Escaping into the Night

by D. Dina Friedman

Halina Rudowski is on the run. When the Polish ghetto where she lives is evacuated, she narrowly escapes, but her mother is not as lucky. Along with her friend Batya, Halina makes her way to a secret encampment in the woods where Jews survive by living underground. As the group struggles for food, handles infighting, and attempts to protect themselves from the advancing Germans, Halina must face the reality of life without her mother.

Based on historical events, this gripping tale sheds light on a little-known aspect of the the underground forest encampments that saved several thousand Jews from the Nazis. In telling the story of one girl's survival, Escaping into the Night marks the arrival of a remarkable new voice in fiction.

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

208 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

D. Dina Friedman grew up in New York City, a place she still holds close to her heart. She met her husband forty years ago at an open poetry reading in a fifth-floor walk-up in Greenwich Village. Three years later they moved to western Massachusetts, (where she still lives—next door to a farm with 600 cows) because it was “a compromise between Brooklyn and the Ozarks.”

Dina’s five books include two young adult novels: Escaping Into the Night (Simon and Schuster) an Association of Jewish Libraries Notable Book for Older Readers and an American Library Association Best Books for Young Adults nominee, and Playing Dad’s Song (Farrar Straus Giroux) a Bank Street College of Education Best Book. Her newer work, Immigrants, (Creators Press, 2023) and Here in Sanctuary—Whirling (Querencia Press, 2024) draw heavily from her years as a social justice activist. Dina has published poetry and fiction in more than 100 literary journals and received four Pushcart Prize nominations.

To learn more about Dina, and for inspiration on living a creative life in a creatively challenged universe, visit Dina’s blog on her website and on Substack.

Reviews

[Janie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the story. I loved how Halina and Batya were willing to fight and stand up for themselves. I never knew about the whole community of Jews hiding in the woods, and that was really interesting. A little more background and a little more about the ghetto would have been good, especially for the reader who may not know a whole lot about the holocaust.

[Ansley Faivre · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was a good short read! it’s definitely for a slightly younger audience though.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here is what you may know, picking up this book: WWII. The Holocaust. Poland. Ghettos. Resistance.

Here is what I knew, finding this book in a stack of $1 YA books at my local library's yearly sale: The Shoah. The forest. The families. My family. Elka.

My grandmother's father lost almost all his family in the Holocaust. He was a Polish refugee in Canada, where he met my great-grandmother, and they moved to Los Angeles in the late 1910s, when my grandmother was born. Out of the ashes of the Nazis' destruction in Europe, a scant handful of his many nieces and nephews emerged as survivors. One of them was my grandmother's cousin, Elka, who - as far as I know - did escape a Polish ghetto and lived with the resistance underground in the forests of Poland and Germany.

So this book was already personal. It helped that it was well-written and tugged on the heartstrings. I was still a little reserved about it when I reached the end, and I'm not entirely sure why, except possibly that I read the book in the MSP Airport and didn't want to open myself up emotionally to the book. But, wow. A really good read and something I think many people would enjoy, but seemed to touch me so personally.

Overall: 8/10.

[Jacky · Rating 5 out of 5]

For a middle grade book, it was fantastic! I had know idea about forest encampments during WWII. And watching children learn to cope in those hard situations, and learn to be brave, was very emotional.

[Makayla boston · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an amazing book, that lets the reader see how difficult it was for a young girl trying to survive the in the forest while also trying to avoid being captured and killed by Nazis.

[Alyssa DeLeon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It could be a nice alternative for middle graders not quite ready for YA books set in the WWII era.

[Jenni · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book, it is short and sweet that I finished it in less than 2 days. It really is exciting and keeps you hooked. A nice quick read!

[Freezing Soul · Rating 1 out of 5]

Actively boring, they kept dwelling on past events. Even when their were trying to get food form the Nazi. I like Books of action, this had two bad action scenes. You might like it if you like books that repeat themselves a lot.

[Kiersten · Rating 3 out of 5]

It takes a while to get interested in the book but it is a good quick read.

[Maggie]

Really intense.

[Bella · Rating 4 out of 5]

MIDDLE SCHOOL- remember liking it

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my students was reading this and said it was good and it was. There were some scenes that eluded to having sex or race.

[_LiL_Mab_ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was about took place in the holocost times when jews were put in camp's and were killed. For some weird reason I find it very interesting. I mean by learning what happened to them.

[Bunker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fifteen-year-old Halina, often chastised by her mother for worrying too much, has made intimate friends with loss and fear as she and her mother struggle to survive in the ghetto in Nazi-occupied Poland. Her mourning of a father she never knew and her fear of being separated from her mother intensify when their friends and neighbors begin to disappear slowly. However, the horrific reality that unfolds unannounced shatters the small sense of security she knows, and Halina must flee at the urging of her mother’s boyfriend, Georg, who is also a resistance organizer, and her sixteen-year-old friend, Batya, who also has lost her only remaining kin. Both girls embark on a harrowing journey through tunnels and rural villages with a band of three teenage brothers, all in search of a secret haven Jewish refugees have forged deep in the woods. Surrounded by the enemy, witnessing unthinkable atrocities, and needing to connect with others, Halina impels herself to live, uncovering her latent courage and finding that the meaning of family stretches beyond bloodlines.

D. Dina Friedman’s tale features the largely untold story of many Jewish refugees who survived the Holocaust from seeking safety and building a community in the camouflage of the forest. Halina’s realistic emotional turmoil and burgeoning identity captivate, and the secondary characters, who tend to remain static, serve as examples of the debilitating loss, courage, and compassion that mold Halina during this difficult time. Despite moments of forced dialogue, Friedman’s overall efforts offer a solid narrative.

[Kayla Watkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Escaping into the night by Dina Friedman tells of one Jews many losses and triumphs. It tells a story about a girl named Halina, and her struggle to escape from the Nazis grip on her life. Halina hears around that the Polish ghetto is soon going to be invaded by Nazis soldiers, and all polish people are going to be evacuated out. She didn’t understand the full reality of it all until she secretively made it outside the city with a few others safely. She was frightened and lonely except for her friend Batya, but she wouldn’t tell Halina why her mother wasn’t escaping with them. She met many friends on the way to where they were going, which unfortunately she wouldn’t keep long. Halina kept in mind where there long journey was taking them, and a tiny light of joy and hope would ignite inside all the darkness around her.

I was captivated by this book because I felt like I was there with Halina taking every step she took. It was like every sorrow and pain she felt poured out into the book so you could soak it up and feel it too. The ending leaves you with a content feeling, and ended up on a positive note. If you like realistic fiction books or history books you should definitely read this holocaust story. I give this book 5 out of 5 stars because of amazing sensory details, and it was thrilling to read knowing these things had really happened to someone, just never knowing exactly who.

[Jennifer Lanman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a good read because it is a story based on the holocaust. I love learning about our past history and especially world war 2. It gives me chills just thinking about what every person (whether they were for the US, Germans or the Jewish community) had to go through. I could not imagine living through that time period. This book could be good for grades 5th or 6th. They can each get a copy and you would read a couple chapters each day. This would be great for when you have a unit on World War 2. When you as a teacher talk about WW2 you usually talk about the perspective from the US side. This book gives you a deeper understanding of what the Jewish people went through escaping and the being in the camps. If you use it for a english lesson you can teach the children about the story plot. Or talk about character connections and details. Teaching them to dig deeper then what they see on paper.

[Kimberly Werner · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Escaping into the Night" is a historical fiction novel for readers age 16 and up (advanced). Halina is a young girl living in the Polish Ghetto during World War II. When she hears rumors about the Nazi's taking over she escapes the town, eventually landing in a secret forest hideout. This book is clearly geared toward the young adult audience as it is not terribly lengthy and not all of the characters are all that well developed. That being said, it should be noted that the plot is very suspenseful and the content of the story is superb. This book could be and should be incorporated into the high school curriculum. Halina's story offers a unique insight into one of the most important events in modern history. As with many historical fiction novels, "Escaping Into the Night" puts a personal point of view on the lessons taught in history class.

[Terra · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good book but the story and character development were a little lacking. I think it could be due to the fact that it is geared toward younger readers (which I didn't realize when I purchased the book). I have considered having my children read it when they are a little older. I think it would be a great book to introduce them to the horrible things that happened to Jews during WWII. There is one scene though that I am not sure that I want them to read. I have a year or so left to decide.

[❤ · Rating 4 out of 5]

👍❤

[KWinks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this last night. I thought it was wonderful, but I do love WWII stories. This came out in 2006 and the author wrote that she was inspired after reading Defiance, and the girls do stay in a forest camp with similar characters. This is a short novel. I picked it up because I saw it will be reissued and I was happy my library already owns many copies. Recommended for historical fiction readers who like a survival element.

[Lea Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Young Halina, forced to move to the Ghetto and then to flee for her life, is an engaging heroine in this middle grades Holocaust story. Having lost everything and everyone, she clings to those she can trust and manages to rebuild a semblance of family while trying to survive in a hidden forest encampment. This book reminds me of Number the Stars, albeit a grittier version (includes a rape scene), and it's quite a little page turner.

[Diane Folz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Historical Fiction. An interesting book on Holocaust survivors that we've previously heard very little about. I was very inspired by the selflessness of parents and the bravery of orphaned children who decided to escape the Polish ghettos, and certain death, even if it meant living in borrows in the forest much like the animals. At times, the characters endure circumstances that are mature in nature and are difficult to read. But, overall it is a moving, worthwhile look into history.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I rated this book 5 stars. I rated this book 5 stars because I thought this book was Exciting. I thought this book was awesome
because ere were events at made you wonder about what happens in the next chapter. I also liked book because the book gave you history events that had happen in real life. Finally I would recommend his book a friend because I thought t was a interesting story. Overall, this was a scary Mystery read.

[Maritza · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a great book to read. I've read a lot of holocaust books and this one is my favorites out of all. When i was reading this this it felt like i was there the author did a great job describing the scenes and the people. The book has lots of surprising scenes and you never know what might happen, this book was great to read and you you ever get a chance to read it, its very exciting and sad book.

[Mandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book talks about another family that suffers under the Holocaust. I think this book brought the hopes up by saying that as long as family and love is along their, they will be fine. I know everything might be all right if love is along, but it seems a little too dramatic even though I hope that it can resolve Holocaust.

[Toni · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was an okay book. Nazi Germany. Jews running from the Nazi's. It was a little on the juvenile side, even for a young adult novel. I've read much better books on the subject; the story wasn't very deep. Actually, it was kind of shallow!

[Barb Keltner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another inspirational and exciting story about Jews escaping during the Holocaust, this time in the woods and in an amazingly organized manner. I love historical fiction! This is another one that makes me wonder if I could have endured what so many lived to tell!

[Joni · Rating 5 out of 5]

story of a young Jewish girl who, after loosing her mother and escaping from the ghetto, lives in the forest near Russia with hundreds of others until the war is over. A child's viewpoint of the true-life of the Bielski brothers, made into the movie Defiance with that blonde Bond guy.

[Sydney · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a really good book. It had sad, happy and surprising parts- and parts that kept me gripping the book nervously until my knuckles were white. The end was surprising and left me hanging by a thread...but do i really want to be in that position? hmmm...
Great book, otherwise

[Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was part of the 8th grade English curriculum when I was filling in for a maternity leave.. The author was a participant in the Hudson Children's Book Festival. I really enjoyed it as much as the students did!