Mother and Me: Escape from Warsaw, 1939

by Julian Padowicz

"In 1939," Julian Padowicz says, "I was a Polish Jew-hater. Under different circumstances my story might have been one of denouncing Jews to the Gestapo. As it happened, I was a Jew myself, and I was seven years old."      Julian's mother was a Warsaw socialite who had no interest in child-rearing. She turned her son over completely to his governess, a good Catholic, named Kiki, whom he loved with all his heart. Kiki was deeply worried about Julian's immortal soul, explaining that he could go to Heaven only if he became a Catholic.      When bombs began to fall on Warsaw, Julian's world crumbled. His beloved Kiki returned to her family in Lodz; Julian's stepfather joined the Polish army, and the grief-stricken boy was left with the mother whom he hardly knew.      Resourceful and determinded, his mother did whatever was necessary to provide for herself and her son: she brazenly cut into food lines and befriended Russian officers to get extra rations of food and fuel. But brought up by Kiki to distrust all things Jewish, Julian considered his mother's behavior un-Christian.      In the winter of 1940, as conditions worsened, Julian and his mother made a dramatic escape to Hungary on foot through the Carpathian mountains and Julian came to believe that even Jews could go to Heaven.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Holocaust, World War II, Memoir

447 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 2006

Reviews

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Jill Hallenbeck · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a delightful surprise! This is written from a boy's POV when he was 7-9 years old in Warsaw at the start of 1939. You would not think there was too much to find humor in, but then I haven't been a 7 year old boy. Seriously this is the story of a Jewish boy and his very pampered manipulative mother who must escape the Nazis.. VERY well written! I got my copy at the US Holocaust Museum in DC.

[Dr Penner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although I have a hard time saying it, Mother and Me is not your typical Holocaust memoir. Written from a child’s perspective, the novel is less about the Holocaust and more about a child’s place in a world falling apart. The truthful and thoughtful eyes of Julian make this a unforgettable journey.

[Lashanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved his writing style and the childs perspective that he wrote from, allowing the reader to figure things out on their own❤❤❤ cherished it, very much looking forward to another of his books.

[Claudia Dursa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting and enjoyable story made all the more effective because it was a first person account of actual events.

[Cassie Hanson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an emotional Rollercoaster. A must read for anyone who enjoys WWII books. Or anyone who roots for the little guy.

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was intense. The first three quarters of it are how life was in Poland and enduring the hardships that one would from what they had to a whole different system. From finding a place to live, growing in one’s faith, and learning to love your family even though they may not be what you think they should be. This was not a typical holocaust book; it wasn’t even a hardship because they were Jewish book. It was a struggle for Mother’s who loved their children so much that they would do anything to save them.
The last quarter of the book was the most powerful part. Could not put it down and felt the pain and panic and every other emotion that was felt for little Julian and his Mother. It was more than mesmerizing; it was compulsory to finish. A story like this needed to be completed. A great voice, good style and an ending that can make one feel whole.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Julian Padowicz's mother is a survivor, and one of the main reasons I enjoyed this book. She's not your usual heroine, by any means--she's too self-centered and even, at times, thoughtless for that--but she's witty and bright and knows how to use her talents to survive, and that's what makes this account of the author's escape from Warsaw so intriguing. Their journey is both chilling and engrossing, and Padowicz breathes wonderful life into his childhood, from their trek away from the Nazis to his personal struggles with his religious identity. Mother and Me is a real page-turner, and a great beginning to Padowicz's three-part memoir.

[Meaghan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A word to the wise: this book, while a fine enough memoir, is not about the Holocaust. The subtitle "escape from Warsaw" and its placement in the Holocaust section of the library lead me to think so, but in fact it's more about escaping Communism/fascism than antisemitism.

[Gabi Coatsworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

All stories of escapes from Poland fascinate me, since I'm half Polish. This one is no exception. Vividly drawn, I felt I was in pre-war Poland, and then catapulted into an alien world of privation and tragedy. The author's keen eye and ability to see clearly made this very readable.

[Raissa Patton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written! I thoroughly enjoyed this unusual account written from the perspective of an 8 year old boy of he and his mothers experiences in WWII Poland.

[summer jimenez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful

Wonderful

a must read book. I fell for this little boy quickly and his story was gripping. could not put it down.