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The Light Through the Storm
A perilous journey through the unthinkable. A riveting story of hope and survival. Can their faith shield them against unbridled hatred?
August, 1942 . When they realize the danger of remaining under the rule of the Nazi occupation, Dr. Leon Schmelzer, his wife Donya, and their baby daughter attempt to flee Romania under the cover of darkness. Joining a dozen other brave souls, they hastily board a small ship, leaving behind family, friends, and the only life they ever knew – for a slim chance at survival.
But their path to freedom does not sail over smooth waters.
As endless waves threaten to drown what little hope they have, the desperate refugees find that the hatred in the hearts of men is more terrifying than any force of nature. And when they are shipwrecked and taken captive in a foreign land, Leon’s own faith and resolve are put to the ultimate test. Can he find the courage and resourcefulness to protect his wife and only daughter?
August, 1942 . When they realize the danger of remaining under the rule of the Nazi occupation, Dr. Leon Schmelzer, his wife Donya, and their baby daughter attempt to flee Romania under the cover of darkness. Joining a dozen other brave souls, they hastily board a small ship, leaving behind family, friends, and the only life they ever knew – for a slim chance at survival.
But their path to freedom does not sail over smooth waters.
As endless waves threaten to drown what little hope they have, the desperate refugees find that the hatred in the hearts of men is more terrifying than any force of nature. And when they are shipwrecked and taken captive in a foreign land, Leon’s own faith and resolve are put to the ultimate test. Can he find the courage and resourcefulness to protect his wife and only daughter?
368 pages, Paperback
Published February 2, 2023
241 people are currently reading
117 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
June 22, 2023
4.5/5 Stars
This is a book that describes a difficult journey and a family that stood united through not just one, but two wars. This journey brought tears, hunger and hopelessness, but still, they survived and lived. Lived to become a part of history, a story more than worth telling and that I'm thankful to have read.
This is a book that describes a difficult journey and a family that stood united through not just one, but two wars. This journey brought tears, hunger and hopelessness, but still, they survived and lived. Lived to become a part of history, a story more than worth telling and that I'm thankful to have read.
February 11, 2023
‘I’m the girl’ - a successful memoir and legacy by a gifted author
Israeli author Margalit Ganor earned her PhD from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and has served as department head of the Orthodox Union Israel, and now serves as head of education of the Next Generation of Holocaust and Heroism Legacy association. Dr. Ganor is a Holocaust baby survivor and here she describes ‘two parallel journeys: her parents’ brave escape with her form the horrors of war, and her own journey as an author, traveling back to her repressed past, now penned for the sake of the next generation.’ THE LIGHT THROUGH THE STORM has been translated from the Hebrew by Jerry Hyman.
One of the several reasons Dr. Ganor’s novel works so successfully is her ability to paint scenes and events with both clarity and drama. As she opens in Romania 1040 - ‘It was 7PM and the curfew was in effect. It was forbidden to be out in the street. If caught, he would be shot on the spot. He looked around and saw no one. Machiku tightened the thin coat that was left after the Russians looted the house and he continued on his way…he was concerned about rescuing his family…’ Introducing her father also initiates the theme of family solidity and survival in one fascinating memoir enabled novel - a superb new book that addresses the strength of Holocaust survivors and how that trait reigns the author’s world. Very highly recommended
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
Israeli author Margalit Ganor earned her PhD from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and has served as department head of the Orthodox Union Israel, and now serves as head of education of the Next Generation of Holocaust and Heroism Legacy association. Dr. Ganor is a Holocaust baby survivor and here she describes ‘two parallel journeys: her parents’ brave escape with her form the horrors of war, and her own journey as an author, traveling back to her repressed past, now penned for the sake of the next generation.’ THE LIGHT THROUGH THE STORM has been translated from the Hebrew by Jerry Hyman.
One of the several reasons Dr. Ganor’s novel works so successfully is her ability to paint scenes and events with both clarity and drama. As she opens in Romania 1040 - ‘It was 7PM and the curfew was in effect. It was forbidden to be out in the street. If caught, he would be shot on the spot. He looked around and saw no one. Machiku tightened the thin coat that was left after the Russians looted the house and he continued on his way…he was concerned about rescuing his family…’ Introducing her father also initiates the theme of family solidity and survival in one fascinating memoir enabled novel - a superb new book that addresses the strength of Holocaust survivors and how that trait reigns the author’s world. Very highly recommended
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
June 20, 2023
a family escapes Europe just in the nick of time.
A fascinating account of an unusual escape, during which, although they experienced harrowing hardships, Almighty G-d protected them. Their later life in Israel reflects their courage and tenacity.
Even though I only have remote Jewish Jewish ancestry (both paternal and maternal) I admit that I find myself weeping every time I read first person accounts, such as that found in this book, of the day “a nation was born in an hour”. A sincere thank you to all who take the time and expend the effort to document their families’ miraculous escape from the supreme evil so graphically named “The Holocaust”.
A fascinating account of an unusual escape, during which, although they experienced harrowing hardships, Almighty G-d protected them. Their later life in Israel reflects their courage and tenacity.
Even though I only have remote Jewish Jewish ancestry (both paternal and maternal) I admit that I find myself weeping every time I read first person accounts, such as that found in this book, of the day “a nation was born in an hour”. A sincere thank you to all who take the time and expend the effort to document their families’ miraculous escape from the supreme evil so graphically named “The Holocaust”.
September 20, 2023
Interesting
This felt almost like two separate books. One about escaping from the holocaust and one during Israel’s battle for independence. Loved the characters but seemed disjointed between the two phases. Worth reading.
This felt almost like two separate books. One about escaping from the holocaust and one during Israel’s battle for independence. Loved the characters but seemed disjointed between the two phases. Worth reading.
July 24, 2023
A story of loss, persecution and hope
The Light Through the Storm is about a Jewish family in Romania, during the days leading up to World War II, during the war, and after. The family has to flee for safety, first from the Germans, and then from the Russians. They eventually wind up in the area of what will be the new nation of Palestine.
The story at times reads like a typical story, and at other times, almost like a biography, as it is based on a true story. The book not only deals with the survival of the family during the war, but it also provides insight into the beginnings of the Jewish nation in Palestine, and this is truly interesting as well.
This is a good book, and I recommend it.
The Light Through the Storm is about a Jewish family in Romania, during the days leading up to World War II, during the war, and after. The family has to flee for safety, first from the Germans, and then from the Russians. They eventually wind up in the area of what will be the new nation of Palestine.
The story at times reads like a typical story, and at other times, almost like a biography, as it is based on a true story. The book not only deals with the survival of the family during the war, but it also provides insight into the beginnings of the Jewish nation in Palestine, and this is truly interesting as well.
This is a good book, and I recommend it.
August 28, 2024
A friend gave this book to me knowing of my interest in the Holocaust. It's a memoir, the story of the author's experience during and after WW2. Her family lived in Romania at the time of the war. She and her parents managed to escape by boat, thinking they were going to Eretz Israel, only to end up shipwrecked on Cyprus where they were interned in a British detention camp. They managed to survive this nightmare and eventually made it to Israel, where they finally made a home and survived the War for Independence. In later years, she was able to return to visit her former home in Romania, locating the graves of lost relatives. Not surprisingly, the book is a very moving and emotional experience.
July 26, 2024
Based on a true story as told by a survivor fr on Europe in WWII. The authors’s family fled for Israel at the last moment. However their ship ran ashore they found themselves stranded and due to laws passed from place to place. It took years to finally reach Israel only to find it had its own struggles and was not a land of milk and honey. An interesting look at lives that were constantly in survival mode.
March 19, 2025
A very moving recount of a family’s journey through WWII. Margalit’s writing is raw and real. The challenges she faced as a baby survivor of the Holocaust are remarkable and unbelievable. Her parents always had faith despite the circumstances and made the sacrifices needed to protect their family. Full circle perspective as Margalit puts together research and pieces of her memories to share this historical novel.
September 15, 2023
My Musings
An amazing book written by a holocaust survivor although she had no memory of what she lived through during her parents escape from Romania. I thoroughly enjoyed her story and I am so glad I found this one in Kindle Unlimited. A very thankful reader!
An amazing book written by a holocaust survivor although she had no memory of what she lived through during her parents escape from Romania. I thoroughly enjoyed her story and I am so glad I found this one in Kindle Unlimited. A very thankful reader!
December 1, 2023
I thoroughly enjoyed this book!!!!
February 13, 2023
An inspiring account of perseverance and survival...
“The Light Through the Storm” by Margalit Ganor Ph.D. is a WW2 historical novel based on the author's own family history. It’s an all-encompassing human dramatization that tells the story of Dr. Leon Schmelzer, his wife Donya, and their young daughter as they try to leave Romania discretely in the dead of night after realizing the peril of remaining in the country while it is still occupied by Nazi Germany. They scurry on board a tiny ship, along with a few other people, leaving behind family, friends, and the only life they had ever known in the hope of having a chance to survive. However, their journey to liberation does not follow a direct course. What follows is man’s own faith and resolve being pushed to its limits when they are shipwrecked and held hostage in a distant place…
The intensity of this book is in the potency of its characters and the author's microscopic viewpoint of the human condition. “The Light Through the Storm” is both inspiring and heart-wrenching, as it highlights both the best and worst of humanity. Highly recommended and a well-deserved five stars from me. I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
“The Light Through the Storm” by Margalit Ganor Ph.D. is a WW2 historical novel based on the author's own family history. It’s an all-encompassing human dramatization that tells the story of Dr. Leon Schmelzer, his wife Donya, and their young daughter as they try to leave Romania discretely in the dead of night after realizing the peril of remaining in the country while it is still occupied by Nazi Germany. They scurry on board a tiny ship, along with a few other people, leaving behind family, friends, and the only life they had ever known in the hope of having a chance to survive. However, their journey to liberation does not follow a direct course. What follows is man’s own faith and resolve being pushed to its limits when they are shipwrecked and held hostage in a distant place…
The intensity of this book is in the potency of its characters and the author's microscopic viewpoint of the human condition. “The Light Through the Storm” is both inspiring and heart-wrenching, as it highlights both the best and worst of humanity. Highly recommended and a well-deserved five stars from me. I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews