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In Alexa's Shoes

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IN ALEXA'S SHOES – a dramatic, uplifting true story of a young girl's struggle to overcome great odds to survive through WWII.

In the autumn of 1940, thirteen-year-old Alexa’s happy life is ripped from her as she, her mother, and many of the locals are rounded up by the Nazis in Poland. Loaded onto cattle trucks, they are transported to an unknown destination. Terror and uncertainty become the new normal. Life is a continuous nightmare as she is selected by an SS officer’s wife, destined to become little more than their slave.

Separated from everyone she loves, Alexa relies on her Christian faith, inner strength and courage, to endure through her long nightmare. Her story takes her on a treacherous journey across war-ravaged Europe in search of her family and the life she once knew. Despite living through unimaginable hardships and life-threatening danger, Alexa feels that someone, or something, seems to be looking out for her. Years later, she finds out that not all was as it seemed, as hidden secrets from this dark period in history are revealed to her.

In Alexa’s Shoes is a historical novel that beckons the reader to follow in the footsteps of a real-life individual who walks by faith to triumph over tragedy, one step at a time. It is based on the true story of the author’s grandmother, one of faith, hope, love, forgiveness and the incredible resilience of the human sprit under severe trials.

This is the re-edited version of the award winning, International best selling debut novel by Rochelle Alexandra

320 pages, Paperback

First published June 11, 2019

217 people are currently reading
1715 people want to read

About the author

Rochelle Alexandra

3 books35 followers
Rochelle Alexandra was born in Glasgow Scotland where she grew up, then moved to New York to live when she was eighteen. She had an early love for writing poetry, winning a national award and later had a few poems published in the USA. She’s a talented artist and photographer with a real love for children, horse riding and travel. Her favourite jobs were in advertising agency’s, working for a newspaper, a photographers assistant and private chef. She ran her own freelance art business, painting, portraits, murals and abstracts.



She never set out to be a writer but after hearing her Polish grandmother’s gripping true life history during WWII first hand, she made a promise to her gran that she would write her story in book form. Sadly her grandmother Alexa passed away two months before the novel ‘In Alexa’s Shoes’ about her life was published, aged 92. Little did Rochelle know, that she’d love the writing process so much and now has several more future novels planned.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews
Profile Image for Adele.
831 reviews
June 15, 2019
Alexa was just one of the millions of casualties of war. This story is of a young girl stepping out to buy a much loved for pair of shoes when on that day her life was to change irrevocably. What we read of Alexa's life from hereon is shocking, distressing at times but you are riveted to the story of one young girl's plight of survival. A young girl that never lost her faith and never gave up hope.

In Alexa's Shoes is a chilling, remarkable story that evoked many emotions within me. It's hard to comprehend that all that happened to Alexa was real and that she was also not alone, she was one of many that had had their life wrenched away from them. Until the end of the war Alexa's life was controlled by the Nazi rule of Hitler's campaign.

Rochelle Alexandra is the granddaughter to Alexa and as a young girl she would sit transfixed listening to her grandmother's (Babcia) tales. Tales that were so vivid you could picture them as clear as a movie on a big screen. In Alexa's Shoes should be read by all and it should be immortalised as a movie.

It's such a remarkable, shocking and almost unbelievable story but sadly conflict at any time is not to be believed until you walk in the shoes of one that is directly involved.
Profile Image for Sue .
2,048 reviews124 followers
June 17, 2019
When the author of this beautiful story was young, she would visit her grandmother every summer and they became very close. Eventually, her grandmother shared the story of her life during WWII and her granddaughter decided to write the story. This is Alexa's story.

In 1940, Alexa and her mother were shopping for shoes near their home in Poland when the Nazis arrived in town and put everyone into trucks. Instead of being bitter over the changes in her life, , she continued to follow the teachings of the Bible and tried to make the best of the situation. Through it all, she remained kind and helpful and loving towards other people . This is a historical novel that lets the reader follow in the footsteps of a real-life individual who walked by faith to triumph over tragedy, one step at a time.

As with many WWII novels, this book was difficult to read at times. The cruelty that was inflicted on other people is difficult to imagine but we know that it did occur. Alexa is a wonderful example of someone who refused to let the cruelty affect her outlook on life and allowed her to rise above it all based on her belief that God was protecting her all of the time.

Thanks to the author for sharing this wonderful story of her grandmother with the world.
Profile Image for Patricia Romero.
1,789 reviews49 followers
June 23, 2019
In the Fall of 1940, Alexa and her mother were taken by the Nazi's. Stacked like cordwood in cattle cars on a train. Most would die and the rest would labor. If you were a pretty blue-eyed blonde, you could end up as the slave of a Gestapo head. If you were lucky you didn't get beaten every day.

I enjoyed reading a first-hand account of Alexa and her family.

This is a true story told by her granddaughter. The story and what happened to her is a solid story. It's true. At only 13, she must grow up very fast and learn to survive.

The writing was monotone. I didn't feel any emotion behind the characters. A lot of it could benefit from more editing. I didn't feel her fear or any emotion. It is a true story and one with a horrific topic and that felt as if there should have been some emotion felt.







7 reviews
October 19, 2019
I was very much looking forward to reading this as historical writings, especially of this time period are of great interest to me. I was so disappointed at the quality of the writing, the lack of flow, the lack of consistency in the writing style (it started as a first person narrative, jumped to a 3rd person narrative, then went back to more of a first person narrative but from the prospective of the author.). At one point early in the book the author talks about a childhood friend named Carolina. Later in the book the friend is again mentioned but her name is spelled with a K. It was very evident this was a self published novel and sadly fell extremely short in my opinion. I hate leaving a review like this, but I hope it will help this author grow for future endeavors.
Profile Image for Ann Griffin.
10 reviews7 followers
December 3, 2019
I believe in the importance of recording first-hand accounts of WWII from the rapidly dwindling number of survivors, and Rochelle Alexandra has done a remarkable job of detailing her grandmother's story of surviving a trip to Dachau, the loss of her mother, slavery to a Gestapo officer's family, and many other hardships and traumas of the war and its aftermath. I appreciate how Alexandra honors all her grandmother experienced from the horrific to the beatific. Alexa was a child, and became a woman, of strong faith when she had nothing and no-one to cling to, a constant of faith that remained through her whole life.

My difficulty with the book is the choppy writing style, the cliches, the stiff dialogue, and the jumping around from one character's point of view to another, particularly later in the book. There are editing errors such as incomplete sentences in several places. However, the basic story is worth a read, including one big surprise at the end. Just don't expect compelling writing.
Profile Image for Mrs. Cohen.
8 reviews
January 21, 2020
I wanted to like this book. The story is clearly personal for the author (it's her grandmother's experiences) and WWII Europe is a favorite topic of mine. Unfortunately after several attempts, I gave up after only a few chapters. The story is one worth sharing but the book would have benefited from careful copy-editing. I found that the lack of punctuation and consistency made it frustrating to read. I hope the author can find a place with a publisher who will help her polish her story to give it the audience and shine it deserves.
Profile Image for Allison.
225 reviews1 follower
January 14, 2020
2.5⭐️Didn’t love it. Didn’t like the simplistic writing style, found some typos, lots of repetitiveness. The actual story, while horrific to experience no doubt, was not horrible compared to what others have written. I kept waiting for something awful to happen but there always seemed to be an angel on her shoulder guiding her down a less chaotic path and almost sugar coated version of events.
29 reviews
July 6, 2020
Good story but poorly written

Loved the subject and characters but it was much too wordy and the sentence structure was poor. It should have gone through a thorough proofreading before being published.
Profile Image for Christine M in Texas (stamperlady50).
2,023 reviews267 followers
November 4, 2023
In Alexa’s Shoes
By: Rochelle Alexandra
5👞👞👞👞👞

The author note is a MUST read. This novel is about the authors grandmother. She tells the story about Alexa and the heart wrenching story of her past.

Having spent summers with her in Poland she listened to her stories of being taken by the Nazis and how she was separated from her mother and sister.

When Alexa was young she went with her mother to the store to buy a pair of blue shoes. That day changed everything and she was sent to a high ranking SS Officer to take care of their home and children while her mother was taken to Dachau camp. Her story continues as the family lets her go after the war ended and her struggles continue.

This was Alexa’s emotional story and I was thankful she could pass it on as so many did not survive. Alexa’s faith and spirit got her through a lot of tough times. She met other girls who were snatched from their families and shared a lifelong bond.
#inalexasshoes, #rochellealexandra, #bookreview, #booksconnectus, #stamperlady50, #bookstagram
Profile Image for Christine.
1,452 reviews43 followers
January 20, 2022
A novel based on the author's grandmother's life in WWII. A story well worth telling! Sad yes, but definitely not only sad!

In Alexa's Shoes, by Rochelle Alexandra.

Alexa is a 13 year-old Polish girl, lives in Ludlin with her loving widowed mother and sister. On a quiet Saturday full of promises (Alexa is getting new shoes), the Germans took everyone (including Alexa and her mother) doing their shopping or walking around in the centre of the town and deported them to Dachau. However, not all will remain there. Young people (up to 16) will be chosen according to their Aryan looks to work in Germany for Germans. Alexa is sent to close to Luxemburg to work on a family farm. She works excessively hard but is in a way lucky as no other hardships befall her. At the end of the war, the family releases her, organizes and pays for her journey back home.... Her journey will not be straight forward....
I enjoyed this story because there were no horrible descriptions of violence (one is evoked at the beginning though), and also and foremost because I really liked Alexa who managed to always keep her integrity, her religious faith (Catholicism), unfailing hope and a tough resilience! For someone so young, respect!!
1 review1 follower
September 3, 2020
Thank you Rochelle Alexandra for capturing and preserving your grandmother Alexa's life story beginning with her abduction by the Nazi's in 1940. You captured my attention from the start and I found it hard to put this book down. This is the kind of book that when you finish it, you want more! Having taught in Poland many times over the past two decades (Warsaw and visited Krakow) I have gotten to know and love the Polish people. At times I was in tears as I read Alexa's story (knowing others fared much worse than she). Like Corrie Ten Boom and others, Alexa found strength in her faith. There is a lesson in this book for all of us! Throughout the horrific challenges she faced, Alexa turned to her faith for strength, courage, and the ability to persevere, forgive, and leaving a legacy of love and hope. I highly recommend "In Alexa's Shoes." I understand there is a sequel coming out and look forward to reading that as well.
Profile Image for Emily Grabatin.
Author 4 books8 followers
Read
June 24, 2020
My tender heart hesitates to read World War II stories, because the evil and gore jar me so much. But I appreciated Rochelle's tender way she told this story.

When the Nazis invaded Poland, Alexa's dream to be her new pair of shoes is short-lived when she is separated from her family and forced to become house help for a well-connected family. It was a side of WWII I hadn't heard before, and this story was a delightful thought sobering way to learn about it.

I read this the last day of my vacation.
Profile Image for Annette.
87 reviews
January 12, 2021
A compelling story of a young girl taken from her family and home, and forced to work in the home of a Gestapo officer and his family. Based on a real person, this story is worth reading.
I had to take stars away for the obvious lack of editing in this book. There are constant grammatical errors that detract from the story. I was also a bit confused about the “voice” in this story and whether this book was biographical or a historical novel. It reads like a biography, but the surprise ending (no spoilers) clearly is fictional.
Profile Image for Annie Mondesir.
Author 1 book116 followers
March 1, 2020
“In Alexa’s Shoes” is an utterly sanguine story that is also empathetic and absolutely unforgettable!

I admire Alexa for sharing her story with her granddaughter. It was truly an honor to witness her experience.

I admire Alexa’s strength, faith, hope and perseverance.

An astonishing story of the human heart!

Read this book and take this compassionate journey!!

Rochelle Alexandra wrote a first-class novel!

I was given this book by the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.
542 reviews1 follower
February 11, 2023
A novel about the author’s grandmother, Alexa, who was 13 when she and her mother went to town to buy new shoes for Alexa. The Nazis came to the town and took them as prisoners and sent them to a concentration camp. She was then sent to work as an unpaid slave to an SS officer and his family. At the end of the war she was released to return to Poland to find her mother and sister. She had more adventures before making it to Poland with her new husband.
Profile Image for Dawn.
6 reviews
June 15, 2019
Excellent book

Wow! Get this book y'all! It is so good. Alexa was surely a remarkable woman!
I am amazed that Alexa seemed to not hold grudges against people in her life.
This is an amazing true story about the author's own Grandmother. I hoped Alexa's Mama had made it home alive.

Buy this book!
1 review4 followers
February 17, 2020
I read the book in 1 day. I couldn't, nor did I want to, put it down. Alexa was very blessed to have survived that time period in which many others were not as lucky. I won't spoil it here, but I will say that 2 days after reading the book, I'm still thinking about the story. So glad you wrote the book, Rochelle.
Profile Image for Jennifer Shepard.
844 reviews121 followers
September 17, 2020
this is the first book I read from this autor and let me tell you that I loved it! Such a good book with great characters that keeps you obsessed with every page since the first one. But the most special thing on this book is that is real!!! This is a true story so I found everything more emotional. I enjoyed reading this book and I highly recommend it!
Profile Image for Diane.
196 reviews3 followers
January 2, 2021
I love the true stories from the war. This one was well written. A very good one. Another aspect of the war I did not know about.
89 reviews
February 10, 2020
I fell in love with Alexia

What an amazing story. Alexia was a beautiful woman. I can’t imagine the fear she had during the war. Thanks for sharing her wonderful story.
Profile Image for Mary E. Nichols.
25 reviews1 follower
December 17, 2020
So Worth Reading

A well retold account of a real person in the real circumstances of WW2. Alexa could have become a bitter, hardened person for being an enslaved person in a German household after being separated from her mother and sister. But she didn't. Instead she did her best in desperate circumstances and survived well. Her faith in God helped her through her struggles and she lived to see and be with the love of her family.
9 reviews
December 10, 2019
Easy Read True Story

A story of faith and survival during a horrific period. Alexa chose to forgive and therefore didn't live embittered by the unspeakable crimes committed against her and her family. Could've used better editing but enjoyed the story.
Author 19 books10 followers
April 11, 2020
It's been a long time since I've stayed up most of the night to finish a novel, but I could not put this one down. The honest, brave, full-of-faith character of Alexa, the author's real-life Polish grandmother, will hold the reader amazed and riveted as she goes through the Holocaust, yanked out of Poland to become slave labor to a family with a Gestapo father. There is surprise after surprise in this book up to the very end, and you'll want to recommend it to everyone you know. Many of today's generation will learn how hard it was to be Polish and survive during WWII.
19 reviews
April 12, 2020
Great true story!

This was a different kind of WWII novel. I enjoyed it because it was a true story of the author's grandmother. I was interested in the events that happened to such a very young teenager.I would recommend this book because of the different things that it conveys. I'm sorry the book ended.....I wonder how that two-part good looking husband????????and
Profile Image for Justine Janora.
103 reviews5 followers
December 3, 2019
This first time author did a great job telling us her grandmothers true story during WWII. A sure pageturner that shows the power of prayer, trust and perseverance that a young lady had during the worst time humanity has ever seen.
3 reviews
January 20, 2020
This read was inspirational. A story of a strong woman and what she endured. Loved it.
Profile Image for Veronica.
Author 44 books42 followers
November 5, 2019
I’ve had my eye on “In Alexa’s Shoes,” since it was released this last summer and broke down a couple of weeks ago and bought it. I’ve read my share of WWII fiction, most of it involving the Holocaust. Poland has long been of interest to me, but it can be a challenge to find something from the Polish people’s perspective, in regards to fiction. A memoir or autobiography is easier to hunt down. That is what makes “In Alexa’s Shoes” unique. The author wrote her grandmother, Alexa’s, story down in the form of a novel. So, we have the realism and accuracy as we would with non-fiction, however, we also have the warmth and hope of fiction wrapped up in one tale.

When thirteen-year-old Alexa is stolen from her mother, and sent to Germany, she is more-or-less held captive and forced into slave labor for a Nazi and his family. She hopes and prays that she will return home someday, and be reunited with her mother and sister. Throughout the remainder of the war and through all of her struggles, Alexa holds fast to her faith in God.

The faith element is another positive factor of the book. Often with Christian or inspirational fiction, the author knocks you repeatedly over the head with sermons and evangelism. That isn’t the case with “In Alexa’s Shoes.” Alexa’s faith in God is present, there are prayers, and Psalm 91 is woven throughout the narrative, but it’s never preachy or cliché. With the knowledge that Alexa was an actual person, I came away inspired by her and her abiding faith in Christ.

I find myself hoping the author will continue writing and publish more books.
Profile Image for J_McA 251.
1,017 reviews14 followers
June 28, 2019
What a fantastic story that could not come at a more critical time! The story of a Polish teenager rounded up by Nazis and given to slavery to a Gestapo family is brutal and heartrending. The author did an excellent job of capturing both the horrors of the Nazis and the aftermath of trying to put one’s life back together after the fact. For me, it seemed as if Alexa’s post-war experiences shaped her almost as much as her teen years under Gestapo/Nazi rule. And that becomes a vital lesson in human nature and the resilience of faith. Alexa’s story is a parable for the ages from which many people can learn. Please visit my blog at Fireflies and Free Kicks Fiction Reviews for further thoughts on the importance of Alexa’s story. This review was written based on a complimentary pre-release digital ARC of the book.
13 reviews
January 7, 2020
I love that this was written by Alexa's granddaughter. I have read many books on this subject and while some of them may have been written by more "seasoned" writers, I think the personal connection of Rochelle Alexandra and her Grandmother comes across in her writing and it makes this book extra special. I have recommended this book to many and will continue to do so. I am looking forward to this author's next book!
609 reviews15 followers
February 25, 2020
This incredible story is about the author’s grandmother who, at the age of 13, was captured in 1940 by the Nazi regime and forced to be a slave to the family of one of the Nazi officers. Throughout the ordeal Alexa kept a positive outlook and her faith and was able to make the most of the situations in which she found herself. I cannot imagine the fear she experienced as she was taken from her hometown with her mother and forced into servitude, as well as the many other occasions when her life was at risk. I recommend this book for everyone. The story also includes Alexa and her husband looking for their families in war-torn Poland after the war. I
Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews

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