What do you think?
Rate this book
Escape to the Forest: Based on a True Story of the Holocaust
When the Nazis invade Poland, nothing is safe anymore. Ten-year-old Sarah and her family must leave their home and live in a Jewish ghetto surrounded by barbed wire. There, life is a nightmare of cold and hunger where Nazi soldiers kill Jews at will. But Sarah still hears stories that give her hope--stories about a man who lives in the nearby forest, fighting the Nazis and sheltering the Jews.Sarah's brother thinks they should try to escape to the forest. Her parents think they will be safer where they are. Sarah doesn't know who is right. But as life in the ghetto grows worse and worse, the forest may be their only hope.Based on a true story of life during the Holocaust, this is a heartrending novel of one family's struggle to survive.
Paperback
First published March 28, 2000
5 people are currently reading
50 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
December 27, 2010
Escape To The Forest by Ruth Yaffe Radin was prominently featured on the library shelf and noted as a must read.
My resolution not to bring home more library books and to read those on my shelf was broken when I saw this book. Then, of course, since I already added one book, I found 14 more that jumped into my carrying bag.
It is amazing what can be learned from Young Adult books! After reading so many books regarding the holocaust, I thought I knew quite a lot, but alas, there is still much more to learn and this small gem of a book reinforced that!
Based on a true story, ten-year old Sarah finds her life dramatically changed first by Russians entering Lida and then when the Nazi's occupied and terrorized the Jewish population.
Escape to the Forest portrays the terror and impending reality that Hitler meant to exterminate every Jew in Poland. While initially in denial, Sarah's family accepted their fate while praying for rescue.
In the fall of 1943, when hearded into the cattle cars, Sarah's father and mother implored their two children to watch for a chance to escape before getting to the trains. Both she and her brother escaped to the Nalibocka Forest where they were rescued by the Bielski movement and hidden in a community called the otraid.
I never knew about the otraid or the Bielski rescue mission and thus once again, I gained knowledge from a small, young adult book that packed a wallop of information, depth and feeling.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bielski_...
My resolution not to bring home more library books and to read those on my shelf was broken when I saw this book. Then, of course, since I already added one book, I found 14 more that jumped into my carrying bag.
It is amazing what can be learned from Young Adult books! After reading so many books regarding the holocaust, I thought I knew quite a lot, but alas, there is still much more to learn and this small gem of a book reinforced that!
Based on a true story, ten-year old Sarah finds her life dramatically changed first by Russians entering Lida and then when the Nazi's occupied and terrorized the Jewish population.
Escape to the Forest portrays the terror and impending reality that Hitler meant to exterminate every Jew in Poland. While initially in denial, Sarah's family accepted their fate while praying for rescue.
In the fall of 1943, when hearded into the cattle cars, Sarah's father and mother implored their two children to watch for a chance to escape before getting to the trains. Both she and her brother escaped to the Nalibocka Forest where they were rescued by the Bielski movement and hidden in a community called the otraid.
I never knew about the otraid or the Bielski rescue mission and thus once again, I gained knowledge from a small, young adult book that packed a wallop of information, depth and feeling.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bielski_...
January 27, 2023
I read this book repeatedly when I was about 10, the main character’s age, and recommended it to anyone who would listen. Sadly based on truth, a totally heart-wrenching Holocaust story, but the ending is very much worth the read. It’s a page-turner, and the main character is an insanely brave child. Great writing, you won’t want to put it down. Can’t wait to read this again as an adult. Writing a review so I remember to come back to it. This is one of those stories that no one else ever seemed to know about, but I never got it out of my mind.
December 18, 2019
This book was tough to read. The more books I read on the holocaust the more I wonder how this was ever able to happen. It's truly sickening and hurts my heart but it's important to know the details so history will never repeat itself. Beautifully written book my only criticism is I wish it was longer.
June 8, 2019
This is the story of Sarah, who manages to avoid being loaded into a cattle car bound for Treblinka, and escapes to the forest.
A twelve year old girl with more courage than most grown men and women, she is an example to us all of what being brave really means.
A twelve year old girl with more courage than most grown men and women, she is an example to us all of what being brave really means.
February 28, 2024
I have read many holocaust stories but this one is different, taking place in Poland.
April 22, 2017
This is a YA - upper elementary book about a story I was introduced to as a movie.
It's about denial and survival in Poland. I'm not sure I can sell this book to students, it's a complex topic. I'm glad to see there are some places where it doesn't stay on the shelf. It's about the Bielski partisans, Jewish partisans.
The movie must have been "Defiance" (2008).
It's about denial and survival in Poland. I'm not sure I can sell this book to students, it's a complex topic. I'm glad to see there are some places where it doesn't stay on the shelf. It's about the Bielski partisans, Jewish partisans.
The movie must have been "Defiance" (2008).
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews