obvious way to promote this would be to include it in a World War II display or just a display of war stories. Tremendous courage and growth occurs in both of the sisters' lives as they are always trying to "stay alive for just one more hour," their father's advice.

Voya codes

5Q, 4P, M,J,S

[Columba · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is so amazing and sad. I really liked it. It's horrible what hittler sent out to do :( I hope that this would nenver happen, ever!
People say that when your young life your life to the fullist,play have fun and enjoy your self because when your older you can't because you have to work and have many responsibilities to take on. But in this book it wasnt like that. 12 year old Eva and her sister Rachel had to work in a nazi labor camp. It's horrible what they had to do there. They weren't even feed well. I really like this book. :]

[Ash Hillary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read this book in elementary school (the intended audience as it’s published by Scholastic) and have reread it several times over the years. Particularly now, the subject matter is ever prescient, a warning as to what can happen if we do not learn from history and deal with the accelerating rise of white supremacy happening here in America and around the world.

The story is based on the author’s mother-in-law’s experience at a labor camp in Parschnitz, Czechoslovakia (now Porici, Czech Republic) during the Holocaust. The prose is gripping and the descriptions harrowing, yet still remarkably age-appropriate. What stands out the most to me is the single steady hope held by the main character that they would make it out alive and be reunited with her father and other family members again. Sadly, this does not come to fruition, but she and her sister (who was also at the camp) survive and are able to make new lives for themselves. Now their story lives on in this book, one of countless reminders of the depths of human cruelty and how despite it all, there is still hope for a better world.

[Paola · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book "Torn Thread" by Anne Isaacs is about this girl named Eva a 12-year-old who is Jewish from Bedzin, Poland who lives with her father and her big sister Rachel. They were forced to leave their home and move to this tiny attic in a Jewish ghetto. Rachel was taken away by Nazi soldiers and to get in contact with her, her father uses his job to find out that Rachel had been sent to a labor camp in Parshnitz, Czechoslovakia. Eva's dad sends Eva to that camp to so Rachel and Eva are together they also soon find out that staying there is not a good idea especially because of Rachel's health and her conditions, Eva keeps faith in her life in the camp. I rated this book a 5 because it was a really amazing book and it was also sad and makes you realize about the things you have in life and you should be grateful. I really recommend this book to people who like to learn about history they will like this book.

[Jas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let’s just say I cried, amazing book and one of my favorites

[Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book was about a girl named Eva and her older sister named Rachel. At the begining of the book, Eva and her sister live with their father in a Jewish ghetto in Poland during World War II where they struggle to survive , living in a small attic with small rations. Rachel has weak lungs and a weak immune system which affects her for the worst through the entire book. One day, as Rachel is walking to their Aunt and Uncle's house, she is taken by the Nazi's in a raid and sent to a labor camp. A few days later, Eva's father arranges for her to go to the same camp that her sister is being held at and she is soon re-united with her sister. As the weeks and months pass at the camp Rachel goes through sickness after sickness, and Eva somehow makes good relations with the camp leader Frau Hawlik. Eventually the Russians close in on the town. The Nazis evacuate, shut the water and all food to the camp and things at the camp become desperate. Eventually the Russains restore things back to normal, but Eva and her sister find out that her father died.

[Jacklyn Descano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Torn Thread was an excellent book. Because of its detail and description, readers were able to comprehend what was occurring during the second World War and the scars it left on many peoples' lives. Torn Thread is about a young girl, Eva, and her fight at a concentration camp in Czechoslovakia to save not only herself, but her sick and slowly dying sister, Rachel. On top of that, she must walk until she collapses due to orders from the Nazis and produce uniforms for the German army. Furthermore, the food rations are low and Eva needs to find a way for both her and her sister to maintain their health and live to see their Papa after their liberation. Personally, I would recommend this book to people who can handle emotion evoking scenes and those who may be interested in learning about the Holocaust. Overall, Torn Thread was an exceptional book and I would totally recommend you read it.

[Katrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Torn Thread by Anna Isaacs, is a book that takes place in a work camp located in Czechoslovakia. The two main characters, Eva and her little sister Rachel, must find a way to stay alive for "one more hour" as her father told Eva to do. All the characters in the book are believable because they are based off of real people that really existed. The setting and plot may not be authentic, but the author makes the reader believe that it is. This first person narration has a wonderful design and style. The reader gets to see what it was like for Jews in a work camp during WWII. Torn Thread has themes of love, friendship, and survival that hooks the reader till the very end. I would recommend this book to an older audience, but overall is a fantastic book.

[Paula Patterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A novel based on the mother-in-law of the author and her experiences at a Nazi work camp. The story is very good. I was drawn into the lives of Eva and Rachel immediately. Rachel being the weaker of the two. She has lived her life being burdened with health issues. Due to the death of their mother, Eva and Rachel live with their father. This story follows the main character, Eva, and her journey and story during the years of 1943-1945. Character development is very good. Even though most readers will know the ending of the war is coming, the experiences the girls face are not without much sacrifice and hardship.

Really enjoyed this book. Would recommend to anyone wanting to know the story behind the Nazi work camps.

[Anthony Mangiaracina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was way better than I thought it was going to be. It was full of suspense and I wanted to keep on reading everyday. This story was about a family and one girl, Rachel, was taken by nazi's and forced to a camp. Then Eva her sister went to the camp to help her stay alive, and after many rough challenges they managed to be liberated. I liked this book and would recommend you read it.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very sad, but based on author's mother-in-law's real life holocaust experience. Hard to determine how much was fact and how much was fiction, but certainly a troubling time! It seemed to end just a bit abruptly. I would have been interested in more details on what happened to the characters in the months after the war ended.

[Tammy Massey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Throughout the evil of the Holocaust, a few kind, morally sound individuals managed to break through the darkness. Though this book has many themes, those bright lights are one of my favorites.

It’s 1943, and when sickly Rachel is forced into a work camp, her father Samuel arranges for his another daughter Eva to join her at the same work camp, so the two can help each other survive. And so begins two years of being overworked, malnourished, and frightened for their lives. Occasionally, “enemies” like Katerina, Herr Schmidt, and even Frau Hawlick show compassion that eases the sisters’ suffering. And all the while, they dream and pray for the day they will return to their village and their father.

This book was a bit slow to start, but after about the first 50 pages, I was invested and eager to follow the sisters through to their liberation and homecoming. The one criticism I have is a gap in the plot that occurs after Eva is forced to make candy for Frau Hawlick and then that storyline is dropped. No confusion is caused by this lost event; it just leaves the reader wondering.

As Holocaust books go, the horrors in Torn Thread are less pronounced and less graphic, which makes it more appropriate for you younger readers who are just being introduced to the period.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I got this book months ago because it was mentioned in another holocaust book I read. It is shelved as juvenile fiction at my library, but no way would I want a juvenile grandchild of mine to read it. The vocabulary level may be middle school but the subject matter is adult. It is about the terrible treatment of women and young Jewish girls sent to a German labor camp in Czechoslavakia to spin thread on dangerous machinery to make blankets and uniforms for the German army. The description of a death march that passed the Parschnitz barracks during the night as the Russian army was closing in on Germany in the spring of 1945 was particularly harrowing.

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I find it difficult to say I have enjoyed reading books about World War II. The devastation to both lives and properties is astounding.

This book was a true story about two sisters confined to a German prison and forced to work long hours with little or no food in a textile factory making the cloth for German uniforms. It was heartbreaking to read what these two sisters and numerous other girls experienced while incarce
rated.

This book is a well rounded account of good, evil and good again. Quite an experience.

[Zoe James · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I were to save my family from a fire, the next thing I would grab is this book and someone named Eva, (another book). I fell in love with this book, and was tempted to steal it from the library along with someone named Eva. Love. Love love this book. It is just so sad and heartbreak, the last couple of chapters were nail biting, when we didn't know if Rachel was going to live.......I can't. Just read this book.

[Valeria · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very interesting and eye opening, its about two jewish sisters who were located at a all-female Nazi workcamp. Reading about how much their life changed and what the witnessed was pretty eye opening as i had mentioned. The book itself, i enjoyed it very much. I was attached by the characters and frustrated by what happened to them. I recommend this book if you like historical fiction.

[James Koenig · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a family narrative about two Jewish sisters who get sent to a work camp in Nazi-occupied Czeckolovakia in the war years of 1943-1945.

While interesting and of course tragic, I found the book more suitable to a middle-school age audience. For this age group, its a good introductory volume about the horrors of the NAZI Regime. In my opinion, it’s too simplistic for adults.

James Koenig

[Shaunti · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book Torn Thread by, Anne Isaacs is a very moving, heartbreaking, and shocking story. I'd recommend this book to any teenager and up who likes reading about the holocaust/ or real-life event topics. This book is a quick read but I find it so interesting throughout the story how it tells you what it was like as a child being taken to work at one of the Nazi camps. This book is worth buying to learn about the tragic event that happened to the two sisters who got sent to the camp.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this as a read aloud with my 11 year old. It’s based on a true story. The book centers around two sisters who are preteens and their story as they try to survive a work camp during the holocaust. This was definitely written to be age appropriate for younger kids (5-7th grade) but also, didn’t shy away from some of the horrors that went on during the war.

[Joy Buterbaugh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is IMMACULATE. If I could read one book over again for the first time it would be this one. It is so beautifully sad and the perfect mix of dreadful and yet equally hopeful. By the time the hook of the story really grasps itself into your skin you’re yanked back up and forced to face how real it is. Beautifully told.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of my favorite WWII books that I read in my teen years. I decided to give it a re-read 18 or so years later. I did not remember that it was based on a true story, or that Eva emigrated to Alberta after the war! It was written by her daughter-in-law, and the last sentence in the book (in the acknowledgments) is: "Finally, to Eva, for giving me her story, my deepest thanks."

[Juliana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eva and Rachel two sisters who loved each other dearly. But unfortunately Rachel got taken away. Will the two survive? A very great book I recommend it to anyone who likes to read about the holocaust.

[Jacob Santacruz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this book is interesting because it tells that what happened in the past. It also tells who is courageous. The book also tells what happened to the jews, who did this to them, what did the jews do in that time. this is why the Torn Thread is interesting.

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

The tenacity for survival is incredible. As if running the spinning machines wasn't dangerous enough, doing so while sleep and food deprived made it worse. Great book about a terrible time in our history, the Holocaust.

[Nicholas Barnhardt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best book ive have really ever read for a guy who barely reads books i loved it this one of course there's the sad parts and the good parts bur over all i give this book a 9/10 overall i would like other people to read this this story :)

[Katie Houghton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Skimmed through parts of it as it was more of a preview read to see if I wanted to keep it/use it for homeschool in the future.

A story that brings history to life as you read about some of the awful events that occurred during WW2.

[Aubrie Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book about such a serious event. It really shows how terrible the conditions were for Jews during World War II through the retelling of what two Jewish sisters had to live through. It's a wonderful book for those who like to learn about World War II.

[Nick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked it because it was interesting I would read it again. It was action.

[Milla · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is really sad, but I think it is a fantastic story. I think that girl is so lucky, since it's based on a real story.