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Sabina: In the Eye of the Storm
This is the memoir of Bella Kuligowska Zucker, the only person in her family to survive the Holocaust. In September 1939, Bella was a carefree teenager living in Poland when the German army struck. She was rounded up with her friends and family and sent to a series of grim Jewish ghettos. After loved ones were separated and lost through the war years, Bella survived by changing her identity.Narrowly escaping death each time, she moved from place to place, odd job to odd job, new name to new name. After finding the birth certificate of a Catholic girl five years her senior, she became Sabina Mazurek. Then she went into the eye of the storm, Germany, where she believed she might be safest. "Sabina is her story.As in "Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank and "Night" by Elie Wiesel, Bella Kuligowska marshaled unexpected resources to manage as a teen during the horrors of World War II. Sabina offers a different perspective on how many Jews survived outside of the concentration camps, in more familiar yet infinitely hostile settings, with the help of others along the way.
235 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 16, 2018
175 people are currently reading
256 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
March 27, 2023
How does a 14–15-year-old girl have the kind of awareness, wherewithal, and resilience to survive, hide her Jewish self, pass as a Polish peasant, travel alone using a stolen birth certificate, consciously lose any Jewish mannerisms or Yiddish accent, and survive in "the eye of the Nazi storm" in Poland and Germany?
This is a mind-boggling story. Moving, horrifying, and utterly human.
I only found out about this book because Bella Zucker's daughter, Grace, is a member of my book club, and Grace is the right name. It took grace for this story to live (as well as years of work by Grace, editors, translators, and others).
Not only did young Bella do the impossible in surviving, but her eye for detail and apparent total recall of each experience and terrain is served by her talent as a fine literary writer.
This is an astounding memoir that deserves to be read by millions of people and maybe made into a movie. This is a necessary story—more necessary now than ever as our democracy feels under assault.
This is a mind-boggling story. Moving, horrifying, and utterly human.
I only found out about this book because Bella Zucker's daughter, Grace, is a member of my book club, and Grace is the right name. It took grace for this story to live (as well as years of work by Grace, editors, translators, and others).
Not only did young Bella do the impossible in surviving, but her eye for detail and apparent total recall of each experience and terrain is served by her talent as a fine literary writer.
This is an astounding memoir that deserves to be read by millions of people and maybe made into a movie. This is a necessary story—more necessary now than ever as our democracy feels under assault.
January 15, 2020
This is my mother's memoir about how she survived as a teenager alone during the Holocaust. It presents a different survivor perspective because she assumed the identity of a Polish Catholic girl and hid herself in plain sight in war torn Poland and Germany. Written by my mother, in her own words, this book has universal themes of resilence, courage and how a refugee builds a life even after the most extreme loss. Also appropriate for young adult readers.
March 30, 2020
When the Nazis invaded Poland in September, 1939, Bella was a carefree teenager until she is rounded up along with other Jewish neighbors, friends, and relatives and sent to a series of Jewish ghettos.
As she details in her memoir, Sabina: In the Eye of the Storm by Bella Kuligowska Zucker, this is the beginning of a dangerous journey using all of her instincts and wits to escape from the ghettos and then avoiding detection and capture by the Germans. She had been separated from her family members and was on her own; she learned after the war that she was the only survivor in her family. With the requirement to have and show identification papers to any German who asks, she eventually saw an opportunity to take such papers from a Polish Catholic girl who was several years older than her, thus becoming Sabina of this book title. As a young girl she excels at her natural ability for deception and decides that moving to Germany to find work may be a safer alternative for her. This is a very inspiring young lady who has to think fast to stay one step ahead of the Nazis and to stay alive.
As she details in her memoir, Sabina: In the Eye of the Storm by Bella Kuligowska Zucker, this is the beginning of a dangerous journey using all of her instincts and wits to escape from the ghettos and then avoiding detection and capture by the Germans. She had been separated from her family members and was on her own; she learned after the war that she was the only survivor in her family. With the requirement to have and show identification papers to any German who asks, she eventually saw an opportunity to take such papers from a Polish Catholic girl who was several years older than her, thus becoming Sabina of this book title. As a young girl she excels at her natural ability for deception and decides that moving to Germany to find work may be a safer alternative for her. This is a very inspiring young lady who has to think fast to stay one step ahead of the Nazis and to stay alive.
February 25, 2019
Sabina: In the Eye of the Storm is written by Bella Kuligowska Zucker. This is a Holocaust memoir which has been taken from the original, checked for facts, and finally published. It is the extraordinary story of a fifteen-year-old Jewish girl who escaped from the ghetto using only her own ingenuity and managed to find places to stay and people to help her while avoiding all the SS officers who were around at that time. Her travels took her to Germany where she worked on a farm under the guise of a Polish Catholic girl in order to survive. As the only survivor out of her family, she had to create her own family consisting of friends as well as acquaintances. It was her friendliness that brought so many people together to help her.
It is with the loving help of her husband that she managed to write her memoirs while raising her two daughters and creating a business with her husband. Her life was so solitary when she most needed her friends and family to help her. She was unable to tell even her employees who she really was. Her story is extremely emotional and so compelling that you can’t put it down. It is one amazing story.
It is with the loving help of her husband that she managed to write her memoirs while raising her two daughters and creating a business with her husband. Her life was so solitary when she most needed her friends and family to help her. She was unable to tell even her employees who she really was. Her story is extremely emotional and so compelling that you can’t put it down. It is one amazing story.
November 28, 2018
Review
Different perspective then others written in this style. Touching. Enjoyed the documents and written letters that were saved . Truly added to the account and readers experience.
Different perspective then others written in this style. Touching. Enjoyed the documents and written letters that were saved . Truly added to the account and readers experience.
May 31, 2020
'Sabina: In the Eye of the Storm' by Bella Kuligowska Zucker is an incredibly moving tale of the author's search for survival during the Holocaust. Her story is one of sadness, uncertainty, pain, and loss, but it is equally one of navigating seemingly insurmountable odds and having something at the end of it all – her life. Painful memories of her life in Poland before the war, along with her time in Germany afterward dot the pages of Zucker's eloquent and poignant memoir, ensuring that readers will root for her and stay invested in her life's journey for every moment she is willing to share through her writing.
From a happy family to near brushes with death many a time, to impoverished ghettos, time on her own, and the loss of her identity, both in other's eyes and her own as she tried to squelch her past to ensure her future, Zucker paints a hauntingly vivid and incredible tale of survival.
Her safety was always front of mind, despite never feeling safe, even in her own skin. The kindness of strangers and her whole-hearted attempts to subdue her past life saved her, even though her struggles seemed to grow greater each day.
A definite must-read for anyone who is looking for literature about this horrific time of the past and would like a first-hand account. Though Zucker never spent time in a concentration camp, her story nevertheless is harrowing and true. It embraces all of who she is, from her childhood to her means of survival during the war years, to her life after the war ended and she worked to find any semblance of the life she once knew – family included.
Any reader – young or older – will benefit from reading this tremendously heartfelt memoir.
Beth Rodgers, Author of 'Welcome to Chanu-Con!,' a Children's Picture Book, and Freshman Fourteen' and 'Sweet Fifteen,' Young Adult Novels
*Review originally posted at YABooksCentral.com*
From a happy family to near brushes with death many a time, to impoverished ghettos, time on her own, and the loss of her identity, both in other's eyes and her own as she tried to squelch her past to ensure her future, Zucker paints a hauntingly vivid and incredible tale of survival.
Her safety was always front of mind, despite never feeling safe, even in her own skin. The kindness of strangers and her whole-hearted attempts to subdue her past life saved her, even though her struggles seemed to grow greater each day.
A definite must-read for anyone who is looking for literature about this horrific time of the past and would like a first-hand account. Though Zucker never spent time in a concentration camp, her story nevertheless is harrowing and true. It embraces all of who she is, from her childhood to her means of survival during the war years, to her life after the war ended and she worked to find any semblance of the life she once knew – family included.
Any reader – young or older – will benefit from reading this tremendously heartfelt memoir.
Beth Rodgers, Author of 'Welcome to Chanu-Con!,' a Children's Picture Book, and Freshman Fourteen' and 'Sweet Fifteen,' Young Adult Novels
*Review originally posted at YABooksCentral.com*
March 16, 2025
"Sabina: In the Eye of the Storm" is a poignant memoir by Bella Kuligowska Zucker, detailing her survival during the Holocaust by assuming a Catholic identity. Separated from her family, Bella navigates a perilous journey through Nazi-occupied Poland and Germany, showcasing remarkable resilience and adaptability. Her narrative offers a unique perspective on surviving outside concentration camps, highlighting the constant danger and the psychological toll of concealing one's true identity. Readers have praised the book for its vivid storytelling and emotional depth, drawing parallels to works like Anne Frank's "Diary of a Young Girl" and Elie Wiesel's "Night." This memoir stands as a testament to the human spirit's endurance amidst unimaginable adversity.
February 20, 2023
This memoir is about Bella Kuligowska's experiences during and after WWII. Bella was a Jewish girl that manages to escape the ghettos and concentration camps by posing as a Polish Catholic. Bella's story is filled with many struggles and hardships. However, the small acts of kindness from individuals she encountered along the way enabled her to be a survivor. I found Bella's story very interesting as she was able to use her wits to survive WWII without being imprisoned in a concentration camp. Eventually, Bella moved to the United States and settled in Chicago, Illinois.
March 5, 2026
An amazing and gripping autobiography of a Polish Jewish girl caught up in the Nazi terrors. The recounting of the war years are breathtaking in their harshness. Good people, good fortune can still be found in spite of tragic events . Sadly the aftermath for Bella , post-war, is almost equally tragic because of the personal depression the author, and others, experience. However, her life demonstrates the same resilience and perseverance she showed under duresss, and she contributed a huge amount to public knowledge and recognition of Jewish history during the Holocaust.
June 8, 2018
Different angle
It was interesting to see a woman's survival during the holocaust through a different lens. This is a fascinating story. I just wish the story had ended happily where it began. The life of a lone survivor is surely sorrowful and I'm glad Bella flourished eventually. Great book!
It was interesting to see a woman's survival during the holocaust through a different lens. This is a fascinating story. I just wish the story had ended happily where it began. The life of a lone survivor is surely sorrowful and I'm glad Bella flourished eventually. Great book!
March 26, 2024
4.5 stars. Lots of feeling listening to this as war rages throughout the world, and refugees (many women) wander starving, terrified, with nowhere to go. I couldn’t help but think of the Palestinian crisis as I read this story, which was heartbreakingly ironic. Glad I chanced upon this moving book during Women’s History Month.
March 30, 2018
Compelling tale of one woman's journey thru the Holocaust
A survivors story of living through a horrible time of our history that should never be forgotten and should be a lesson for us all.
A survivors story of living through a horrible time of our history that should never be forgotten and should be a lesson for us all.
July 1, 2018
Incredible story
This most incredible story was well told and simple and it broke my heart. The photo when she returned to Poland in 1998 looked like Ohio! It could be anywhere and I am feeling that this could happen again...
This most incredible story was well told and simple and it broke my heart. The photo when she returned to Poland in 1998 looked like Ohio! It could be anywhere and I am feeling that this could happen again...
October 30, 2018
Amszing!
This story of Bella and what she went through in life during the Holocaust; I can't fathom on what that was like. I loved her courage, bravery and spirit. Good bless this woman.
This story of Bella and what she went through in life during the Holocaust; I can't fathom on what that was like. I loved her courage, bravery and spirit. Good bless this woman.
January 25, 2019
A well written book is a first hand account of what happened to a family of Polish Jews through WWII.
Sabina demonstrated great courage which kept her moving in search of a safe place throughout the war. As a teenager she quickly developed good instincts and tenacity that kept her alive.
Sabina demonstrated great courage which kept her moving in search of a safe place throughout the war. As a teenager she quickly developed good instincts and tenacity that kept her alive.
March 30, 2019
A story of great courage and survival,
I lived among Bella's family, felt the anxiety and fears she ecper i enced, the anguish at not knowing the date of every member of her family.
I lived among Bella's family, felt the anxiety and fears she ecper i enced, the anguish at not knowing the date of every member of her family.
January 2, 2020
Heart breaking
A very chilling story of her life. Thank you for sharing this experience with me. I have heard and met several survivors and can feel the emotional impact of their lives. Thank you for sharing.
A very chilling story of her life. Thank you for sharing this experience with me. I have heard and met several survivors and can feel the emotional impact of their lives. Thank you for sharing.
March 6, 2020
Read in an afternoon
Once started could not put it down. ........
One persons bid for survival. Staying one step ahead all the time, the will to live grows stronger and after, survivors guilt.
Once started could not put it down. ........
One persons bid for survival. Staying one step ahead all the time, the will to live grows stronger and after, survivors guilt.
October 16, 2020
Fantastic book
Absolutely the best book I have read about the Holocaust. I had hoped all along that she would find at least one person in her family. Bella was disappointed over and over when that never happened. Awesome book!
Absolutely the best book I have read about the Holocaust. I had hoped all along that she would find at least one person in her family. Bella was disappointed over and over when that never happened. Awesome book!
March 21, 2021
A story of hope
This is a testament of hardship and separation during WW2 . To survive during a time of danger not knowing if you would see the next day and not knowing if your family are still alive. A true hero of the war and going on to make a life after liberation.
This is a testament of hardship and separation during WW2 . To survive during a time of danger not knowing if you would see the next day and not knowing if your family are still alive. A true hero of the war and going on to make a life after liberation.
August 1, 2022
I only knew the story from the perspective off Anne Frank. This was an interesting story on how another girl survived those horrible times.
The way is was written was fast paced and intriguing. I would recommend this.
The way is was written was fast paced and intriguing. I would recommend this.
August 5, 2022
Always feels weird rating someone's memoir. I'm not rating their life - I'm just rating the way they told their tale. In this case, the information was interesting since WWII and the Holocaust is personally interesting to me, but the book itself didn't hold my attention well.
October 31, 2018
Amazing story of survival.
I meant to read it for a few minutes. I couldn’t put it down. It inspired me to keep striving toward my dreams.
I meant to read it for a few minutes. I couldn’t put it down. It inspired me to keep striving toward my dreams.
November 1, 2018
A different perspective on WWII. Worth a read.
December 19, 2018
An unbelievable life
I was greatly moved as I read this book. I can't imagine going through all what she did. She is a remarkable woman
I was greatly moved as I read this book. I can't imagine going through all what she did. She is a remarkable woman
January 8, 2020
A story of a young woman's capacity for resilience under the most harrowing circumstances.
February 2, 2020
listened to an audio version found on Hoopla
February 6, 2020
What an incredible story!
April 10, 2021
Inspiring
June 8, 2021
Hard life
Very hard life for this young brave lady who.does what it takes to survive in our history s most horrific events
Very hard life for this young brave lady who.does what it takes to survive in our history s most horrific events
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews