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My Mother's Ring
The Holocaust didn’t really end in 1945. Not for everyone. Even after the war, survivors’ lives were influenced by their terrifying experiences. Some of them were never able to retell their stories—for others, it took decades.
In My Mother’s Ring: A Holocaust Historical Novel, Henryk Frankowski feels compelled to pen his memoir and finally share his poignant story from his hospital bed as he lay dying. His carefree childhood as a Jewish boy in Warsaw, Poland is never far from his mind as he recalls the tumultuous world he endured during the Holocaust. Henryk speaks uninhibitedly about the intense bond he has with his family, particularly his adoration for his nurturing mother. Ultimately, the Frankowskis’ lives are broken apart as World War II ignites and the Nazis storm across Europe, imprisoning and killing millions. As senseless restrictions are implemented, living conditions are compressed, circumstances turn dire, and callous disregard for human life runs rampant, Henryk must find the resilience to carry on. All the while, he dreams of a family reunion in Warsaw…
348 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 19, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 121 reviews
August 18, 2016
As tears roll down my face, I encourage you to please read this novel.
I have so many things to say, and I'm finding it especially difficult to choose the right words for this review..... Just, please read this. It is so important.
"All I have left to say before I join my mother is: I survived. I loved. I lived."
I have so many things to say, and I'm finding it especially difficult to choose the right words for this review..... Just, please read this. It is so important.
"All I have left to say before I join my mother is: I survived. I loved. I lived."
February 26, 2014
One of the most descriptive narration of survival during the holocaust
One of the most descriptive narration of survival during the holocaust
this author described the harrowing
experiences he and others suffered in the Nazi death camps. his writing is riveting. and almost poetic with the depth of his sorrow.I would recommend all who read and absorb these historical bios to include this one. it stays with you.
One of the most descriptive narration of survival during the holocaust
this author described the harrowing
experiences he and others suffered in the Nazi death camps. his writing is riveting. and almost poetic with the depth of his sorrow.I would recommend all who read and absorb these historical bios to include this one. it stays with you.
October 14, 2022
Đọc tới nửa cuốn sách thì mình tìm đọc một vài review. Mình có hơi lấn cấn trước những lời cảm nhận và đánh giá mình đọc được. Một vài người nói cuốn sách này giá trị, mang tới những thông tin chân thực, bám sát sự thật diễn ra tại các trại tập trung của Đức Quốc Xã. Có người lại cho rằng những điều xuất hiện trong sách "không đáng tin và cần phải kiểm chứng". Người thì nhất quyết cho rằng không nên đọc cuốn sách này và "mọi người phải biết và nhớ rằng nó chỉ là một cuốn tiểu thuyết hư cấu chứ không phải hồi ký của một nạn nhân thực ngoài đời".
Những chương đầu cuốn sách làm cho mình có cảm giác mình đang đọc một cuốn hồi ký thật. Chính ấn tượng mạnh ấy khiến mình tìm đọc đánh giá cuốn sách, bởi mình cần phải biết mình có đang đọc về một nhân vật có thật không. Nhưng thông tin về cuốn sách này quá ít ỏi. Tất cả những gì mình tìm được là cảm nhận của những người đọc khác rải rác trên Amazon và Goodreads. Tác giả cuốn sách cũng không chia sẻ bà dùng những tư liệu gì, viết như thế nào và bao nhiêu phần sách là thật (ngoài một dòng thông tin rằng họ hàng của tác giả từng phải sống trong các trại tập trung những năm chiến tranh).
Mình không biết nên đọc tiếp hay nên ngừng. Với những cuốn tiểu thuyết lịch sử, mình luôn muốn biết có những gì trong đó là thật. Mình đã định bỏ ngang. Nhưng rồi, không đành. Không đành bởi chính cái cảm giác đã thôi thúc mình đi tìm hiểu sự thật đằng sau trang sách - cuốn tiểu thuyết này quả thực giống một cuốn hồi ký. Một hai ý kiến chê cuốn sách viết nhiều đoạn không kỹ, nhiều tình tiết chỉ được điểm lướt qua, không có thoại chỉ có lời của nhân vật chính từ đầu tới cuối... nhưng với mình thì chính những điều đó làm nên nét chân thực của cuốn tiểu thuyết. Chẳng phải ký ức của một người là rất mơ hồ sao? Và nếu người đó ngồi viết lại bao nhiêu năm đời mình chỉ trong những ngày cuối đời thì việc nhiều chi tiết bị điểm lướt, không có thoại... là hết sức... bình thường. Và hiển nhiên.
Vậy là mình cứ thế đọc tiếp cuốn sách. Mình thích nó. Mình vẫn không biết được bao nhiêu phần trong cuốn này là thật. Nhưng đã có độc giả nói anh ấy đọc nhiểu về thế chiến II và những điều được nhắc tới trong sách này là có thật. Mình tin độc giả ấy. Cũng không có ai dẫn chứng được điều gì trong sách là giả; ngoài cảm giác mà họ có khi đọc và ý kiến cho rằng "tác giả nên trích dẫn tài liệu tham khảo khi viết sách".
Cuốn sách làm mình xúc động, có lẽ thế là đủ. Và dù nhiều người nói giọng văn và câu từ của cuốn sách không hấp dẫn, mình vẫn thấy chúng đẹp. Vậy là đủ để thưởng thức một tác phẩm văn học.
Những chương đầu cuốn sách làm cho mình có cảm giác mình đang đọc một cuốn hồi ký thật. Chính ấn tượng mạnh ấy khiến mình tìm đọc đánh giá cuốn sách, bởi mình cần phải biết mình có đang đọc về một nhân vật có thật không. Nhưng thông tin về cuốn sách này quá ít ỏi. Tất cả những gì mình tìm được là cảm nhận của những người đọc khác rải rác trên Amazon và Goodreads. Tác giả cuốn sách cũng không chia sẻ bà dùng những tư liệu gì, viết như thế nào và bao nhiêu phần sách là thật (ngoài một dòng thông tin rằng họ hàng của tác giả từng phải sống trong các trại tập trung những năm chiến tranh).
Mình không biết nên đọc tiếp hay nên ngừng. Với những cuốn tiểu thuyết lịch sử, mình luôn muốn biết có những gì trong đó là thật. Mình đã định bỏ ngang. Nhưng rồi, không đành. Không đành bởi chính cái cảm giác đã thôi thúc mình đi tìm hiểu sự thật đằng sau trang sách - cuốn tiểu thuyết này quả thực giống một cuốn hồi ký. Một hai ý kiến chê cuốn sách viết nhiều đoạn không kỹ, nhiều tình tiết chỉ được điểm lướt qua, không có thoại chỉ có lời của nhân vật chính từ đầu tới cuối... nhưng với mình thì chính những điều đó làm nên nét chân thực của cuốn tiểu thuyết. Chẳng phải ký ức của một người là rất mơ hồ sao? Và nếu người đó ngồi viết lại bao nhiêu năm đời mình chỉ trong những ngày cuối đời thì việc nhiều chi tiết bị điểm lướt, không có thoại... là hết sức... bình thường. Và hiển nhiên.
Vậy là mình cứ thế đọc tiếp cuốn sách. Mình thích nó. Mình vẫn không biết được bao nhiêu phần trong cuốn này là thật. Nhưng đã có độc giả nói anh ấy đọc nhiểu về thế chiến II và những điều được nhắc tới trong sách này là có thật. Mình tin độc giả ấy. Cũng không có ai dẫn chứng được điều gì trong sách là giả; ngoài cảm giác mà họ có khi đọc và ý kiến cho rằng "tác giả nên trích dẫn tài liệu tham khảo khi viết sách".
Cuốn sách làm mình xúc động, có lẽ thế là đủ. Và dù nhiều người nói giọng văn và câu từ của cuốn sách không hấp dẫn, mình vẫn thấy chúng đẹp. Vậy là đủ để thưởng thức một tác phẩm văn học.
March 1, 2019
If you had asked me my rating on this book a few months ago, I would've given it a 3. But, now that I have finished it, I give it all 5's. This book was tough to get through, mostly because the content was so heavy and depressing at times. I had to take time away from it because it was too much. Out of all of the WW2 novels I have read, this was the first time I have ever had to step away from a book before finishing it - not because I was bored, but because the content was so hard to carry at times. But, I guess that's the beauty in it. Because this story was so real and hard around the edges, it made it all the more realistic. I felt myself hurting with Henryk at the end of the novel. I won't tell you why, but I physically felt sad for him. I felt his pain and heartache. But, I also felt his joy, and it was a wonderful blessing to know that he spent the remainder of his life after the war joyful and with people he loved. I'm so thankful I finished this book. Even if it is slow and heavy at times, it is a must read.
June 9, 2020
DISCLAIMER:
Review based on Audiobook version (Scribd, Narrated by Mel Foster). Also own print edition on Kindle.
STORY:
Powerful with a bit of a unique telling. A darker read than most Holocaust books as the details are so very real. Beautifully told with great reverence to the brutality of both the physical, mental, and spiritual angles of life in the camps.
The part that compelled me most was the portion of his conversation where he describes his transition and re-establishment into the world post-liberation. This portion of most novel/memoirs tends to be short and include few details, as most readers find them the least compelling.
This telling allowed me to learn more about the actualities of the process that has always struck me as an incredibly overlooked stage in most novels/memoirs. I am thankful this was included with such detail and care.
A supremely powerful book. Highly recommended to those who, like me, feel compelled to absorb any/all books of this genre/time in history.
AUDIOBOOK (via Scribd, Narrated by Mel Foster):
While the narrator was well-spoken and very clear in his reading, it took some time to appreciate his tone and cadence. What at first felt a bit stoic and mechanical soon helped me to form a vision of Henryk, both as a young man and as an older storyteller.
NOTE:
I had completely forgotten that I had purchased this book via my Kindle a few years ago on a Holocaust story hunt. In some respects, I wish I had read it there rather than the audiobook, but I suspect listening to the audiobook may make this particular one stick more deeply in my mind precisely for the ability of the narrator to help bring the vision of Henryk full circle from the in-depth insights in the author's telling. In the end, I am glad to have listened to it both for story content, writing, and narration but I am also grateful to have the Kindle version to re-read sometime down the road.
CONCLUSION:
HIGHLY recommend this book for anyone interested in a true telling (even if fictional) of the experiences of so many imprisoned during the war. It will NOT be forgotten.
I would recommend for student readings but only for accomplished readers able to handle the graphic nature of a handful of scenes, beyond the atrocities most writers detail. They are, for certain, still not the most horrific of crimes committed during those years, but they speak to the power and dehumanization hate can sow among those who succumb to it...but also to the amazing power of hope, resilience, and pure fortitude of the human spirit.
How they continued to survive and still find any semblance of a life after continues to astonish me to this day and I find myself filled with gratitude to those who shared their stories over the years since but mostly unwavering and soul-felt respect to those I deem to be, along with those surviving Slavery, among the absolute strongest, bravest, and most honorable people who have walked this earth...and I am forever sorry for the horrific atrocities inflicted on so many due to the magnitude of ugliness that did (and does) exist in this world. May your legacy live on as proof your soul and your heritage can never be destroyed.
Heartfelt thanks to the author. I look forward to your next book...and thank you for this one.
Review based on Audiobook version (Scribd, Narrated by Mel Foster). Also own print edition on Kindle.
STORY:
Powerful with a bit of a unique telling. A darker read than most Holocaust books as the details are so very real. Beautifully told with great reverence to the brutality of both the physical, mental, and spiritual angles of life in the camps.
The part that compelled me most was the portion of his conversation where he describes his transition and re-establishment into the world post-liberation. This portion of most novel/memoirs tends to be short and include few details, as most readers find them the least compelling.
This telling allowed me to learn more about the actualities of the process that has always struck me as an incredibly overlooked stage in most novels/memoirs. I am thankful this was included with such detail and care.
A supremely powerful book. Highly recommended to those who, like me, feel compelled to absorb any/all books of this genre/time in history.
AUDIOBOOK (via Scribd, Narrated by Mel Foster):
While the narrator was well-spoken and very clear in his reading, it took some time to appreciate his tone and cadence. What at first felt a bit stoic and mechanical soon helped me to form a vision of Henryk, both as a young man and as an older storyteller.
NOTE:
I had completely forgotten that I had purchased this book via my Kindle a few years ago on a Holocaust story hunt. In some respects, I wish I had read it there rather than the audiobook, but I suspect listening to the audiobook may make this particular one stick more deeply in my mind precisely for the ability of the narrator to help bring the vision of Henryk full circle from the in-depth insights in the author's telling. In the end, I am glad to have listened to it both for story content, writing, and narration but I am also grateful to have the Kindle version to re-read sometime down the road.
CONCLUSION:
HIGHLY recommend this book for anyone interested in a true telling (even if fictional) of the experiences of so many imprisoned during the war. It will NOT be forgotten.
I would recommend for student readings but only for accomplished readers able to handle the graphic nature of a handful of scenes, beyond the atrocities most writers detail. They are, for certain, still not the most horrific of crimes committed during those years, but they speak to the power and dehumanization hate can sow among those who succumb to it...but also to the amazing power of hope, resilience, and pure fortitude of the human spirit.
How they continued to survive and still find any semblance of a life after continues to astonish me to this day and I find myself filled with gratitude to those who shared their stories over the years since but mostly unwavering and soul-felt respect to those I deem to be, along with those surviving Slavery, among the absolute strongest, bravest, and most honorable people who have walked this earth...and I am forever sorry for the horrific atrocities inflicted on so many due to the magnitude of ugliness that did (and does) exist in this world. May your legacy live on as proof your soul and your heritage can never be destroyed.
Heartfelt thanks to the author. I look forward to your next book...and thank you for this one.
March 23, 2014
I got this book for an English class project where we had to pick a book about the holocaust. I do not on any circumstances recommend this book to any one. Dana Fitzwater Cornell could have written a beautifully sculpted novel, the idea for her book had so much potential but was brutally murdered. I believe if she would have written her own account about her family and the three different concentration camps they were placed in during the holocaust, I believe that more emotion would have been displayed. I was disappointed greatly. There is no artwork in her writing no beautifully designed sentences. There are only dull, lifeless phrases. I believe that Henryk would have felt more emotions and would have had more going through his head than what she wrote. In her prologue she also writes, "My goal in writing this memoir is to attempt to capture the emotion- the fear, the uncertainty, the desolation-of that time". This is not a memoir; it is fiction. This is not her story. If you want to read a real account- a truly amazing story of the holocaust, read Night by Elie Wiesel. This memoir pulls at so many places in my heart and my mind. I was in tears by the end.
March 26, 2014
A fascinating read, one that I found extremely difficult to put down. The author says to read the book slowly, but I found myself moving quickly through it because I got so involved in the story. While this book is a work of fiction, it is so well written that you get soaked into the story and soon forget that it isn't a true account. We can all learn about this terrible time in history from this book. The book is clearly labeled "fiction" and the subtitle reinforces this. I will definitely be recommending this to others!
March 13, 2016
Moving and inspirational
I just finished this wonderful book and the horror of the holocaust camps will remain with me for a long time. It is so hard to imagine the lives these people were forced to live, where a piece of cheese becomes more valuable than a family heirloom and up to 6 people share a twin sized bunk. The protagonist is so inspirational in his relentless pursuit of a happy life despite the daily horrors that he must encounter. It really makes any person take a long look at their life and realize how very lucky most of us are.
I just finished this wonderful book and the horror of the holocaust camps will remain with me for a long time. It is so hard to imagine the lives these people were forced to live, where a piece of cheese becomes more valuable than a family heirloom and up to 6 people share a twin sized bunk. The protagonist is so inspirational in his relentless pursuit of a happy life despite the daily horrors that he must encounter. It really makes any person take a long look at their life and realize how very lucky most of us are.
October 7, 2019
“It is unfathomable how much heartache and pain the human body can endure.” p. 247
“I had come to realize that in life the only person you can truly count on is yourself. As long as you can still think clearly without yielding to desperation then you can survive. Once your will to live is tainted then you become a ticking time bomb. No object can save you when you mentally defeat yourself.” p. 267-8.
Although this book is fiction, it is still a gripping account of the horrors suffered by so many at the hands of the Nazis.
“I had come to realize that in life the only person you can truly count on is yourself. As long as you can still think clearly without yielding to desperation then you can survive. Once your will to live is tainted then you become a ticking time bomb. No object can save you when you mentally defeat yourself.” p. 267-8.
Although this book is fiction, it is still a gripping account of the horrors suffered by so many at the hands of the Nazis.
January 11, 2014
A historical novel about the life of Henryk Frankowski in Poland during WWII. Henryk is an old man dying in a hospital and decides to tell his story. His is a powerful and heart breaking story of 17 year old Henryk and his family from the beginning of WWII to liberation to building a life after the war in the US. His mother's wedding ring and the strength she has instilled in him are what fuels his survival.
August 17, 2017
I am now reading this interesting book about the occupation of Poland during WW2. As all the other books during this time, I am amazed and shocked at the atrocities these fine people had to endure. Will let you know once I'm finished how I rate this book, so far I'm enjoying the read, just not the things the families had to endure. We are so blessed in the US to never have had to live thru such crimes against human beings.
February 2, 2026
I appreciate the intentions of this book. But it seemed to me too artificial in its wording. Almost felt like a children’s or young adults book besides the actual content that was written - but a lot of adjectives felt out of place. It felt like someone read a ton of things about the events of the Holocaust and tried to spin them into one persons story. I wanted to like it more than I did but it didn’t feel authentic.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 5, 2022
If you read this book, do pause and think how you as a person would react, respond, or survive. Then talk with others and see. There are some aspects I did not realize as an individual trying to survive or willing to sacrifice to be able to live another day. I recommend reading it from another perspective during the holocaust.
October 24, 2014
This man went thru 5 years of hell and survived to write this memoir. What an amazing special relationship Henrik had with his mom that he was able to survive the most horrible existence with comforting words from his mom and thoughts of home.
December 30, 2018
This book was a story told, based on real events but is a work of fiction. It is the story of a man who survived several of the concentration camps during WW2. It is graphic at times but makes you thankful for your family and comforts we enjoy daily. Fictional yet a true survivor story.
June 17, 2015
A truly heartbreaking story. A story one should read.
January 13, 2016
This was a very engaging, horrifying story. Well written, and difficult to put down.
February 5, 2018
Unforgettable
I have read many of these Holocaust survivor stories and while most have the same gist, there is not one that I will ever forget. It shocks my soul to think of what they endured and survived and then thrived. Let us of my generation be able to understand and believe these atrocities so it never can occur again. I cried reading this and will surely pick this one up again. I am so glad he penned his story because each one is a piece of history
I have read many of these Holocaust survivor stories and while most have the same gist, there is not one that I will ever forget. It shocks my soul to think of what they endured and survived and then thrived. Let us of my generation be able to understand and believe these atrocities so it never can occur again. I cried reading this and will surely pick this one up again. I am so glad he penned his story because each one is a piece of history
April 27, 2019
An absolutely harrowing story of surviving 18 ish months in a concentration camp. I couldn’t help thinking how many of those cliffs I would have jumped off of, or how many times I would have wished it all to end. I don’t know if I could have been as strong as this man. How does one get back to “normal”, how do you pick up and carry on after the loss of his entire family. Broke my heart. Incredible story which puts life into perspective.
October 26, 2024
I didnt realize this book was fiction...So I really enjoyed this story for the majority of book until the ending when he was on the death march about trying to drink his urine and then seeing cannibalism at the camp. There may have been instances of that notably at bergen belsen but it was just really unnecessary to include, took me completely out of it and I almost didn't finish the book. I've read a lot of first hand account books about the holocaust this is the first one to mention this and it's not even a real account.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 20, 2018
I'll just say heavy. And not for the faint of heart. There were several times that I had to stop listening and just meditate on the things that happened, the things that were said, the things that were experienced. I believe I cried at one point, just brokenhearted and hurt at the immense evil that many people experienced.
May 23, 2018
Powerful message.
Those who forget or chose to deny history will see it repeated. I pray to God this will never be forgotten or repeated. Evil waits to once more visit horrors on us. God bless you for telling your story. God bless all who had to experience the Holocaust. This is book you will not forget.
Those who forget or chose to deny history will see it repeated. I pray to God this will never be forgotten or repeated. Evil waits to once more visit horrors on us. God bless you for telling your story. God bless all who had to experience the Holocaust. This is book you will not forget.
December 30, 2024
I kept pushing this book aside and choosing to read something else, but I was determined to finish. It didn’t grab me and I didn’t feel connected to the MC. I then realized it was fiction and not a memoir. There are too many well written memoirs about the holocaust to recommend anyone read this one.
October 18, 2025
Audiobook from the library, This book is written and read in 1st person format. It was an excellent book. The story of how 1 man held onto his courage and desperate belief that as long as he kept and held onto his mothers wedding ring, no matter what happened he would always have his family with him.
May 22, 2017
Heartbreaker
We would never forget the human tragedies of WWII.....This story is a painful reminder of how one man endured horrific treatment
It is a written well and is a moving story.
We would never forget the human tragedies of WWII.....This story is a painful reminder of how one man endured horrific treatment
It is a written well and is a moving story.
February 19, 2018
Is this ring magic?
I really enjoyed this book. It is unbelievable the horrific things that happened to everyone during this time. There were no winners. I don't think I would survive. God bless those who did.
I really enjoyed this book. It is unbelievable the horrific things that happened to everyone during this time. There were no winners. I don't think I would survive. God bless those who did.
February 5, 2019
Gut-level engagement
From go to woe, the reader is seeing the world through the eyes of the writer. I deeply appreciate the sharing of this story with we who (please God) Will never have to survive what he had to survive. "Never again!"
From go to woe, the reader is seeing the world through the eyes of the writer. I deeply appreciate the sharing of this story with we who (please God) Will never have to survive what he had to survive. "Never again!"
March 29, 2019
The memoir is of a young man as he endured the holocaust. This book is incredibly descriptive, clear, informative, and moving. We must never forget. I am glad that I listened to this audiobook from Hoopla.
June 14, 2019
Especially moving story
This story is both heart wrenching and heart warming. A testament to a mother's love & inspirational in the will to survive deplorable acts of hatred, which was the Holocaust! Would highly recommend this book.
This story is both heart wrenching and heart warming. A testament to a mother's love & inspirational in the will to survive deplorable acts of hatred, which was the Holocaust! Would highly recommend this book.
October 12, 2019
A family, reduced to a sole survivor
Just an ordinary Jewish family, living in Warsaw, Poland.They become a beacon of hope, of survival, of the extra determination it takes to be sole survivor of your family. A heart breaking spell binding story of a victim of the Holocaust.
Just an ordinary Jewish family, living in Warsaw, Poland.They become a beacon of hope, of survival, of the extra determination it takes to be sole survivor of your family. A heart breaking spell binding story of a victim of the Holocaust.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 121 reviews