What do you think?
Rate this book
Renia’s Diary: A Girl’s Life in the Shadow of the Holocaust
Introduction by Deborah Lipstadt, author of Denial
July 15, 1942, Wednesday
Remember this day; remember it well. You will tell generations to come. Since 8 o’clock today we have been shut away in the ghetto. I live here now. The world is separated from me and I’m separated from the world.
Renia is a young girl who dreams of becoming a poet. But Renia is Jewish, she lives in Poland and the year is 1939. When Russia and Germany invade her country, Renia's world shatters. Separated from her mother, her life takes on a new urgency as she flees Przemysl to escape night bombing raids, observes the disappearances of other Jewish families and, finally, witnesses the creation of the ghetto.
But alongside the terror of war, there is also great beauty, as she begins to find her voice as a writer and falls in love for the first time. She and the boy she falls in love with, Zygmunt, share their first kiss a few hours before the Nazis reach her hometown. And it is Zygmunt who writes the final, heartbreaking entry in Renia’s diary.
Recently rediscovered after seventy years, Renia’s Diary is already being described as a classic of Holocaust literature. Written with a clarity and skill that is reminiscent of Anne Frank, it is an extraordinary testament to both the horrors of war, and to the life that can exist even in the darkest times.
July 15, 1942, Wednesday
Remember this day; remember it well. You will tell generations to come. Since 8 o’clock today we have been shut away in the ghetto. I live here now. The world is separated from me and I’m separated from the world.
Renia is a young girl who dreams of becoming a poet. But Renia is Jewish, she lives in Poland and the year is 1939. When Russia and Germany invade her country, Renia's world shatters. Separated from her mother, her life takes on a new urgency as she flees Przemysl to escape night bombing raids, observes the disappearances of other Jewish families and, finally, witnesses the creation of the ghetto.
But alongside the terror of war, there is also great beauty, as she begins to find her voice as a writer and falls in love for the first time. She and the boy she falls in love with, Zygmunt, share their first kiss a few hours before the Nazis reach her hometown. And it is Zygmunt who writes the final, heartbreaking entry in Renia’s diary.
Recently rediscovered after seventy years, Renia’s Diary is already being described as a classic of Holocaust literature. Written with a clarity and skill that is reminiscent of Anne Frank, it is an extraordinary testament to both the horrors of war, and to the life that can exist even in the darkest times.
454 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1, 2016
677 people are currently reading
8756 people want to read
About the author
Renia Spiegel
6 books29 followersRenia Spiegel was born in Uhryńkowce in Tarnopol province on June 18, 1924, the daughter of Rose and Bernard Spiegel. Bernard Spiegel was a land owner of an estate during this time. Renia’s younger sister by six years, Ariana, was a child star and by the age of 8 was performing on the famous stage of "Cyrulik Warszawski". She was featured in numerous films shot before the outbreak of the Second World War, including a part in director, Michael Waszyński’s film, Gehenna (1938).
Renia starts her diary in January 1939. At the outbreak of war, Renia is 15 years old. Together with her sister, Ariana, she stays in Przemyśl with their grandparents. Renia writes moving poems which are sometimes featured in the school newspaper. She also writes a series of poems in a hand-illustrated and beautifully bound booklet. Her diary mainly describes her loneliness living in war-torn Poland without a mother, her first love (she kisses her boyfriend for the first time four hours before the Nazis invaded the Soviet Union), and everyday life during the Soviet and then German occupations.
The diary describes her fears and terror during the creation of the ghetto in Przemyśl. She writes of the humiliation she experiences first-hand and witnesses on the streets of Przemyśl. She writes up until the last day of her short life. She is shot on the street of the ghetto a week after her 18th birthday.
This nearly seven hundred-page journal by Renia Spiegel, which spans the years 1939 to the summer of 1942, presents a powerful insight into the life of a young woman, whose life was tragically cut short shy of her eighteenth birthday. The diary is an eyewitness account of the horrors of day-to-day life during the Nazi occupation. There is incredible maturity in her observations and insights. Her account of her personal life is poignant, heart breaking, and often amusing with her expression of adolescent infatuation exposing the raw emotion of a teenager. This powerful diary is not only a primary historical source of the Holocaust, but also a true and outstanding work of literature.
Renia starts her diary in January 1939. At the outbreak of war, Renia is 15 years old. Together with her sister, Ariana, she stays in Przemyśl with their grandparents. Renia writes moving poems which are sometimes featured in the school newspaper. She also writes a series of poems in a hand-illustrated and beautifully bound booklet. Her diary mainly describes her loneliness living in war-torn Poland without a mother, her first love (she kisses her boyfriend for the first time four hours before the Nazis invaded the Soviet Union), and everyday life during the Soviet and then German occupations.
The diary describes her fears and terror during the creation of the ghetto in Przemyśl. She writes of the humiliation she experiences first-hand and witnesses on the streets of Przemyśl. She writes up until the last day of her short life. She is shot on the street of the ghetto a week after her 18th birthday.
This nearly seven hundred-page journal by Renia Spiegel, which spans the years 1939 to the summer of 1942, presents a powerful insight into the life of a young woman, whose life was tragically cut short shy of her eighteenth birthday. The diary is an eyewitness account of the horrors of day-to-day life during the Nazi occupation. There is incredible maturity in her observations and insights. Her account of her personal life is poignant, heart breaking, and often amusing with her expression of adolescent infatuation exposing the raw emotion of a teenager. This powerful diary is not only a primary historical source of the Holocaust, but also a true and outstanding work of literature.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 462 reviews
September 18, 2019
When I finished this, I didn’t think that it would be fair to rate it. How do you rate someone’s diary, an intimate look at someone’s inner thoughts, secrets, a diary that is not necessarily meant for anyone else to read? I ultimately decided that since I have rated Anne Frank’s diary (5 stars), I should rate this one. So it’s three stars, mainly because it was a struggle for me to read a large part of this which is focused on the day to day reflections of a teenage girl with all of its angst, squabbles with friends, parties and boyfriends. Nevertheless, I have to say it’s an important book. It is also interspersed with poems, some lovely, and some sad and poignant thoughts on what is happening in Poland, on missing her mother.
This diary is framed by an introduction by a Holocaust scholar and an epilogue by Renia’s sister. Reading these two narratives allowed me to grasp the significance of a diary written by a teenage in occupied Poland. The introduction offers some interesting observations about diary vs memoir. The writer of a memoir knows the outcome of what happened to them, written with the memory of what happened. The writer of a diary, as is the case with Renia Spiegel, writes contemporaneously not knowing. The reader does know what happens to Renia and of course, it’s heartbreaking because we know that all, of the seemingly typical teenage concerns and her life will be upended by war, by death.
Some of the saddest moments are when Renia talks about missing her mother, who she is separated from when she is visiting her grandmother and Poland’s occupation becomes split between the German and the Russians. There are a few passages dealing with some bombings and having to hide. When she is writing about these moments is when I was most captivated. Parts were moving, parts were repetitive and mundane , but Renia’s story is important for us to remember because of the loss of her life as well as millions of other Jews. The introduction and epilogue framing this book are equally important.
I received an advanced copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley.
This diary is framed by an introduction by a Holocaust scholar and an epilogue by Renia’s sister. Reading these two narratives allowed me to grasp the significance of a diary written by a teenage in occupied Poland. The introduction offers some interesting observations about diary vs memoir. The writer of a memoir knows the outcome of what happened to them, written with the memory of what happened. The writer of a diary, as is the case with Renia Spiegel, writes contemporaneously not knowing. The reader does know what happens to Renia and of course, it’s heartbreaking because we know that all, of the seemingly typical teenage concerns and her life will be upended by war, by death.
Some of the saddest moments are when Renia talks about missing her mother, who she is separated from when she is visiting her grandmother and Poland’s occupation becomes split between the German and the Russians. There are a few passages dealing with some bombings and having to hide. When she is writing about these moments is when I was most captivated. Parts were moving, parts were repetitive and mundane , but Renia’s story is important for us to remember because of the loss of her life as well as millions of other Jews. The introduction and epilogue framing this book are equally important.
I received an advanced copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley.
June 11, 2019
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a digital galley in exchange for an honest review.
Well, I have been sitting on my review and rating for this book all weekend. Often my fellow reviewers of Holocaust non fiction have commented how difficult it is to rate a person's life story. In reading Renia's Diary:A Holocaust Diary I do find myself struggling to articulate my feelings on this diary.
Renia Spiegel's story is important and relevant and her sister's determination to share her diary with the reading world is incredibly important and shows great love and courage. I truly believe that the most important parts of this book is for the reader to turn to the afterword and then read the diary. It's actually what finally made my decision to put this as a 3 star rating.
The diary spans from 1939 to 1942 and tells the young Polish girl's story from adolescent crushes to the Nazi and Soviet Occupations. The most heartbreaking moments are when Renia talks about the separation from her mother and her fears as the ghetto in Przemysl is created. Like Anne Frank, Renia's young vibrant voice would be one of many silenced by the Holocaust. In fact, Renia's diary would remain unknown for many years.
As a reader, I did find some of Renia's accounts about school mates and her love life a bit uninteresting. But I am a 37 year old English teacher, my students on the other hand would totally connect to Renia. So don't let that dissuade you from picking it up and giving it a chance.
Goodreads review published 09/06/19
Publication Date 24/09/19
Well, I have been sitting on my review and rating for this book all weekend. Often my fellow reviewers of Holocaust non fiction have commented how difficult it is to rate a person's life story. In reading Renia's Diary:A Holocaust Diary I do find myself struggling to articulate my feelings on this diary.
Renia Spiegel's story is important and relevant and her sister's determination to share her diary with the reading world is incredibly important and shows great love and courage. I truly believe that the most important parts of this book is for the reader to turn to the afterword and then read the diary. It's actually what finally made my decision to put this as a 3 star rating.
The diary spans from 1939 to 1942 and tells the young Polish girl's story from adolescent crushes to the Nazi and Soviet Occupations. The most heartbreaking moments are when Renia talks about the separation from her mother and her fears as the ghetto in Przemysl is created. Like Anne Frank, Renia's young vibrant voice would be one of many silenced by the Holocaust. In fact, Renia's diary would remain unknown for many years.
As a reader, I did find some of Renia's accounts about school mates and her love life a bit uninteresting. But I am a 37 year old English teacher, my students on the other hand would totally connect to Renia. So don't let that dissuade you from picking it up and giving it a chance.
Goodreads review published 09/06/19
Publication Date 24/09/19
September 25, 2019
This diary contains important excerpts for comparative literature in the classroom. Readers see a diary significantly different than Anne Frank’s, in that Renia Spiegal was socially living out and about as a Jew in Przemysl, Poland. When Poland was conquered and divided between Russia and Germany under the Nazi-Soviet pact, Renia and other family members were split up for many years. Renia lived in Soviet-occupied Poland, while her mother lived in German-occupied Poland on the other side of the San River. As a result, Renia was able to live more freely as a Jew for most of the beginning of her diary.
Although under soviet occupation, we still see a young girl torn by war and desperate to be with her mother again. “My thoughts are so dark, it’s a sin to even think them.” She showers her diary with symbolic poems that mostly mirror her teenage angst, but sometimes reflect a war-torn society.
Like most diarists, Renia Spiegal could not foresee that hers would be published. So, she does regularly sift about her thoughts and mundane day to day affairs: parties, boys, gossip, dancing, crushes, and school. There is more of the day-to-day humdrum than significant events until the Nazi’s invade the Soviet territory in June of 1941 which occurs at approximately 45% of this book. With the Nazi occupation, her life takes a different turn. She must wear an arm band, her family’s possessions are taken, and they are moved to a Przemysl ghetto.
Keep in mind that this book is primarily considered a source for research and education. Being a diary, it lacks most literary elements that we find entertaining in books. I would not recommend this book for a cozy read on the couch.
The last 15% of the book is her sister’s account of what happened and is extremely pertinent in order to comprehend the velocity of all that Renia encountered.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. And, thanks to Renia who continued to write with passion amidst a cruel world.
Although under soviet occupation, we still see a young girl torn by war and desperate to be with her mother again. “My thoughts are so dark, it’s a sin to even think them.” She showers her diary with symbolic poems that mostly mirror her teenage angst, but sometimes reflect a war-torn society.
Like most diarists, Renia Spiegal could not foresee that hers would be published. So, she does regularly sift about her thoughts and mundane day to day affairs: parties, boys, gossip, dancing, crushes, and school. There is more of the day-to-day humdrum than significant events until the Nazi’s invade the Soviet territory in June of 1941 which occurs at approximately 45% of this book. With the Nazi occupation, her life takes a different turn. She must wear an arm band, her family’s possessions are taken, and they are moved to a Przemysl ghetto.
Keep in mind that this book is primarily considered a source for research and education. Being a diary, it lacks most literary elements that we find entertaining in books. I would not recommend this book for a cozy read on the couch.
The last 15% of the book is her sister’s account of what happened and is extremely pertinent in order to comprehend the velocity of all that Renia encountered.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. And, thanks to Renia who continued to write with passion amidst a cruel world.
June 9, 2019
This is a difficult book to review for a lot of reasons but I want to start by getting it out of the way that ~90% of Renia Spiegel’s nearly 700 page diary is about her infatuation with Zygmunt Schwarzer (Zygus). Yes, she’s a teenage girl and this should be expected but I think that all the news articles and marketing comparing this to Anne Frank’s diary is so misleading.
Anne’s diary is unbelievably comprehensive. She is incredibly observant of those around her, what they’re doing, complaining about, or their verbatim conversations with her. She’s also deeply introspective for such a young girl. Anne discusses politics, current events, growing up, her hobbies and interests, the rising cost of goods, her cat going missing, and her difficult relationship with her mother (among many other topics). Upon reading the first several pages of her diary over, Anne confesses at one point that she’s embarrassed by her candor, that her descriptions are “indelicate.” That all being said, I bought a copy of Anne’s diary from the museum shop beneath her house when I was 15 and read it while in Amsterdam, so surely my perspective at that time was different.
I’m now nearly 30 years old and struggled to be patient with Renia. It’s clear that her separation from her mother has caused a deep loneliness and need for affection. Her emotion and constant pleading for her mom to come back make her sadness almost palpable. The beginning of Renia’s diary is gripping because they have to flee Przemysl for Lwow during the Soviet Occupation, leaving her grandmother behind. However, I found her sister Arianka/Elizabeth’s recounting of this event at the end of the diary to be much more detailed and horrifying.
They soon return to Przemysl, and for the next year, Renia records her feuds, rivalries, and crushes among her schoolmates until she meets Zygus. Nearly every entry thereafter is about her “sweet, darling, wonderful, lovely Zygus.” Renia records his name at least 167 times. I simply don’t trust anyone who claims that this isn’t tedious (and eventually mind-numbing) to read. I don’t know how a publisher could possibly work around this when printing a diary, but you should know what you’re getting yourself into.There is very little introspection, discussion of what’s going on around her (outside her group of friends), and certainly no mention of what’s happening within her household.
Renia’s poetry is beautiful. It’s heartbreaking to think about the abundance of literature she could have given this world if she’d not been murdered. It’s clear that she doesn’t understand the gravity of the events around her, and I think it’s precisely because we know how the story ends that this is so frustrating.
I’m grateful to Renia’s sister Elizabeth for sharing this diary with the world and for ensuring that Renia was not forgotten by time. Elizabeth’s contributions to this book are what make it at least a 3 star rating for me. She adds a lot of necessary context looking back on these events, although it’s difficult for her to recount such a painful time. Her story of survival is truly amazing, and it’s tragic that she seems to feel such guilt that she lived while her sister didn’t.
Thank you Netgalley for providing me with an ARC for this book.
See more of my reviews: Blog // Instagram
Anne’s diary is unbelievably comprehensive. She is incredibly observant of those around her, what they’re doing, complaining about, or their verbatim conversations with her. She’s also deeply introspective for such a young girl. Anne discusses politics, current events, growing up, her hobbies and interests, the rising cost of goods, her cat going missing, and her difficult relationship with her mother (among many other topics). Upon reading the first several pages of her diary over, Anne confesses at one point that she’s embarrassed by her candor, that her descriptions are “indelicate.” That all being said, I bought a copy of Anne’s diary from the museum shop beneath her house when I was 15 and read it while in Amsterdam, so surely my perspective at that time was different.
I’m now nearly 30 years old and struggled to be patient with Renia. It’s clear that her separation from her mother has caused a deep loneliness and need for affection. Her emotion and constant pleading for her mom to come back make her sadness almost palpable. The beginning of Renia’s diary is gripping because they have to flee Przemysl for Lwow during the Soviet Occupation, leaving her grandmother behind. However, I found her sister Arianka/Elizabeth’s recounting of this event at the end of the diary to be much more detailed and horrifying.
They soon return to Przemysl, and for the next year, Renia records her feuds, rivalries, and crushes among her schoolmates until she meets Zygus. Nearly every entry thereafter is about her “sweet, darling, wonderful, lovely Zygus.” Renia records his name at least 167 times. I simply don’t trust anyone who claims that this isn’t tedious (and eventually mind-numbing) to read. I don’t know how a publisher could possibly work around this when printing a diary, but you should know what you’re getting yourself into.There is very little introspection, discussion of what’s going on around her (outside her group of friends), and certainly no mention of what’s happening within her household.
Renia’s poetry is beautiful. It’s heartbreaking to think about the abundance of literature she could have given this world if she’d not been murdered. It’s clear that she doesn’t understand the gravity of the events around her, and I think it’s precisely because we know how the story ends that this is so frustrating.
I’m grateful to Renia’s sister Elizabeth for sharing this diary with the world and for ensuring that Renia was not forgotten by time. Elizabeth’s contributions to this book are what make it at least a 3 star rating for me. She adds a lot of necessary context looking back on these events, although it’s difficult for her to recount such a painful time. Her story of survival is truly amazing, and it’s tragic that she seems to feel such guilt that she lived while her sister didn’t.
Thank you Netgalley for providing me with an ARC for this book.
See more of my reviews: Blog // Instagram
September 30, 2019
*https://theburgeoningbookshelf.blogsp...
Renia’s Diary is the journal entries of Polish born Renia Spiegel from 1939, age 15 until 1942 when she was murdered, at age 18, by the Nazi’s.
Diaries are an important part of holocaust history. They allow us to hear the voice of those that did not survive. The diarist is writing in the present and has no idea what today’s events may have on things to come.
Renia writes in her diary as if talking to a friend. It is filled with teenage angst; first love, first kiss and jealousies.
At times the war takes a back seat to Renia’s self doubt, troubles with friends and talk about boys. Whilst at other times it is the full focus of her entries. A lot of her feelings are reflected through poetry. She really is an amazing poet!
When the German and Soviet armies split Poland into two zones Renia is living in Przemysl, a small city in south-eastern Poland, with her Grandparents and the yearning for her mother is constant and heart-breaking to read.
As you would expect in a young girls diary some of the entries are obscure. She sometimes uses in-jokes or code words and you need to read between the lines.
As Renia ages you can feel a shift in her entries as she moves from the self-centred anguish of a young teen to a those of a mature woman in love.
The diary is published by Renia’s younger sister Elizabeth who escaped due to the help of Renia’s boyfriend, Zygu, and family friends. Elizabeth fills in a lot of the blanks that are left by the diary.
A must read!
I received an eCopy from the publisher to read.
Renia’s Diary is the journal entries of Polish born Renia Spiegel from 1939, age 15 until 1942 when she was murdered, at age 18, by the Nazi’s.
Diaries are an important part of holocaust history. They allow us to hear the voice of those that did not survive. The diarist is writing in the present and has no idea what today’s events may have on things to come.
Renia writes in her diary as if talking to a friend. It is filled with teenage angst; first love, first kiss and jealousies.
At times the war takes a back seat to Renia’s self doubt, troubles with friends and talk about boys. Whilst at other times it is the full focus of her entries. A lot of her feelings are reflected through poetry. She really is an amazing poet!
When the German and Soviet armies split Poland into two zones Renia is living in Przemysl, a small city in south-eastern Poland, with her Grandparents and the yearning for her mother is constant and heart-breaking to read.
As you would expect in a young girls diary some of the entries are obscure. She sometimes uses in-jokes or code words and you need to read between the lines.
As Renia ages you can feel a shift in her entries as she moves from the self-centred anguish of a young teen to a those of a mature woman in love.
The diary is published by Renia’s younger sister Elizabeth who escaped due to the help of Renia’s boyfriend, Zygu, and family friends. Elizabeth fills in a lot of the blanks that are left by the diary.
A must read!
I received an eCopy from the publisher to read.
July 7, 2019
As more and more Holocaust survivors pass away, it’s important that people read about their experiences so that they won’t be forgotten, and hopefully, something like that will never happen again.
Renia’s Diary is a written record about a young Polish girl who, unfortunately, did not survive. She was smart, kind, and full of hope for her future. She was a budding poet, and had won awards at her school for her poetry. Her diary is similar to those of many teens - reflecting the angst about relationships and friendships, her social life, the feelings of first love, and thoughts about her family. But as the years go on, there’s a sense of fear as the Jews of her little town are persecuted more and more by the Nazis. A real sense of sadness begins to seep in. Yet she holds out hope for what still might be possible.
But, for me, the most interesting part of the book was the Epilogue and Commentary written by Renia’s sister, Ariana (Elizabeth). It is here that the diary is put into context and we learn more about the lives of the sisters. Ariana explains in more detail what was happening in their world and what happened to the people that Renia wrote about in her diary.
Thank you to Net Galley, Ariana (Elizabeth) Bellak, and St. Martin’s Press for giving me the opportunity to read Renia’s diary.
Renia’s Diary is a written record about a young Polish girl who, unfortunately, did not survive. She was smart, kind, and full of hope for her future. She was a budding poet, and had won awards at her school for her poetry. Her diary is similar to those of many teens - reflecting the angst about relationships and friendships, her social life, the feelings of first love, and thoughts about her family. But as the years go on, there’s a sense of fear as the Jews of her little town are persecuted more and more by the Nazis. A real sense of sadness begins to seep in. Yet she holds out hope for what still might be possible.
But, for me, the most interesting part of the book was the Epilogue and Commentary written by Renia’s sister, Ariana (Elizabeth). It is here that the diary is put into context and we learn more about the lives of the sisters. Ariana explains in more detail what was happening in their world and what happened to the people that Renia wrote about in her diary.
Thank you to Net Galley, Ariana (Elizabeth) Bellak, and St. Martin’s Press for giving me the opportunity to read Renia’s diary.
October 24, 2019
This book was a waste of my time. All you need to know is that she loves Zygu and misses her mom. That is the entirety of the book. No way is this book even close to Anne Frank's diary.
September 20, 2019
Renia Spiegel was born in Poland and at the age of 18 died by a gunshot to the head for being Jewish. She died a victim of the Holocaust. Between the ages of 15 to 18, Renia kept a diary. It took over 50 years for her 700 pages of diary to find its way to her sister Ariana (Elizabeth as she is now known as). And now it has found its way to us.
In her diary Renia not only chronicles her struggles, but the helplessness of her family and friends who endured as well. Renia kept a record of her daily activities, going to school, arguments with friends, parties, types of stories written by any teenager, but she also kept her deepest secrets, her thoughts, her prayers, her loves, her fears and her dreams for the future in there as well. She called her diary her best friend.
She chronicles the beginning of the German's and Russian's taking over Poland. She writes about her mother who is in Warsaw and is unable to be with her. She heartbreakingly to ends her passages with words to her mother. She desperately held on to thoughts of seeing her again and hoping she was still alive. She writes about her one and only love Zygmund. In one passage she dreams of having children with her future husband and how God has been so good to her. She is such an old soul who witnessed horror no one. let alone a child should see and hear.
Renia writes about hearing gunshots outside and knowing someone has died, of hearing bombs, of her house being raided by the Nazi's and her grandfather paying them off to give them a little more time...
Her diary is also filled with beautiful poems. She wrote incredible prose for such a young age they could rival any adult author's compositions of today.
Her words are so profound and meaningful. One can only wonder who Renia would have become if she had lived. I must say I was honored to read this diary which I believe is an incredible historical document.
I am so grateful to #NetGalley #St.Martin'sPress #Renia'sDiary for the advanced copy. The book will be out on September 24.
In her diary Renia not only chronicles her struggles, but the helplessness of her family and friends who endured as well. Renia kept a record of her daily activities, going to school, arguments with friends, parties, types of stories written by any teenager, but she also kept her deepest secrets, her thoughts, her prayers, her loves, her fears and her dreams for the future in there as well. She called her diary her best friend.
She chronicles the beginning of the German's and Russian's taking over Poland. She writes about her mother who is in Warsaw and is unable to be with her. She heartbreakingly to ends her passages with words to her mother. She desperately held on to thoughts of seeing her again and hoping she was still alive. She writes about her one and only love Zygmund. In one passage she dreams of having children with her future husband and how God has been so good to her. She is such an old soul who witnessed horror no one. let alone a child should see and hear.
Renia writes about hearing gunshots outside and knowing someone has died, of hearing bombs, of her house being raided by the Nazi's and her grandfather paying them off to give them a little more time...
Her diary is also filled with beautiful poems. She wrote incredible prose for such a young age they could rival any adult author's compositions of today.
Her words are so profound and meaningful. One can only wonder who Renia would have become if she had lived. I must say I was honored to read this diary which I believe is an incredible historical document.
I am so grateful to #NetGalley #St.Martin'sPress #Renia'sDiary for the advanced copy. The book will be out on September 24.
October 6, 2022
Either I'm totally not listening to the right audiobook or this is the most optimistic holocaust diary I've ever read. Either that or at 70% absolutely nothing has happened except her giddiness over her bf and her bff .
November 20, 2019
Renia was murdered by the Nazis and for that, she deserves to be remembered. But the premise of this book is misleading. For all but the last two weeks of her life, Renia mostly lived the life of a typical teenage girl experiencing young love. To say that her writing is self-absorbed is not an insult, but a reflection of the classic teenage experience where every perceived slight, glance from a boy, or disagreement with a friend is a huge deal to be endlessly turned over in one's mind. Renia had a flair for the dramatic and tended to convey her childish thoughts in overly sophisticated language that comes off as contrived. At first I thought it was the narrator's style that was turning me off, but when we got to the epilogue, I was immediately more engaged. The truth is that nearly every word of Renia's diary is about her crush on and relationship with Zygmunt and she only rarely mentions her concern about the war. She is separated from her mother and living with her grandparents because her mother moved to Warsaw to promote her younger daughter's acting career. Renia obviously misses her mother and yearns for her comfort and advice, but everything is secondary to Zygmunt. Frankly, this could have been the diary of any girl Renia's age and probably didn't warrant being published, but for her murder. I would have been much more interested to hear Bella's story, based on the glimpses we get in her epilogue.
October 3, 2019
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and #NetGalley for allowing me to read an e-galley of this book. What follows is my honest review.
First of all, I feel very privileged to have been able to read this book. The author, Renia Spiegel never intended it to be read by the public. It was a deeply personal look at her life and feelings from January 1939 until her death at the hands of the Nazi's just after her 18th birthday in 1942. At times while reading it I felt almost like a voyeur seeing her most private thoughts, especially about her developing love life.
At the beginning of the book there is an excellent preface that explains that diaries differ from memoirs and biographies in that as the author is writing, he or she has no idea how the story is going to turn out. It is purely written in the moment featuring what stood out to the author at the time. Explanations of who is who are not always included because the writer had no need of them. She knew the details that would fill out the story.
After the preface there is an introduction written by Renia’s sister who did survive the Holocaust. She had known of the existence of the diary for many years as she had received it from Renia’s boyfriend after the war but has only read portions of it even to this day as it is too emotionally difficult for her.
Now as to Renia’s writing. She was 15 at the beginning of the journal. I don’t have personal journals from that age, but I do have some from when I was sixteen. Subject matter was similar but Renia included poems that she had written throughout her journal and they were extremely well done and really expressed her emotions and feelings well. Initially as war began her life didn’t change very much. As the part of Poland that she lived in was taken over by the Russians her life changed somewhat but her daily musings were still focused on her interactions with classmates and friends. Much of her writing then would hold little of interest to the average reader and I found it challenging to read and follow what was going on at times. She missed her mother (who was in Warsaw) terribly and had a strong faith in G_d, praying on pretty much a daily basis. When the Germans took over things changed and her focus began to include the ways that the German presence was affecting her life including the fear of the ghetto. The last words in the journal are not hers, but rather the words of her boyfriend written very shortly after her death. Life changed in an instant.
The last part of the book is again told by Renia’s sister. She puts things in their historical perspective, explaining what was going on locally as the journal was actually being written and giving some substance to things that Renia had either inferred or briefly mentioned. I found this part very well written and interesting.
I have seen comparisons of this book to the journal that Anne Frank kept. Each are equally important as they represent a valuable life lived and it is important that their stories speak for them. Having said that, I don’t feel this journal is quite as accessible to the average reader as Anne’s was. Anne’s was primarily written in an enclosed space with a set group of people. Renia had far more freedom of movement throughout most of the journal. I think this made it a little more difficult to follow. I have pondered and pondered over how to rate this book. I have to bear in mind that it was not written to be read by others but purely for herself and rate it more on the importance of the work and on that basis I give this a 5 star rating
First of all, I feel very privileged to have been able to read this book. The author, Renia Spiegel never intended it to be read by the public. It was a deeply personal look at her life and feelings from January 1939 until her death at the hands of the Nazi's just after her 18th birthday in 1942. At times while reading it I felt almost like a voyeur seeing her most private thoughts, especially about her developing love life.
At the beginning of the book there is an excellent preface that explains that diaries differ from memoirs and biographies in that as the author is writing, he or she has no idea how the story is going to turn out. It is purely written in the moment featuring what stood out to the author at the time. Explanations of who is who are not always included because the writer had no need of them. She knew the details that would fill out the story.
After the preface there is an introduction written by Renia’s sister who did survive the Holocaust. She had known of the existence of the diary for many years as she had received it from Renia’s boyfriend after the war but has only read portions of it even to this day as it is too emotionally difficult for her.
Now as to Renia’s writing. She was 15 at the beginning of the journal. I don’t have personal journals from that age, but I do have some from when I was sixteen. Subject matter was similar but Renia included poems that she had written throughout her journal and they were extremely well done and really expressed her emotions and feelings well. Initially as war began her life didn’t change very much. As the part of Poland that she lived in was taken over by the Russians her life changed somewhat but her daily musings were still focused on her interactions with classmates and friends. Much of her writing then would hold little of interest to the average reader and I found it challenging to read and follow what was going on at times. She missed her mother (who was in Warsaw) terribly and had a strong faith in G_d, praying on pretty much a daily basis. When the Germans took over things changed and her focus began to include the ways that the German presence was affecting her life including the fear of the ghetto. The last words in the journal are not hers, but rather the words of her boyfriend written very shortly after her death. Life changed in an instant.
The last part of the book is again told by Renia’s sister. She puts things in their historical perspective, explaining what was going on locally as the journal was actually being written and giving some substance to things that Renia had either inferred or briefly mentioned. I found this part very well written and interesting.
I have seen comparisons of this book to the journal that Anne Frank kept. Each are equally important as they represent a valuable life lived and it is important that their stories speak for them. Having said that, I don’t feel this journal is quite as accessible to the average reader as Anne’s was. Anne’s was primarily written in an enclosed space with a set group of people. Renia had far more freedom of movement throughout most of the journal. I think this made it a little more difficult to follow. I have pondered and pondered over how to rate this book. I have to bear in mind that it was not written to be read by others but purely for herself and rate it more on the importance of the work and on that basis I give this a 5 star rating
July 6, 2019
I feel a little churlish saying how little I engaged with this book, for it's obviously a labour of love and a heartfelt production from the family members who knew the author. But this diary had too little of the War for me, far too much poetry about the angst teenaged love involves, and far too much weeping for her mother. I can see a readership similar to Renia empathising more, but at the remove in age, experience and gender that I have, I didn't gel with many of the contents here. I couldn't recommend the Holocaust expert rush to these pages – the phoney war seems to go on twice as long as previously thought, for one. So it's down to Renia's surviving younger sister to give her testimony about the life she got to lead, and background information, that partly helps the fact the diary pages needed annotation, and certainly hoiks the interest levels up.
August 4, 2019
I've seen a lot of other reviews mentioning that this book is hard to rate. I think mainly because people go into reading a book that is the diary of a teenage girl in Poland during WW2, and they expect more commentary and personal insight into the war. This book, or at least the actual section that is her diary, reads exactly like a teenage girl's diary, at almost any point in history. It was very clear that she was not writing with any idea that it would be published or would be looked at as a snapshot into the life of a Holocaust victim. Her diary reminded me exactly of what my own diary was like as a teenager (which I incidentally started after reading Anne Frank's diary). She even addresses this at some point in the diary, when her friend is afraid to write about a boy she likes in case people read it and think she's some vain, stupid girl. I liked her response: "Firstly, why do you care about other people reading it? You're writing it for yourself, And secondly, is your dearest, intimate diary to be a political almanac or an almanac of your heart??? Somebody very harsh, with a stony heart, might say what you thought. Every normal human being should rather say, 'This was written by a young, 16-year old girl who loved so deeply...'"
It would have given more context to some of the diary entries, however, if her sister's notes weren't saved for the end of the book. It would have been nice to see the notes follow the corresponding diary entry. For example, if Renia's May 12, 1942 entry was followed immediately by her sister's May 12, 1942 notes. Those notes make the diary so much sadder in a way. Renia glossed over so many of the terrible things that were happening. Once you read in further detail about what they were going through, it's so clear she didn't write in detail because they were horrible things she really didn't want to remember. She really tried to keep her focus on her friends and her life as a teenager.
The very end of the diary was so heartbreaking. All of the entries were filled with terror. It was a very strange feeling to approach the end of the diary, and reading her say how much she wants to live, and knowing she doesn't have much time left. It was truly heartbreaking, as she was talking about having a greed for life and how little she had a chance to experience. She says in one of her poems:
I got what I could out of life
a lot, but still not enough.
It would have given more context to some of the diary entries, however, if her sister's notes weren't saved for the end of the book. It would have been nice to see the notes follow the corresponding diary entry. For example, if Renia's May 12, 1942 entry was followed immediately by her sister's May 12, 1942 notes. Those notes make the diary so much sadder in a way. Renia glossed over so many of the terrible things that were happening. Once you read in further detail about what they were going through, it's so clear she didn't write in detail because they were horrible things she really didn't want to remember. She really tried to keep her focus on her friends and her life as a teenager.
The very end of the diary was so heartbreaking. All of the entries were filled with terror. It was a very strange feeling to approach the end of the diary, and reading her say how much she wants to live, and knowing she doesn't have much time left. It was truly heartbreaking, as she was talking about having a greed for life and how little she had a chance to experience. She says in one of her poems:
I got what I could out of life
a lot, but still not enough.
February 21, 2022
Viața Reniei însemna așteptarea mamei și a iubitului ei. Erau singurele persoane pe care le iubea. Își dorea atât de mult sa trăiască, să fie fericita, să scrie poeme...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 21, 2022
O Diário de Renia: Uma Vida Na Sombra do Holocausto conta-nos uma parte da vida de Renia, uma adolescente judia que vivia na Polónia e que foi surpreendida pelo Holocausto. Este livro é extremamente íntimo, cru, claustrofóbico e real. Através das palavras de Renia, somos transportados para o seu quarto, para os seus pensamentos, para os seus sentimentos, em especial para as suas angústias e medos.
Apesar de todas as dificuldades encontradas, houve espaço para o surgimento de um primeiro amor, para as borboletas na barriga. Zygmunt foi o jovem com quem Renia viveu esses momentos, e foi também quem escreveu a última entrada deste diário. Uma homenagem muito bonita, mas de uma tristeza enorme.
Um pormenor que esteve presente grande parte do livro foram os poemas que Renia escrevia. É revoltante pensar que Renia nem teve oportunidade de tentar alcançar o seu sonho, ser poeta, mas não deixa de ser curioso o quão poeta foi ao longo dos três anos em que escreveu o diário. As suas reflexões focavam muito seu o dia a dia, mas também as saudades que sentia da mãe, de quem teve de se separar devido à guerra.
Mãe, porque não estás aqui?
Tanta é a distância entre nós…
Para tão longe desapareceste…
De desgosto choramos, tu e eu.
Não posso terminar esta reflexão sem referir que a capa deste livro está incrivelmente bem conseguida, desde a imagem escolhida até à textura utilizada. É muito, muito bom ao toque.
Olhando para este livro de uma forma global, senti-me quase uma intrusa durante a leitura, não fosse um diário algo tão pessoal, mas ao mesmo tempo uma privilegiada por ter acesso a um relato tão bonito, ainda que tão triste. Este livro fez-me lembrar muito um outro, O Diário de Anne Frank.
O Diário de Renia: Uma Vida Na Sombra do Holocausto é uma leitura muito dura, mas brilhante, que não nos permite esquecer por nenhum instante a maldade humana. Recomendo a quem goste de ler sobre esta altura histórica, em especial relatos tão pessoais como este.
É-me impossível quantificar um livro escrito desta forma, pelo que optei por não o fazer.
Agradeço imenso à Porto Editora pelo envio de um exemplar para a partilha de uma opinião honesta.
Apesar de todas as dificuldades encontradas, houve espaço para o surgimento de um primeiro amor, para as borboletas na barriga. Zygmunt foi o jovem com quem Renia viveu esses momentos, e foi também quem escreveu a última entrada deste diário. Uma homenagem muito bonita, mas de uma tristeza enorme.
Um pormenor que esteve presente grande parte do livro foram os poemas que Renia escrevia. É revoltante pensar que Renia nem teve oportunidade de tentar alcançar o seu sonho, ser poeta, mas não deixa de ser curioso o quão poeta foi ao longo dos três anos em que escreveu o diário. As suas reflexões focavam muito seu o dia a dia, mas também as saudades que sentia da mãe, de quem teve de se separar devido à guerra.
Mãe, porque não estás aqui?
Tanta é a distância entre nós…
Para tão longe desapareceste…
De desgosto choramos, tu e eu.
Não posso terminar esta reflexão sem referir que a capa deste livro está incrivelmente bem conseguida, desde a imagem escolhida até à textura utilizada. É muito, muito bom ao toque.
Olhando para este livro de uma forma global, senti-me quase uma intrusa durante a leitura, não fosse um diário algo tão pessoal, mas ao mesmo tempo uma privilegiada por ter acesso a um relato tão bonito, ainda que tão triste. Este livro fez-me lembrar muito um outro, O Diário de Anne Frank.
O Diário de Renia: Uma Vida Na Sombra do Holocausto é uma leitura muito dura, mas brilhante, que não nos permite esquecer por nenhum instante a maldade humana. Recomendo a quem goste de ler sobre esta altura histórica, em especial relatos tão pessoais como este.
É-me impossível quantificar um livro escrito desta forma, pelo que optei por não o fazer.
Agradeço imenso à Porto Editora pelo envio de um exemplar para a partilha de uma opinião honesta.
September 5, 2019
I hate to admit I could not even force myself to finish Renia's Diary, which is most disappointing as I really looked forward to reading it. I find books about WWII fascinating.
Admittedly, whenever reading someone's diary, you are subject to their most mundane thoughts and ramblings. When reading a teenager's diary, that is amplified considerably. I so wanted to look past that to see history in the making through her young eyes. However at 40% into the book, I was still mired in ramblings, crushes, school relationships etc. and I just could not continue on.
I respect her sister for making sure Renia's Diary came to print. It just wasn't for me.
Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. The book's publishing date in 9/24/19.
Admittedly, whenever reading someone's diary, you are subject to their most mundane thoughts and ramblings. When reading a teenager's diary, that is amplified considerably. I so wanted to look past that to see history in the making through her young eyes. However at 40% into the book, I was still mired in ramblings, crushes, school relationships etc. and I just could not continue on.
I respect her sister for making sure Renia's Diary came to print. It just wasn't for me.
Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. The book's publishing date in 9/24/19.
October 8, 2019
I really struggled with this one. The majority of this diary was the expected thoughts, crushes and dramas of a typical teenage girl. However I was hoping for more of a historical record of the events of World War II and the plight of the Jewish people. Honestly I got none of that until the last few pages. However the poetry she wrote is just beautiful and moving. I just had a hard time really getting drawn into her life.
March 28, 2020
Quick review for an overarching progressive read that took me far too long to finish, relatively speaking. This was a difficult read for many reasons, and not simply for the subject matter in and of itself. If there's something to be said, Renia Spiegel was a remarkable young woman whose life was taken far too soon, far before it really had a chance to begin. That's what made going through her diary carry a lot of weight, because on one hand she saw many horrors as they occurred and the other of not knowing what was coming and what would be. I felt her story was definitely an important one to tell, and a necessary one to read full of heart, courage, and tragedy.
It should be worth mentioning that this book is structured into four parts: first is the introduction by Emory University professor and historian Deborah E. Lipstadt, who provides context for the work as a memoir and as a record of history. Then Renia's diary entries are provided in chronological order, filled with her daily experiences, poetry, and footnotes that provide further context and translations as the narrative moves forward. Following that are two sections penned by Renia's surviving sister Elizabeth Bellak, whose given name is Ariana Spiegel. She tells not only the events of what happened after her sister's tragic death and her, along with their mother's, journey to America, but also has notes to chronicle some of the dates contained in Renia's diary.
There's a part of me that understands why the publisher chose to sequence these sections separately and in their own containment for chronological and narrative reasons to give each individual room to expand, but I'll admit structuring it this way made it difficult for me to get through the narrative as a whole contextually. It could have had much better streamlining for the information and events that gave both Renia and her sister room to have their voices distinctly featured, but also keep the narrative in a chronological format where it would've been easier to understand the sequence of events as they unfolded. Unfortunately, the reference points are lost a bit in both the structuring and presentation here. It is also worth pointing out that this journal is an intimate portrait of the day-to-day entries and musings of Renia. She gushes about teenage boys, talks about school work, accomplishments, her interactions and her sentiments with friends - it is very much a teen girl's journal in every shape and form. Thus, it doesn't have the nuances or hindsight of time to be pulled together cohesively into a narrative from Renia's perspective, but it still very much matters as a record of her life, the events that happened around her, and provides an eye into how creative and insightful she was.
I still really valued this journal and would recommend the read. I just wish that it had been improved a bit in terms of the overarching sequential presentation of the individual narratives.
Overall score: 3/5 stars.
It should be worth mentioning that this book is structured into four parts: first is the introduction by Emory University professor and historian Deborah E. Lipstadt, who provides context for the work as a memoir and as a record of history. Then Renia's diary entries are provided in chronological order, filled with her daily experiences, poetry, and footnotes that provide further context and translations as the narrative moves forward. Following that are two sections penned by Renia's surviving sister Elizabeth Bellak, whose given name is Ariana Spiegel. She tells not only the events of what happened after her sister's tragic death and her, along with their mother's, journey to America, but also has notes to chronicle some of the dates contained in Renia's diary.
There's a part of me that understands why the publisher chose to sequence these sections separately and in their own containment for chronological and narrative reasons to give each individual room to expand, but I'll admit structuring it this way made it difficult for me to get through the narrative as a whole contextually. It could have had much better streamlining for the information and events that gave both Renia and her sister room to have their voices distinctly featured, but also keep the narrative in a chronological format where it would've been easier to understand the sequence of events as they unfolded. Unfortunately, the reference points are lost a bit in both the structuring and presentation here. It is also worth pointing out that this journal is an intimate portrait of the day-to-day entries and musings of Renia. She gushes about teenage boys, talks about school work, accomplishments, her interactions and her sentiments with friends - it is very much a teen girl's journal in every shape and form. Thus, it doesn't have the nuances or hindsight of time to be pulled together cohesively into a narrative from Renia's perspective, but it still very much matters as a record of her life, the events that happened around her, and provides an eye into how creative and insightful she was.
I still really valued this journal and would recommend the read. I just wish that it had been improved a bit in terms of the overarching sequential presentation of the individual narratives.
Overall score: 3/5 stars.
October 8, 2019
Renia’s Diary is a valuable historical document, the diary of a Jewish girl’s life under both Soviet and Nazi occupation She was just fourteen when she began writing in her diary where she was very frank about her feelings. Most of the diary is focused on her social life, her friend Norka and her frenemy Irka, and her great love Zigmund.
Renia was a poet and her book is overflowing with poems she wrote. The vary in quality and some of it may be a matter of translation. Some are translated so they have an ABAB rhyme scheme while others are in free verse and blank verse. I found the poems that had no rhyme scheme to be far more interesting and mature. But of course, I don’t know what they were like in Polish. Perhaps the ones that rhyme in translation lost something vital in seeking rhyming words.
Her diary runs from January 31, 1939 through July 30, 1942, the final entries written by Zigmund Schwarzer, recounting the murder of Renia and his parents. He survived Auschwitz, recovered her diary from where it had been in safekeeping and delivered it to her mother in the United States after the war. Renia’s sister and mother survived the war by converting to Catholicism and obtaining false papers. Her sister could not bear to read the diary until her own daughter wanted to learn more about her family and who pushed her mother to publish the diary. The commentary from Renia’s sister Arianka was, for me, the most emotionally affecting.
I almost feel I have failed some moral test, but I did not love Renia’s diary. I thought she was a brilliant young woman with a real talent for writing that was rewarded and encouraged at school and at home. I think she was honest in her diary, trying not to lie to herself. She wrote about her petty fights with friends in school. She didn’t like many of her classmates and seemed a bit of a mean girl. She might dispute that and say Irka was a mean girl, but she was jealous of any girl who chatted with Zygu, her nickname for Zigmund. Everyday her mood was high or low depending on her interactions with Zygu.
She wrote a bit about the occupation, particularly after the Jews were forced to move into a ghetto. However, her focus remained mostly on Zygu and missing her family as she was living with grandparents. It would be lovely if someone published a collection of her better poems. It is in her poems where she is most frank, most mature, and most powerful.
I received an ARC of Renia’s Diary from the publisher through Shelf Awareness.
Renia’s Diary at St. Martin’s Press | Macmillan
Renia Spiegel at Wikipedia
https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpre...
Renia was a poet and her book is overflowing with poems she wrote. The vary in quality and some of it may be a matter of translation. Some are translated so they have an ABAB rhyme scheme while others are in free verse and blank verse. I found the poems that had no rhyme scheme to be far more interesting and mature. But of course, I don’t know what they were like in Polish. Perhaps the ones that rhyme in translation lost something vital in seeking rhyming words.
Her diary runs from January 31, 1939 through July 30, 1942, the final entries written by Zigmund Schwarzer, recounting the murder of Renia and his parents. He survived Auschwitz, recovered her diary from where it had been in safekeeping and delivered it to her mother in the United States after the war. Renia’s sister and mother survived the war by converting to Catholicism and obtaining false papers. Her sister could not bear to read the diary until her own daughter wanted to learn more about her family and who pushed her mother to publish the diary. The commentary from Renia’s sister Arianka was, for me, the most emotionally affecting.
I almost feel I have failed some moral test, but I did not love Renia’s diary. I thought she was a brilliant young woman with a real talent for writing that was rewarded and encouraged at school and at home. I think she was honest in her diary, trying not to lie to herself. She wrote about her petty fights with friends in school. She didn’t like many of her classmates and seemed a bit of a mean girl. She might dispute that and say Irka was a mean girl, but she was jealous of any girl who chatted with Zygu, her nickname for Zigmund. Everyday her mood was high or low depending on her interactions with Zygu.
She wrote a bit about the occupation, particularly after the Jews were forced to move into a ghetto. However, her focus remained mostly on Zygu and missing her family as she was living with grandparents. It would be lovely if someone published a collection of her better poems. It is in her poems where she is most frank, most mature, and most powerful.
I received an ARC of Renia’s Diary from the publisher through Shelf Awareness.
Renia’s Diary at St. Martin’s Press | Macmillan
Renia Spiegel at Wikipedia
https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpre...
November 26, 2019
Renia’s Diary is the translation of the diary of a young , Jewish, Polish girl who was killed for being Jewish during WW2. She did not go to a concentration camp, she was killed while hiding. Her boyfriend retrieved the diary and handed it off to a friend before imprisonment. The friend later found the boyfriend who gave it to Renia’s sister and mother. They put it away for many years. Eventually it was brought out and translated. This book is the translation.
I do not want to diminish the horror of what happened to her. But the diary is primarily the thoughts and poems of a teenage girl. She her thoughts were no different than teenagers through the ages. The proliferation of her poems is astounding. She was obviously a very bright girl. I found myself skimming through so much of it though. She struggled though the same feelings over and over. Very little was written about the conditions of the day or her work or her mother’s visits. She missed her mother greatly and cherished their time together but never said what those times were like.
The most interesting parts were the notes at the end.
I do not want to diminish the horror of what happened to her. But the diary is primarily the thoughts and poems of a teenage girl. She her thoughts were no different than teenagers through the ages. The proliferation of her poems is astounding. She was obviously a very bright girl. I found myself skimming through so much of it though. She struggled though the same feelings over and over. Very little was written about the conditions of the day or her work or her mother’s visits. She missed her mother greatly and cherished their time together but never said what those times were like.
The most interesting parts were the notes at the end.
September 4, 2022
https://knjigozderonja.wixsite.com/kn...
Nisam drukčije mogla ocijeniti Dnevnik nego s peticom. Budimo fer; ono što je Renia pisala nije nikako spisateljsko remek djelo, niti umijeće. Njezin dnevnik je točno to – najobičniji dnevnik kojeg nije trebao pročitati nitko. Realno, da je poživjela, Renia bi ga se možda i riješila. Možda bi ga sačuvala i strpala u neku kutiju na tavanu, koju bi otkrili njeni unuci, smijali se njenim dogodovštinama i kasnije ga zaboravili, ako ne i bacili. Ipak, na ovaj smo način upoznali djevojku koja nije zaslužila sudbinu koja ju je snašla i koja je kroz stranice svoga dnevnika pokazala što s ovim svijetom nije u redu.
Trebamo li što više stvarnih priča iz Drugog svjetskog rata?
Grickajmo knjige zajedno!
Nisam drukčije mogla ocijeniti Dnevnik nego s peticom. Budimo fer; ono što je Renia pisala nije nikako spisateljsko remek djelo, niti umijeće. Njezin dnevnik je točno to – najobičniji dnevnik kojeg nije trebao pročitati nitko. Realno, da je poživjela, Renia bi ga se možda i riješila. Možda bi ga sačuvala i strpala u neku kutiju na tavanu, koju bi otkrili njeni unuci, smijali se njenim dogodovštinama i kasnije ga zaboravili, ako ne i bacili. Ipak, na ovaj smo način upoznali djevojku koja nije zaslužila sudbinu koja ju je snašla i koja je kroz stranice svoga dnevnika pokazala što s ovim svijetom nije u redu.
Trebamo li što više stvarnih priča iz Drugog svjetskog rata?
Grickajmo knjige zajedno!
August 22, 2019
When reading this book, we have to remember that it is a diary of a teenaged girl. Some reviews that I have read are critical of the writing or content, but we have to remember that even while WWII and German occupation took place....the children were still growing up and still trying to be children.... and teenagers will be teenagers! I believe that it would prove helpful to read the Epilogue and Elizabeth’s Commentary at the back of the book before reading the actual book! I read them afterwards and some things meant more because of it. It won’t give away any spoilers, because after all we know how it will end, but it gives more insight into the young girl, her family, how she was raised and maybe even why she did some of the many things she did at such stressful times. What we read is heartwarming, heartbreaking, and eye-opening into the lives of people just trying to make it through. I did find it difficult reading in that the names were so difficult for me to keep track of because there were so many characters that were a part of Renia’s life. I’m not much of a poetry person, but Renia had a very real talent at the poetry she wrote, helping her to express her feelings. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read this ARC in return for an honest review, which this has been. #NetGalley, #StMartinsPress
Read
August 20, 2024This diary is truly unique because it contains lots of poems. It can be read like a poetry book as well as a diary. I do prefer to read diaries about the Shoah more so than memoirs or historical texts because the person writing it doesn't know the future events and is not aware of the outcomes.
Lots of people seem to have criticised the fact that Renia spends a lot of time talking about her boyfriend and her student parties. First, I think it's difficult to be critical of her style or journal entries in general simply because it's not meant to be read like a novel or some kind of entertaining book. It was actually not meant to be read at all in the first place.
Secondly, I personally thought it made it even more tragic. Reading about common teenager angst and seeing her so innocent and naive despite the situation is devastating. She talks about hopes and dreams that every 17 year old has while we know for certain that her days are numbered. We realise that when we suffer, no matter what the reason is, our pain is always at its peak. But suffering is infinite : when we think we can't suffer more, we do. Suffering has no limit in human nature.
Lots of people seem to have criticised the fact that Renia spends a lot of time talking about her boyfriend and her student parties. First, I think it's difficult to be critical of her style or journal entries in general simply because it's not meant to be read like a novel or some kind of entertaining book. It was actually not meant to be read at all in the first place.
Secondly, I personally thought it made it even more tragic. Reading about common teenager angst and seeing her so innocent and naive despite the situation is devastating. She talks about hopes and dreams that every 17 year old has while we know for certain that her days are numbered. We realise that when we suffer, no matter what the reason is, our pain is always at its peak. But suffering is infinite : when we think we can't suffer more, we do. Suffering has no limit in human nature.
August 21, 2019
My favorite part of this book was the Commentary by Renia's younger sister, Ariana (Elizabeth) near the end of the book. Renia's diary read much like what I remember from when I was a teenager which consisted of relationships with male and female friends and acquaintances, school difficulties, parties and worrying about boyfriends. Renia was obviously a very gifted writer and her diary included a lot of poems most of which I just skimmed over because I am not into poetry. The book was good but I thought quite sad especially when she talks about her mother being gone for such long periods of time. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this very interesting book.
Read
November 9, 2019I cannot rate this true-life book, which will have me looking at parts over and over through the years, I'm sure. A bittersweet story (because one knows what will happen) of a teen missing her mom, and falling in love, and trying to live a "normal" teen life when the world around her is anything but normal. Should be studied more than enjoyed as entertainment.
May 26, 2024
Neka slaba trica.
Nije me toliko dojmilo. Patila sam se čitajući Dnevnik, dok su me predgovor i pojašnjenja više dotakla.
Mlako i neuvjerljivo. Nažalost, prodaje ga jedino tema WWII.
Nije me toliko dojmilo. Patila sam se čitajući Dnevnik, dok su me predgovor i pojašnjenja više dotakla.
Mlako i neuvjerljivo. Nažalost, prodaje ga jedino tema WWII.
January 8, 2021
3.5*s. It is difficult to rate this book and it may look that I have underrated it... but my main issue with it is that from the title and reviews elsewhere you expect another Anne Frank's diary. And it is far from it. What I'm trying to say is that I was expecting to read more about life during the war, living in the ghetto, etc... which is what you are told in the synopsis, etc... and it is the diary of a teenage girl that yes, mentions the war and Poland's ocupation, but mainly talks about her life at school, with her friends and her love story with a boy. She also writes many poems. It is very nice. She was a curious girl that loved learning and writing and was full of life, but concerning the IIWW, Holocaust, etc... you read most of it at the prologue and epilogue. I understand a diary is something private and that Renia talked about what she lived and felt, of course. But again, this is not exactly what you expect when they "sell" you the book. In summary, a bit dissapointed because it was not exactly what I was expecting but I recognize the value of it in all ways. In any case, a recommended reading. We should not forget what happened and we should not forget Renia and all the people that died and suffered this nonsense.
May 21, 2019
Renia’s Diary, a true diary written by a young Jewish teen that lived in Poland, is a true diary of her own words. The beginning and followup pages to delve into more information, is written by her sister who’s name is now Elizabeth.
This, like all other Holocaust memoirs whether survivor or victim, is a remarkable and touching tribute to a woman taken too early.
This document is touching, heart-wrenching, and absolutely needed to keep these wonderful souls known to our generation and for the generations hereafter.
I loved this diary. It means so much to me as a fellow Jewish woman. It means everything.
Thank you NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for this ARC and in return, this is my unbiased and voluntary review.
This, like all other Holocaust memoirs whether survivor or victim, is a remarkable and touching tribute to a woman taken too early.
This document is touching, heart-wrenching, and absolutely needed to keep these wonderful souls known to our generation and for the generations hereafter.
I loved this diary. It means so much to me as a fellow Jewish woman. It means everything.
Thank you NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for this ARC and in return, this is my unbiased and voluntary review.
January 14, 2020
This is a hard book to review, but I gave 5 stars to all the diaries of the Romanov girls which were even less designed for public consumption than Renia’s. I did feel like I could connect very well with the narrator and her various hopes, fears, and mood swings, being around her age myself. She shows such promising talent and has such a distinctive voice. While I wish there had been more about the war and more background information given as the inside jokes were sometimes hard to parse, I do understand that this is her diary as she wrote it-and a travesty that she stops so soon. A creative and important primary source.
July 5, 2019
Not enough can be written about the atrocities of the WWII especially the killing of million of Jews. Alas this book does not really add to the Jewish Literary Canon. The diary is frankly uninteresting barely mentioning Russian and German occupation. The book becomes finally interesting after the diary has ended giving a family history on how they fled the from the war and how only a handful survived.
I got this book through Goodreads giveaway.
I got this book through Goodreads giveaway.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 462 reviews