Let Me Tell You a Story: A Memoir of a Wartime Childhood

by Renata Calverley

The spellbinding true story of a little girl's miraculous escape from the Nazis during the Second World War.September, 1939. Przemysl, Poland. No one has explained to three-year-old Renatka what war is. She knows her Tatus, a doctor, is away with the Polish Army, that her beautiful Mamusia is no longer allowed to work at the university, and that their frequent visitors-among them Great Aunt Zuzia and Uncle Julek with their gifts of melon and clothes-have stopped appearing. One morning Mamusia comes home with little yellow six-pointed stars for them to wear. Renatka thinks they will keep her family safe.In June of 1942, soldiers in gray-green uniforms take Renata, Mamusia, and grandmother Babcia to the Ghetto where they are crammed into one room with other frightened families. The adults are forced to work long hours at the factory and to survive on next to no food. One day Mamusia and Babcia do not return from their shifts. Six years old and utterly alone, Renata is passed from place to place and survives through the willingness of ordinary people to take the most deadly risks. Her unlikely blonde hair and blue eyes and other twists of fate save her life but stories become her salvation. Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tales transport her to an enchanted world; David Copperfield helps her cope on her own; and she longs for the family in Swallows and Amazons. A chronicle of the horrors of war, Let Me Tell You a Story is a powerful and moving memoir of growing up in a disturbing world, and of the magical discovery of books.

Genres: Holocaust, Nonfiction, History, World War II, Memoir, Polish Literature, 20th Century

317 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Ellen Pilch · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was fantastic even though it gave me nightmares. My heart broke again and again for poor little Renata as she kept getting moved from place to place. I am amazed at how resilient she was throughout her ordeal during WW II.
This poor little girl gradually lost everything , including most of her family at the tender age of 6. It is so sad that the people that helped her for the most part, did it for money. I was hoping there were nicer people back then, but I guess mankind never changes.

My only issue was the end, I have so many questions. I want to know if she ever saw her Aunt and Uncle again. I also want to know what happened to her nanny that was arrested for trying to help a little Jewish boy. I also would love to know if she is Jewish or Catholic now.
I am glad she finally told her story as it should never be forgotten. I wish everyone could have told theirs. I highly recommend this book.
One more issue- the ink smells bad, I have never had that problem with a book.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully told tragic story. Sobering when you think of her tragic childhood, and then the fact that she was one of the lucky ones who fared better than others. The story is written through the eyes of a child and this leads to the books charm.
I Would recommend the book to anybody interested in history and human resilience.

[Bernadette Loesch · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this time of extremists who are quick to anger, or continue to judge 'the other' without just cause need to consider this book as a clarion call (loud and clear) for everyone who cannot see other people's point of view or tolerate their opinions. Required reading. A much needed reality check for these hatemongers. In my opinion well written. Excellent...a must read! Bernadette

[Shelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

I know she was only 6, but I grew tired of her constantly whining to the people who risked their lives to protect her. She doesn't even acknowledge that she is the reason her aunt and cousin get killed. Didn't finish

[Paula Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish the end didn't have such a quick wrap up. But it was good.

[Sophie R · Rating 5 out of 5]

No spoilers in this post :)

Although I read this book over half a decade ago (at the time of writing this review), a lot of the details and structure have stayed with me- a sure sign of powerful and emotive writing. I received this as an academic prize at my junior school, and still maintain the belief that it is the best book I've ever been awarded before then, or indeed since.

I should re-read this, and may even update this post once I've got round to doing so, but I have to say that, even as a 12-year old when first reading this book, Calverley succeeded in meaningfully and deeply capturing the life of a child growing up in Nazi-occupied Poland, conveying it in such a way that my 12-year old self laughed and cried throughout the highs and lows of this distinctly traumatic and peculiar childhood account of war and persecution.

For me, due to my young age when reading it, I particularly appreciated the growth in maturity of the narrator's(and author's) voice throughout the book. Calverley very cleverly does her utmost to prevent her adult reflective self from coming through in the narrative, maintaining instead the innocent and largely unknowing child's perception of this tumultuous world in which she finds herself. Her child self only gradually has the severity of the situation ( namely, occupation and World War) revealed to herself as she grows up, and her understanding of things evolves. It is for this reason that, for me, this is one of the most refreshingly different, unique and intimate accounts of the Jewish experience in World War II Europe that I have ever had the pleasure of coming across.

[Josie · Rating 3 out of 5]

[Audiobook version]

It was truly humbling how much effort so many people went to in order to save the life of one little Jewish girl -- putting their own lives at risk in the process -- but unfortunately the child's perspective that this is written from means that Renata never expresses any humility. I get that children can be selfish and rude without thinking, but even towards the end of the book Renata didn't seem to have matured or been changed by her experiences. The ungrateful way she brushed off her Aunt Zuzia made me feel sick.

Oh, and I found it strange that the end of the war was just brushed over? I don't remember it even being mentioned, and if it hadn't been for the chapter headings giving the date, I would have been confused as to why Renata had suddenly started school and was able to write to her father in the UK.

[Karin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Koskettava kirja, mikä jätti sanattomaksi monessa kohtaa. Uskomaton tarina Renatasta ja tämän selviytymisestä läpi varhaisen lapsuuden asuessaan Saksalaisten miehittämässä Puolassa.
Kirja on hyvin aidon tuntuinen kertomus sodasta lapsen silmin ja tunteista mitä tämä käy läpi.
Kirja on hyvä historian oppitunti muistuttamalla toisen maalimansodan kauheuksista. Samaan aikaan vuosi sitten Ukrainassa alkanut sota saa pohtimaan miten siellä näkyy sota lapsen omassa maailmassa tälläkin hetkellä.

[Emily Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the viewpoint from a child survivor of the Holocaust this book inspires and makes you think. It tells of how a child whose mother and grandma are sent to the gas chambers. moved from house to house, and person to person, her dreams of freedom are brought to fruitition.
Thoughful.

[Juanita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow this was such a compelling read her writing just had me and I could not put it down. Usually I read books around this topic from the concentration camps so it was a different perspective to read about Renata and how she was hidden from house to house.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good pace... simple language... very heart touching narrative..

[Dipak Rai · Rating 5 out of 5]

This will tell tou how important it is to pick up the habit of reading. How innocent a young mind is? And why the habit of reading may see you through the most difficult times.

[Ambika · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is so good that it got me reading chapter after chapter by the hour, and it was really hard to keep a tab on it via GoodReads, so I'm just going to keep this as my daily-read book and start on another book I will use only for SSR. So in a very simple manner, this book is a memoir of a woman named Renata who when she was a young child had a very difficult childhood. She was smuggled from the Jewish ghetto by her German nanny, Marynia, after her grandma and mother were taken to Auschwitz camp (most likely to be killed by gassing upon arrival). B/c Marynia and her husband are pretending to be on the Nazi side, it is not very safe for Renata to stay at their house b/c soldiers often visit them (even though Renata is a Jewess who has "Aryan" features--blonde hair, blue eyes). From Marynia's house she is moved to another house. This house belongs to a man named Maciej and his wife, Jadwiga (although Jadwiga doesn't live there) and the housekeeper, Hanka. Through Renata's innocent child perspective, readers find out dark and troubling secrets. Renata appears to lead a very nomadic childhood life. I really like this book a) b/c it's an historical novel and b) the story itself is very informative, well-written, and incredibly deep.

[Linda Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

As the story starts, Renata is a three year old Jewish girl living in a comfortably off family in Poland in 1939, and she recounts what happened to her throughout the Nazi purges and World War II.
Her sense of bewilderment about what war is and why people hate her even though she has done nothing wrong is heartbreaking. Telling herself the stories she heard in happier days with her family helps to comfort and support her, and when one of the many people who shelter her along the way (some out of love and some for money) teaches her to read, it opens up a whole new world to her.

This was a difficult book to read from the comfort of my armchair, as even though the terrible events of that time are well known, this very personal account, told by a very young child, gives a different perspective. I wish that we could have heard what happened to some of the other people- but maybe their fate, like that of so many others of that period - was never known.

[Trina · Rating 3 out of 5]

While her father is away as a doctor during the war, six year old Renata, her mother, and her grandmother are forced out of their apartment, in the middle of the night, and moved to the Ghetto. Not long after, her mother and grandmother are taken away for Auschwitz. Renata is passed from place to place and person to person as she is in hiding. This is her 6 year old view of what was happening. She can't understand what war is (she thinks all the bombs are thunder in a terrible storm), and why people hate her just because she's Jew (especially since her family wasn't very active in their religion).

Renata stayed true to telling the story through her childhood eyes, but gave enough detail that, as an adult, you could tell what must have been happening at the time. The end dragged a bit for me, but it gave a nice wrap up to how her wartime childhood came to a close.

[Lavinia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this book from Krakow. I have to admit I didn't do much research before choosing this particular one, I just wanted to read some memoir from WWII in that part of the world. Because the memories belong to a very young child, they're a bit different from what I was expecting. In short, Renata had a looot of luck and many many people who did their best to keep her alive. At times she seemed ungrateful and unaware, but, well, she was only a child.

If you ever feel that you need to read something to be grateful for your life, then read this book. It will make you never want to complain about the small stuff ever again.

[Shariek Gohar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read from a holocaust survivor

Loved the book. Drew me in right away. Cannot comprehend what Renata has gone through. Totally felt telling this story from the child's perspective, brought you closer to what she experienced. This will stay with me for awhile.

[Mrs S Ruck · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story to remember

I was gripped from start to finish. I hoped against hope that Renata's mother had survived but she didn't. I cried as I read this and couldn't put it down. This book must be read by all to know what man is capable of.

[Clarissa Slaton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the best book I have ever read! It is about a girl at the time the world war 2 started she was 6. This is her story of how she survived world war2.

[Marka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very moving.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened to this. It was inspiring and sad and quite amazing to hear.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really interesting read from the voice of a 5 year old.

[Kim Heimbuch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review to Post here soon