We Were the Lucky Ones

by Esther Neier Fleishman

Born in Berlin in 1928, the child of Jewish parents who had established a comfortable life in the German capital after migrating to the city from Poland, Esther Neier Fleishman's life was radically disrupted when she was ten years old. With the Nazis in power, Kristallnacht in November 1938 made it unmistakenly clear that Jews could not survive in Germany. A few months later, Esther boarded a train by herself to travel to safety in England. This is her story.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, History, Holocaust, Survival

312 pages, Paperback

First published May 28, 2009

Reviews

[Peggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Because there were several members of this Jewish family, I had trouble keeping up with who was who and what was happening to each of them, but it was a great survival story.

[Sue Myers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting story about a Polish Jewish family and how they survived WWII. Told from the point of view of the children who were spread throughout Europe and S. America and how all survived. Some survived with false papers, hiding their religion. One sibling was sent to Russia and imprisoned. One escaped to France and eventually Brazil. The story switches between family members and is sometimes hard to follow and becomes repetitive. If I had to read any more about Addy's handkerchief that his mother had embroidered...! This story was told by the granddaughter of Addy and her discovery of it and subsequent research was quite interesting.

[Denise Kendrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tidy. Hard to keep track of so many main characters (10?). Good historical fiction (based on some actual family history) that manages to tell the war from many points of view. Some riveting moments, but felt disconnected from story lines due to such shallow character development. Enjoyed the writing, but wish it would have told a deeper version of 3 characters’ stories instead of being spread so thin.

[Kaye Stambaugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Polish family’s ordeal in WWII isn’t a new theme, but the outcome of this story isn’t what I expected. I almost wished I’d read the author’s notes first to be better grounded in the multiple family members’ stories, but that would have given the ending away. Ms. Fleishman pieces together her family history starting just before the invasion of Poland and ending post-war. The courage, determination and ability to endure horrific hardships were admirable. I also took heart in the number of people that stepped up to help, literally saving lives, at their own peril. This story could have been one of deep sadness but instead, was uplifting.

[Ann Huber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written with riveting detail. I couldn't put the book down.

[P Bright · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a terrifying read. It was well done and definitely memorable.

[WendyP · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing story and truly illustrates the insidious nature of this monstrous villain, the nazis. I could not believe how lucky they truly were.

[BV · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Martha McKaughn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was complicated but very informative. It took me a while to read but I learned so much!

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well worth reading and remembering. Never forget. Never.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interested but somewhat wordy and repetitive. Many family members to keep track of.