Anna Szenes was born in 1921 in Budapest, Hungary. Her father, Béla, was an acclaimed poet, comedy writer, and playwright. Like others in their circle, the Szenes family were assimilated Jews. In the 1930s, the Arrow Cross Party, who were fascists like the Nazis they emulated, passed a series of increasingly restrictive laws that stripped Hungarian Jews of their civil liberties. Anna was appalled at her government's cruelty. She became an avid Zionist, and emigrated to Palestine in 1939. Upon her arrival, she studied agriculture for two years and then joined Kibbutz Sdot Yam.
Douglas Century's "Crash of the Heavens," the enthralling story of Hannah Senesh, is an eloquent and inspiring account of Hannah's transformation from a brilliant young student who wrote beautiful poetry and loved literature to a paratrooper who was prepared to die in the name of freedom and justice. She remained in Palestine until 1941, when she and other volunteers embarked on a clandestine mission organized by the British Special Operations Executive. Hannah and her compatriots would be dropped by parachute behind enemy lines in order to assist downed Allied soldiers and liberate Jews from their oppressors.
In this meticulously researched work of non-fiction, we learn about Senesh's grueling combat training, her longing to be reunited with her mother, Katalina, (who remained in Hungary), and her commitment to rescuing as many of her brethren as possible. This is not a quick and easy read. It is challenging to keep track of the scores of names, dates, and places in this nearly four-hundred-page book. The excellent index is invaluable for those who want to refresh their memories about specific facts.
The author humanizes his characters with vivid dialogue and strong descriptive writing, and he explores such thought-provoking themes as the virulent hatred of Jews, not only in Austria and Germany, but in Ukraine, Slovakia, Romania, and Hungary; the lack of a vigorous response by the allies to the mass executions of Jews, details of which were known early on; and the heroism of the kibbutzniks who placed themselves in harm's way to aid their brethren and stranded Allied soldiers. "Crash of the Heavens" is an enthralling, informative, and moving account of a remarkable young woman. it is also an enlightening exploration of the history of the times, and an in-depth portrait of a courageous group of male and female resistance fighters, some of whom made the ultimate sacrifice for a sacred cause.