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Holocaust Survivor Memoirs World War II #5
My Lvov: Holocaust Memoir of a Twelve-Year-Old Girl
While still twelve years old, Janina Hescheles wrote this harrowing report from her hiding place in Cracow. The notebook, filled with clear childlike writing, was fortunately preserved. She tells about the German occupation of Lvov, the loss of her parents, about the Ghetto and mass murder in the notorious forced-labor camp Janowska in Lvov. Thrown into the abyss of horror, Janina understood and sensed more than could be expected of someone her age.
With the help of the Underground she managed to escape in the autumn 1943 shortly before the liquidation of the camp, and lived in occupied Poland with false papers and identity until the end of the Second World War. Janina, who has been called "the Polish Anne Frank”, has given the world a moving and important report that has been presented here in its entirety.
With the help of the Underground she managed to escape in the autumn 1943 shortly before the liquidation of the camp, and lived in occupied Poland with false papers and identity until the end of the Second World War. Janina, who has been called "the Polish Anne Frank”, has given the world a moving and important report that has been presented here in its entirety.
146 pages, Paperback
First published October 25, 2014
460 people are currently reading
288 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
May 7, 2023
translating this one into slovak rn!!
January 28, 2020
Janina Hescheles – My Lvov: Holocaust Memoir – Reviewed 1/26/20 – Read 1/23/20
From the eyes and heart of a 12-year-old girl, the horrors of the German camps and more during the Holocaust.
Janina Hescheles was twelve years old when she wrote her account of the German occupation and what happened to her and her family. She spent time hiding after the loss of her parents. After being shifted around she ended up in a forced-labor camp. With the help of the underground though she managed to escape and was transported to Poland. She lived there with false papers until the end of the war. During all of this, she experienced horrors of mass murder, the unbelievable conditions that they were forced to live in while in the camps. Many of the people around her that she knew were killed, then at the camps the day started and everyone did what they had to but some just never came back at the end of the day. Being told that at any moment you could be next. The clear and memorable writings of the author at this age comes through clear and moving without emotion.
What did I like? This is hard to say that I like it, as the subject matter of this book is so horrible. I was amazed at the detail and the clear descriptions. For a young girl at this age, after surviving the horrors that she had to, to be able to write it and make it so clear is beyond amazing.
What will you like? Incredible details, clear even though it is through the words of a young child. You will experience the horrors and fears without emotional clutter. Read her words for trying to understand what it was like to die. Was it really just like going to sleep or did it hurt? This account will take you there and make you wish that you could have stopped the horrors! Anything to make it better for her and all of those that had to endure this ungodly experience. An astonishing account!!!
• File Size: 24372 KB
• Print Length: 146 Pages
• Release Date: January 27, 2020
• Genre: Jewish Holocaust History, Memoirs, Jewish History
From the eyes and heart of a 12-year-old girl, the horrors of the German camps and more during the Holocaust.
Janina Hescheles was twelve years old when she wrote her account of the German occupation and what happened to her and her family. She spent time hiding after the loss of her parents. After being shifted around she ended up in a forced-labor camp. With the help of the underground though she managed to escape and was transported to Poland. She lived there with false papers until the end of the war. During all of this, she experienced horrors of mass murder, the unbelievable conditions that they were forced to live in while in the camps. Many of the people around her that she knew were killed, then at the camps the day started and everyone did what they had to but some just never came back at the end of the day. Being told that at any moment you could be next. The clear and memorable writings of the author at this age comes through clear and moving without emotion.
What did I like? This is hard to say that I like it, as the subject matter of this book is so horrible. I was amazed at the detail and the clear descriptions. For a young girl at this age, after surviving the horrors that she had to, to be able to write it and make it so clear is beyond amazing.
What will you like? Incredible details, clear even though it is through the words of a young child. You will experience the horrors and fears without emotional clutter. Read her words for trying to understand what it was like to die. Was it really just like going to sleep or did it hurt? This account will take you there and make you wish that you could have stopped the horrors! Anything to make it better for her and all of those that had to endure this ungodly experience. An astonishing account!!!
• File Size: 24372 KB
• Print Length: 146 Pages
• Release Date: January 27, 2020
• Genre: Jewish Holocaust History, Memoirs, Jewish History
February 3, 2020
Very important
This is a very important book to read, a very detailed description of the life of a young girl during the Shoah. I highly recommend to add this book to your reading list.
This is a very important book to read, a very detailed description of the life of a young girl during the Shoah. I highly recommend to add this book to your reading list.
October 28, 2023
Raw
This first person account by a child is a detailed rendition of holocaust atrocities. It’s poignant and surprising in its simplicity. Amazing.
This first person account by a child is a detailed rendition of holocaust atrocities. It’s poignant and surprising in its simplicity. Amazing.
January 27, 2020
My Lvov is a view of the horrific events in Poland through the eyes of a child. When she was rescued from a work camp and moved to Cracow, she was asked to write down her memories. The journal was kept safe for years and published by Amsterdam Publishers this month. Her journal is important because not only was it written with the thoughts of a child but it was written immediately after her rescue when her memories of the work camp were still strong in her mind. Even though she was only 12, Janina understood what was going on in the camp with mass-murder and forced labor - things that no 12-year-old should have to face. Her story was told in a very innocent way despite what was going on around her. Despite all of the horrors she faced when she was young, Janina Hescheles wrote the foreword for this book, in January 2020, from her home in Haifa.
Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.
Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.
February 4, 2020
With the Forward written by the author, now elderly, in 2020, the reader is then transported back to when Janina aka Janka was 12 years old. Lvov had long been part of Poland but then became integrated into the "Austro-Hungarian Empire". At the beginning of the war the Jews in the area thought everything would work out but as time went on life got tougher. First her father left and the resilience and resourcefulness of Janina's mother was nothing short of incredible. Trying to protect Janina was not easy - a lot of sacrifice. Of course freedom did not last forever and Janina takes us through those times. If you are looking for a light, easy read this is NOT for you.
Janina had a literary bug as explained by a Zegota activist and one who was around when Janina was escaping the war/camp. After her escape, Janina was provided with a notebook and pencil and asked to write down all she remembered. A poignant read.
I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher. Thanks, Liz
Janina had a literary bug as explained by a Zegota activist and one who was around when Janina was escaping the war/camp. After her escape, Janina was provided with a notebook and pencil and asked to write down all she remembered. A poignant read.
I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher. Thanks, Liz
June 21, 2020
I’m unable to evaluated the content of the book, as the horrific facts with which I’m very familiar, speak for themselves.
And since it’s a diary, it cannot be measured by literary standards either.
However, the translation is absolutely terrible and confusing. Names of places and streets have been misspelled and sentences were distorted.
Starting from the title.My Lvov. Why
Lvov? Lvov was the Russian name of the city between 1939-1941 (and after the re-occupation in July 1944).* Why not My Lwów, the Polish name?
The spelling isn’t consistent and mixes Polish and English spellings.
Overall, the idea of translating a book from two languages (Hebrew and French) by unskilled translators, produced a baffling and inaccurate text. Why wasn’t the book translated from the original language (Polish) anyway?
*[The city was named Lemberg up until 1918, while it was under Austrian rule and during the Nazi occupation (1941-1944)].
And since it’s a diary, it cannot be measured by literary standards either.
However, the translation is absolutely terrible and confusing. Names of places and streets have been misspelled and sentences were distorted.
Starting from the title.My Lvov. Why
Lvov? Lvov was the Russian name of the city between 1939-1941 (and after the re-occupation in July 1944).* Why not My Lwów, the Polish name?
The spelling isn’t consistent and mixes Polish and English spellings.
Overall, the idea of translating a book from two languages (Hebrew and French) by unskilled translators, produced a baffling and inaccurate text. Why wasn’t the book translated from the original language (Polish) anyway?
*[The city was named Lemberg up until 1918, while it was under Austrian rule and during the Nazi occupation (1941-1944)].
January 28, 2020
A compelling and deeply moving read. Reading it in these times when few direct witnesses are still able to tell about these terrible years is more necessary then ever.
February 12, 2021
Short but straightforward
Not a pulitzer prize winning piece of prose but more importantly--,a story that needed to be told without florid writing that would have obscured or even mitigated the impact of the evil as it unfolded. The basic facts of atrocity and experience allow the reader to feel the emotions rather than read someone else's interpretation.
Not a pulitzer prize winning piece of prose but more importantly--,a story that needed to be told without florid writing that would have obscured or even mitigated the impact of the evil as it unfolded. The basic facts of atrocity and experience allow the reader to feel the emotions rather than read someone else's interpretation.
June 15, 2021
Jean38no
An account of the Holocaust through a child’s eyes before the Nazi’s and after the Nazis began exterminating the Jews. How this child’s family was decimated simply because they were Jewish. Her diary is a first hand account to what actually happened in the work camps. A fascinating account by a 11 year old child.
An account of the Holocaust through a child’s eyes before the Nazi’s and after the Nazis began exterminating the Jews. How this child’s family was decimated simply because they were Jewish. Her diary is a first hand account to what actually happened in the work camps. A fascinating account by a 11 year old child.
January 21, 2022
This is an excellent account of the experience of a teenage girl in Lvov during the second world war. Written during the occupation, after she was rescued from the camp and hidden by heroic Poles, it has an immediacy that is not present in some other later accounts of holocaust experiences. I highly recommend this book.
September 10, 2022
My Lvov
The Diary itself was good considering her age & all she had been & was still going through. Her poetry is amazing. I withheld one Star only because a) I became confused between people who helped & people who pretended to help, but didn't. b) half the book is acknowledgements, an index, a glossary, & the many other books of this series.
The Diary itself was good considering her age & all she had been & was still going through. Her poetry is amazing. I withheld one Star only because a) I became confused between people who helped & people who pretended to help, but didn't. b) half the book is acknowledgements, an index, a glossary, & the many other books of this series.
June 29, 2023
This book is a short glimpse into the life of a twelve year old girl during the holocaust. I read this as part of the series. It was absolutely amazing, factual, and allowed me a view into the war that I hadn't seen. Especially for children during that time. Included in this book is the poems janina wrote in various places during her time in hiding or captivity. It's a must-read.
May 22, 2020
Really touching book. Describes everything that happened in her life. I felt like I was inside the book, like I knew her. I read in just one day, couldn't put it down.
September 11, 2020
Don't miss this one!
This book was written by a child who survived the Holocaust. She tells about life during the horrible time from a child's point of view
This book was written by a child who survived the Holocaust. She tells about life during the horrible time from a child's point of view
September 26, 2020
A terribly well-written reminder of the past.
Hard to comprehend how a young human being could witness what was going on - and remain sain to be able to tell her story.
Hard to comprehend how a young human being could witness what was going on - and remain sain to be able to tell her story.
February 21, 2021
Unread
I have not read this book yet. I have read the preview and intend to read the book but have some other selections I plan to read first.
I have not read this book yet. I have read the preview and intend to read the book but have some other selections I plan to read first.
November 26, 2021
Excellent information on the the struggles of a orphaned 12year old girl. Sad that some family members turned her away, in fear for their lives! This book is a MUST read!
June 5, 2022
Hard to believe people can be so evil and she could process all of what was going on and manage to survive. one of the luck ones
Read
April 18, 2023""
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 6, 2020
This memoir by Janina Hescheles is truly remarkable, whilst reading the words of such human travesty you have to keep reminding yourself that all that is written has been witnessed by a 12 year old girl.
Janina’s diary was first published in Polish in 1946 by the Jewish Historical Council. In 1958-1960 it was published in Berlin in an anthology of diaries from the Shoa. The diary then went into hibernation for 60 years until January 2020 when it was republished by Amsterdam Publishers to coincide with International Holocaust Day.
Janina was encouraged to write down her thoughts some were in poetic prose and some were in a diary format. The book went through many obstacles to be kept hidden and to avoid the young girl being put in any further danger.
The book moved me greatly and at times it is hard to read due to the atrocities that occurred. The young girl was so brave with her writing. The writing style is very organic making you acknowledge the author’s young age and the desperation she was placed in. Janina did not omit any detail from her words, they were raw and honest.
The poems that Janina wrote during this terrible time were another chance to express her feelings and thoughts. They were poems of love, hope and new beginnings. But they also spoke of the truth through the eyes of a child.
One of the thoughts that crossed my mind whilst reading this memoir was of a parents brave plight on whether to save one family member over another. It highlighted the sheer intensity of the grave situation that thousands of families were put in. It’s unbelievable to imagine that this was commonplace during the atrocity. Life was very much surviving one day at a time.
Janina’s diary was first published in Polish in 1946 by the Jewish Historical Council. In 1958-1960 it was published in Berlin in an anthology of diaries from the Shoa. The diary then went into hibernation for 60 years until January 2020 when it was republished by Amsterdam Publishers to coincide with International Holocaust Day.
Janina was encouraged to write down her thoughts some were in poetic prose and some were in a diary format. The book went through many obstacles to be kept hidden and to avoid the young girl being put in any further danger.
The book moved me greatly and at times it is hard to read due to the atrocities that occurred. The young girl was so brave with her writing. The writing style is very organic making you acknowledge the author’s young age and the desperation she was placed in. Janina did not omit any detail from her words, they were raw and honest.
The poems that Janina wrote during this terrible time were another chance to express her feelings and thoughts. They were poems of love, hope and new beginnings. But they also spoke of the truth through the eyes of a child.
One of the thoughts that crossed my mind whilst reading this memoir was of a parents brave plight on whether to save one family member over another. It highlighted the sheer intensity of the grave situation that thousands of families were put in. It’s unbelievable to imagine that this was commonplace during the atrocity. Life was very much surviving one day at a time.
July 31, 2021
Janina Hescheles shares her touching memoir of her life during the Holocaust and her heroism, ending with several poems she wrote while she was placed at many locations during these years. She kept a detailed diary, with vivid descriptions of her life during her years in Poland with her family. She is sent to several homes of her relatives, family friends and others who are willing to help her survive and escape the Nazis during World War 2 and their unspeakable crimes towards humanity.
She was fortunate to have a close-knit family in Poland. She describes their caring for each other as they did their best to survive and escape the Nazis. Janina has a poignant relationship with her mother who encourages her to escape and take the opportunity to lead a better life. She is able to associate with heroic people who do their best to care and aid the Jewish people, and help them escape using legal documents, albeit with changes in names and religions.
Janina's courage and fortitude are amazing as she encounters both those who care and the enemies who threaten her during numerous challenges to her life, culminating with her many accomplishments, academically and with her family.
She was fortunate to have a close-knit family in Poland. She describes their caring for each other as they did their best to survive and escape the Nazis. Janina has a poignant relationship with her mother who encourages her to escape and take the opportunity to lead a better life. She is able to associate with heroic people who do their best to care and aid the Jewish people, and help them escape using legal documents, albeit with changes in names and religions.
Janina's courage and fortitude are amazing as she encounters both those who care and the enemies who threaten her during numerous challenges to her life, culminating with her many accomplishments, academically and with her family.
February 3, 2020
I found this book really confusing and blank. Not the best as a literary art, but I see the value of it. It is telling facts about things that happened, things that we can't even imagine. And it feels like it's been written with no emotions in it. Which makes you wonder how deep places those who survived and who didn't lived emotionally. That's creepy as hell. I didn't like the book itself, but I like the fact it's been written and it's been published and this way history is kept alive as a reminder.
March 2, 2021
i love the simplicity and the raw honesty of this document and memoir. the words of 12-year-old Janina Hescheles leave no room for misunderstanding or interpretation and reveal with accuracy and innocence and complete honesty the brutalities inflicted upon the Jews in the city of Lviv.
the simple prose of this book, stripped of embellishments and superfluous details, does justice to the atrocities suffered by its characters and is a testament of the maturity of this girl who bore all suffering with bravery.
the simple prose of this book, stripped of embellishments and superfluous details, does justice to the atrocities suffered by its characters and is a testament of the maturity of this girl who bore all suffering with bravery.
January 2, 2020
4'25/5
He disfrutado mucho de este libro que nos cuenta la historia triste y cruel de la autora en los tiempos de la segunda guerra mundial.
Me ha gustado mucho y lo recomiendo mucho!
He disfrutado mucho de este libro que nos cuenta la historia triste y cruel de la autora en los tiempos de la segunda guerra mundial.
Me ha gustado mucho y lo recomiendo mucho!
August 28, 2021
A matter of fact recording of the horrors of Lvov - seen through the eyes of a twelve-year-old girl. Absolutely fascinating.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews