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The Last Daughter
#1 Amazon Bestseller!
A compelling and mesmerizing novel based on a remarkable true story.
In 1939, ten-year-old Dina Frydman sits at her bedroom window, watching storm clouds blacken the horizon. The Nazis have begun their brutal march through her hometown of Radom, Poland. Dina’s happy world comes tumbling down and her family will never be the same. As the Nazi regime implements the systematic annihilation of every Jewish man, woman, and child throughout Europe, Dina and her family do everything they can to stay together. But can they make it through the war unscathed?
As Dina matures from child to teenager, every day brings a daunting new challenge to survive. When she meets Natek Korman, a young man with sky-blue eyes that crinkle when he smiles, Dina experiences the first blush of love and a longing for a normal life. But what could be normal in a world of endless terror and numbing fear?
From the harsh day-to-day existence in the Jewish ghetto under Nazi occupation to the grueling toil of the ruthless workcamps to the utter despair of the death camps of Auschwitz and Bergen-Belson, Dina’s story of survival is a heart-rending testament to the power of the human spirit.
The Last Daughter is an extraordinary story of an ordinary girl. Based on the remarkable true story of Dina Frydman, a Jewish girl from Radom, Poland who is thrust into an unforgettable journey from the dawn of World War Two to the darkest days of the Holocaust. You will never forget Dina nor the millions of others like her.
A compelling and mesmerizing novel based on a remarkable true story.
In 1939, ten-year-old Dina Frydman sits at her bedroom window, watching storm clouds blacken the horizon. The Nazis have begun their brutal march through her hometown of Radom, Poland. Dina’s happy world comes tumbling down and her family will never be the same. As the Nazi regime implements the systematic annihilation of every Jewish man, woman, and child throughout Europe, Dina and her family do everything they can to stay together. But can they make it through the war unscathed?
As Dina matures from child to teenager, every day brings a daunting new challenge to survive. When she meets Natek Korman, a young man with sky-blue eyes that crinkle when he smiles, Dina experiences the first blush of love and a longing for a normal life. But what could be normal in a world of endless terror and numbing fear?
From the harsh day-to-day existence in the Jewish ghetto under Nazi occupation to the grueling toil of the ruthless workcamps to the utter despair of the death camps of Auschwitz and Bergen-Belson, Dina’s story of survival is a heart-rending testament to the power of the human spirit.
The Last Daughter is an extraordinary story of an ordinary girl. Based on the remarkable true story of Dina Frydman, a Jewish girl from Radom, Poland who is thrust into an unforgettable journey from the dawn of World War Two to the darkest days of the Holocaust. You will never forget Dina nor the millions of others like her.
400 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 2, 2010
534 people are currently reading
279 people want to read
About the author
Belle Ami
46 books401 followers #1 Bestselling Amazon author, Belle Ami, knows that “Dreams do come true.” Belle Ami is an author of time travel romantic thrillers, international thrillers, and historical fiction. Her latest #1 historical fiction novel is The Last Daughter, based on the true story of her mother’s survival of the Holocaust. Whether she writes thrillers set in the art world with a supernatural twist or her new Lost in Time series of time-travel historical romances for Dragonblade Publishing, Belle’s books are all meticulously researched with compelling stories that will usher you through breathtaking twists and turns and introduce you to captivating heroes and heroines. Belle’s books have won many awards, including the RONE, the Raven, Readers’ Favorite Award, National Jewish Book Award, and The Book Excellence Award, to name a few.
Belle Ami Book List:
Mona Lisa's Daughter
Lost in Time Series: London Time, Paris Time, & Tuscan Time
The Last Daughter
The Blue Coat Saga: The Rendezvous in Paris, The Lost Legacy of Time, and The Secret Book of Names
Out of Time Series: The Girl Who Knew Da Vinci, The Girl Who Loved Caravaggio, and The Girl Who Adored Rembrandt
Tip of the Spear Series: Escape, Vengeance, Ransom, and Exposed
The Only One Series: The One, The One & More, and One More Time is Not Enough
When Bells isn’t writing, you can find her in the kitchen whipping up a delectable meal for her family to enjoy. In addition to gourmet cooking, Belle is an accomplished pianist, avid skier, and world traveler. She lives in Southern California with her wonderful Giorgio Armani—her regal Chihuahua.
Belle Ami Book List:
Mona Lisa's Daughter
Lost in Time Series: London Time, Paris Time, & Tuscan Time
The Last Daughter
The Blue Coat Saga: The Rendezvous in Paris, The Lost Legacy of Time, and The Secret Book of Names
Out of Time Series: The Girl Who Knew Da Vinci, The Girl Who Loved Caravaggio, and The Girl Who Adored Rembrandt
Tip of the Spear Series: Escape, Vengeance, Ransom, and Exposed
The Only One Series: The One, The One & More, and One More Time is Not Enough
When Bells isn’t writing, you can find her in the kitchen whipping up a delectable meal for her family to enjoy. In addition to gourmet cooking, Belle is an accomplished pianist, avid skier, and world traveler. She lives in Southern California with her wonderful Giorgio Armani—her regal Chihuahua.
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June 9, 2021The Last Daughter was the first book I ever wrote, and it was a National Jewish Book Award Finalist. Writing this novel nearly tore me apart. I never felt I gave it the justice it deserved. This book is personal for me because this is my mother's story. Now, at last, I've taken the time to make The Last Daughter the book it was meant to be. I've rewritten, re-titled it, and given it a new beautiful cover. I poured my heart and soul into it, and now I send this book into the universe. As Kahlil Gibran wrote, "For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday. You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth. The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far."
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
November 14, 2021
“To forget the Holocaust—is to kill twice.” —Elie Wiesel
I have read countless novels, biographies, memoirs, nonfiction accounts, historical fiction and secondary accounts from witnesses and resistance fighters in WWII. I began listening when I first read The Diary of Ann Frank as a young girl and heard the spoken words of Holocaust survivor Helen Sperling, a survivor of Auschwitz, tell her story to my elementary school class. I listened when my grandfather told his stories of being an American soldier liberating Bergen-Belsen. No truer statement can be made than that of Mr. Weisel above.
The Last Daughter is an incredible story of hope and resilience. Dina Frydman is only 10 years old when the Nazis invade Poland and begin to change the world as she knows it. Her family is comfortably situated and her parents own a butchers shop serving both Jewish and Polish customers. They are well respected and have a close knit extended family. Their circumstances begin to change when the Germans invade Poland and the Jews are forced to separate into two Ghettos in their city. Dina and her parents and siblings move to the Glinice Ghetto, while the rest of her family are forced to live in the much larger and less well kept Walowa Street Ghetto. Through many circumstantial and coincidental situations, Dina is not with the rest of her family when they are taken from the Glinice Ghetto for extermination at Auschwitz. She survives with uncle and cousins until they too are transported. She is able to survive, by sheer strength of will and her belief that she will see her true love Natok again. Through heart wrenching and horrific experiences, she is able to persevere, never losing herself, though I believe she came very close. Once she was liberated, at the age of 15, she was reunited with Natok and other friends and family that had survived. She was given a choice to go to school in Germany and also to emigrate to another country. The hardest choice for her was to allow herself to become her own person and not marry Natok and move to Palestyne, where she would have to fight on for independence and the land they called their own. Dina was finally able to final happiness in America and as Mrs Sperling did, she shared her story so that no one ever forgot.
This novel touched me in so many ways. The fact that Dina’s daughter was writing her story for her mother was just an incredible act of love. It was beautifully done as a piece of historical fiction, yet there was just so much truth to it that it was very hard to write as fiction. I feel this may have been better as a memoir. Or told in first person. Hence the four stars. However, none of that takes away from the importance or the beauty of Dina and her message. Dina and all other survivors like her, are here to remind us that this happened. That this beautiful, innocent group of people were targeted for nothing more than the blood that ran in their veins and the way they chose to worship God. The survivors are here to tell us, over and over, so that this never happens again. I wish all people listened. I wish that all faiths and nationalities could abhor genocide and hatred and learn how to work together peacefully. But without the words of those who have known this suffering, without the voices of these survivors telling the world to STOP, NEVER FORGET, and without their example of resilience and hope in the face of incredible trauma and sacrifice, this will continue unchecked and unregarded. This is an unbelievable story with a beautiful ending for a beautiful and deserving soul. Everyone should read this story and pass on its message.
Baruch Hashem
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I have read countless novels, biographies, memoirs, nonfiction accounts, historical fiction and secondary accounts from witnesses and resistance fighters in WWII. I began listening when I first read The Diary of Ann Frank as a young girl and heard the spoken words of Holocaust survivor Helen Sperling, a survivor of Auschwitz, tell her story to my elementary school class. I listened when my grandfather told his stories of being an American soldier liberating Bergen-Belsen. No truer statement can be made than that of Mr. Weisel above.
The Last Daughter is an incredible story of hope and resilience. Dina Frydman is only 10 years old when the Nazis invade Poland and begin to change the world as she knows it. Her family is comfortably situated and her parents own a butchers shop serving both Jewish and Polish customers. They are well respected and have a close knit extended family. Their circumstances begin to change when the Germans invade Poland and the Jews are forced to separate into two Ghettos in their city. Dina and her parents and siblings move to the Glinice Ghetto, while the rest of her family are forced to live in the much larger and less well kept Walowa Street Ghetto. Through many circumstantial and coincidental situations, Dina is not with the rest of her family when they are taken from the Glinice Ghetto for extermination at Auschwitz. She survives with uncle and cousins until they too are transported. She is able to survive, by sheer strength of will and her belief that she will see her true love Natok again. Through heart wrenching and horrific experiences, she is able to persevere, never losing herself, though I believe she came very close. Once she was liberated, at the age of 15, she was reunited with Natok and other friends and family that had survived. She was given a choice to go to school in Germany and also to emigrate to another country. The hardest choice for her was to allow herself to become her own person and not marry Natok and move to Palestyne, where she would have to fight on for independence and the land they called their own. Dina was finally able to final happiness in America and as Mrs Sperling did, she shared her story so that no one ever forgot.
This novel touched me in so many ways. The fact that Dina’s daughter was writing her story for her mother was just an incredible act of love. It was beautifully done as a piece of historical fiction, yet there was just so much truth to it that it was very hard to write as fiction. I feel this may have been better as a memoir. Or told in first person. Hence the four stars. However, none of that takes away from the importance or the beauty of Dina and her message. Dina and all other survivors like her, are here to remind us that this happened. That this beautiful, innocent group of people were targeted for nothing more than the blood that ran in their veins and the way they chose to worship God. The survivors are here to tell us, over and over, so that this never happens again. I wish all people listened. I wish that all faiths and nationalities could abhor genocide and hatred and learn how to work together peacefully. But without the words of those who have known this suffering, without the voices of these survivors telling the world to STOP, NEVER FORGET, and without their example of resilience and hope in the face of incredible trauma and sacrifice, this will continue unchecked and unregarded. This is an unbelievable story with a beautiful ending for a beautiful and deserving soul. Everyone should read this story and pass on its message.
Baruch Hashem
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
March 4, 2022
This book I’m reading is about “The Last Daughter”, beautifully written book by Belle Ami. The author describes the young life of her mother Dinale, (Dina) through six years of torture, heartbreak, and courage. It is a remarkable, love, hope, and survival. She endured so many challenges in her young life and was the only family to have survived. She was only ten years old when Nazis invaded Radom, Poland. They evicted from home to resettle in the ghetto. Dina was relocated several times before she was sent to Auschwitz and she became tattooed with A-14569. She later went to Bergen Belsen camp and saw the Frank sisters. She was liberated by the Americans. I read all afternoon and I couldn’t put it down. The story was riveting read from the first sentence to the last sentence. It is easy to follow because it feels like a YA book for me.
April 21, 2022
Amazing Book Based on Truth
Dina,was a child of ten living in Poland with her loving family when the Nazis arrived there and took her father away.
She ,along with her mother,brother and sister were left.
They were soon moved to the Ghetto and her grandmother who lived with them went also.
Dina,was working one day when the Nazis,took the rest of her family along with many others on a train to a concentration camp.
A cousin was one who escaped and she and Dina became very close,although she was five yrs.older.
During the six yrs.of Nazi rule,Dina had many torturous jobs,was in several different death camps and lived a life, that millions died from.
She fell.in.love with a young man who was 16,when she was 13 and even though they were eventually separated, his memory of and his words of finding her,after the War ended, sustained her many days,when all she wanted was death.
The war eventually ended when she was at her final death camp and the American Soldiers came.She was 15.Her young boyfriend kept his word and did find her in this camp.
They both had much to tell each other and couldn't talk fast enough.He eventually asked her to marry him and go to Palestine, which had been their dream.
But fate stepped in and Dina had the opportunity to go to school, which is what she always wanted.
He did come and visit her several times at the school,but she finally had to tell him,she wouldn't marry him and go to Palestine. She ended up on a transport ship headed to the United States and that is where she would,finally call home.
This is a harrowing and horrific story,to read about what happened to the Jews during WWII and was considered the greatest Genocide in modern History.
It will definitely hold your attention
Dina,was a child of ten living in Poland with her loving family when the Nazis arrived there and took her father away.
She ,along with her mother,brother and sister were left.
They were soon moved to the Ghetto and her grandmother who lived with them went also.
Dina,was working one day when the Nazis,took the rest of her family along with many others on a train to a concentration camp.
A cousin was one who escaped and she and Dina became very close,although she was five yrs.older.
During the six yrs.of Nazi rule,Dina had many torturous jobs,was in several different death camps and lived a life, that millions died from.
She fell.in.love with a young man who was 16,when she was 13 and even though they were eventually separated, his memory of and his words of finding her,after the War ended, sustained her many days,when all she wanted was death.
The war eventually ended when she was at her final death camp and the American Soldiers came.She was 15.Her young boyfriend kept his word and did find her in this camp.
They both had much to tell each other and couldn't talk fast enough.He eventually asked her to marry him and go to Palestine, which had been their dream.
But fate stepped in and Dina had the opportunity to go to school, which is what she always wanted.
He did come and visit her several times at the school,but she finally had to tell him,she wouldn't marry him and go to Palestine. She ended up on a transport ship headed to the United States and that is where she would,finally call home.
This is a harrowing and horrific story,to read about what happened to the Jews during WWII and was considered the greatest Genocide in modern History.
It will definitely hold your attention
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 18, 2022
As an avid student of World War II, I was immediately mesmerized by this story of Dina Frydman who survived the horrendous onslaught of the Nazis. This brings to light the heart breaking loss of Dina’s family, friends and nearly her entire community. She survived unimaginable physical abuses and injuries for a child of 10 through 16 and witnessed atrocities that scarred her memories for life. The unusual circumstances that prevented her from being killed by the Nazis on multiple occasions suggested to me that she was meant to live and tell the story so that it cannot be forgotten.
Dina’s story is related to and written by her daughter with amazing detail and vividness. From joys as a child with her family and best friend, to the sights and sounds and fears of the Nazi invasion when a ten year old tries to understand hatred. Then the various Nazi-patrolled work details instead of school and playing with friends. And the horrors of intern camps - the dehumanization, the body breaking jobs, the starvation, disease and death, and all of it before Dina turned 16. We must never forget the possible horrors of man’s inhumanity toward men when others refuse to intervene.
I received a free copy of this book from BookSirens for my honest voluntary review. This story is so detailed that it provides a living witness to the atrocities suffered by the Jewish communities in World War II. I am thankful to Dina and her daughter for such an honest tale. We must never forget!
Dina’s story is related to and written by her daughter with amazing detail and vividness. From joys as a child with her family and best friend, to the sights and sounds and fears of the Nazi invasion when a ten year old tries to understand hatred. Then the various Nazi-patrolled work details instead of school and playing with friends. And the horrors of intern camps - the dehumanization, the body breaking jobs, the starvation, disease and death, and all of it before Dina turned 16. We must never forget the possible horrors of man’s inhumanity toward men when others refuse to intervene.
I received a free copy of this book from BookSirens for my honest voluntary review. This story is so detailed that it provides a living witness to the atrocities suffered by the Jewish communities in World War II. I am thankful to Dina and her daughter for such an honest tale. We must never forget!
June 25, 2021
Words cannot describe how I feel about how well this book is written. It captures the Holocaust in a way that grips your soul and never let’s go. I love Dina and the anguish she endured for six years. In her story, you feel it is humanized through the eyes of a living being trying to survive in the best way she can. This story is gripping, sickening but there is redemption. Dina finds caring and love and a new country and new life to live. I have read many stories of the Holocaust but none have ever been as emotionally touching and realistic. This author puts you there in the camps feeling everything and then nothing. Well done!
October 10, 2022
In the presence of eyes which witness the slaughter which saw the oppression the heart could not bear, we have taken an oath. To remember it all, to remember, not once to forget! Forget not one thing to the last generation! - Avraham Shlunsky, Israeli poet
This is a compelling true story based on the life of the author's mother – Dina Frydman – one of the youngest survivors of the Holocaust, and is a timeless story of courage and faith in the midst of horror. Belle Ami plunges deep into the narrative, taking the reader on this painful journey to show the realities of life in the Jewish ghettos and the utter loss of innocence, and the opening introduction from the Israeli poet defines the theme throughout – this is the author's oath to reveal and to not forget the scarring effects upon her own mother's life.
We, the survivors, must fight to live so that the world will know what took place here. You and I must live to remember and testify for those who have perished. The Nazis mean to soak the ground with our blood and annihilate us from the face of the earth. There can be no delusions among us. We are all that stands in the way of the extinction of an entire people. Help me find a reason to live. You are the youngest, and you are strong.
Dina Frydman is ten-years-old when the story opens, living an innocent life filled with laughter and love of her family in Radom Poland. Before long, and as the news continues to blast across Europe, Poland is invaded by the Nazis and Dina's life changes in a flash. Even as her family prepares for the worst, still there is the sense of innocence as they believe, as many during that time believed, that all of this will pass quickly and that, surely, nothing will come of Hitler's taunts.
But day by day, the grim realities set in, and the family is deported to the Glinice and Walowa ghettos where, once again, they attempt to settle into a “new normal”. Dina watches her family fall apart, her former strong mother disappearing into fragility, her father and sister sent to back-breaking work for the Nazis, and her little brother witnessing things no child should ever see. Still, Dina's resilience shines through as the war rages around them and as they see more and more of their friends and family claimed by death. The story follows her for six years, through the hellish gates of Auschwitz, the sorrowful sorting of clothes and belongings during her work with the AVI, and a near tragic incident which leaves her horribly scarred – and still, her smile and fortitude bring comfort to those around her.
I am a shadow of who I was. Daughter, sister, friend – these are descriptions that no longer hold meaning for me. My young, healthy body strains under the tasks assigned to me, but these burdens only seem to strengthen my physical and mental determination.
The days wear on in a repetition of conflicting contrasts, the beauty of burgeoning summer and the squalor of the disintegrating ghetto.
Belle Ami's book is a must-read, not only for the masterful prose but for the message behind this inspirational story. We hear her mother's voice, told in first person – someone who survived one of the most horrific attempted genocides in the history of the world – and the words reach deep into the reader's heart. There is a well-known phrase by Mark Twain which reads – 'Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities. Truth isn't.' – and never has this been more evident than in this story which reads more like fictionalized narrative than a true biography, which helps the reader to settle into the storyline. Not until the very end, in the author notes, does the reader come to learn that this is a true story, and the 'truth' brings tears to the reader's eyes. When you know that this is a real account straight from the author's mother, the words brand your heart with a hot iron. Ms Ami does a remarkable job of honoring the past and those of her family lost in the Holocaust, but while speaking the truth about the horrors witnessed by a young 10-year-old girl, the author frames the entire riveting story with hope, love, faith, and heroism. For fans of books like “Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl” or “Facing the Lion: Memoirs of a Young Girl in Nazi Europe” by Simone Arnold Liebster, then this is one to add to your list, and needs to be among the list for teachers teaching students about the Holocaust. Very highly recommended.
*****
“The Last Daughter” by Belle Ami receives five stars from The Historical Fiction Company and the “Highly Recommended” award of excellence.
This is a compelling true story based on the life of the author's mother – Dina Frydman – one of the youngest survivors of the Holocaust, and is a timeless story of courage and faith in the midst of horror. Belle Ami plunges deep into the narrative, taking the reader on this painful journey to show the realities of life in the Jewish ghettos and the utter loss of innocence, and the opening introduction from the Israeli poet defines the theme throughout – this is the author's oath to reveal and to not forget the scarring effects upon her own mother's life.
We, the survivors, must fight to live so that the world will know what took place here. You and I must live to remember and testify for those who have perished. The Nazis mean to soak the ground with our blood and annihilate us from the face of the earth. There can be no delusions among us. We are all that stands in the way of the extinction of an entire people. Help me find a reason to live. You are the youngest, and you are strong.
Dina Frydman is ten-years-old when the story opens, living an innocent life filled with laughter and love of her family in Radom Poland. Before long, and as the news continues to blast across Europe, Poland is invaded by the Nazis and Dina's life changes in a flash. Even as her family prepares for the worst, still there is the sense of innocence as they believe, as many during that time believed, that all of this will pass quickly and that, surely, nothing will come of Hitler's taunts.
But day by day, the grim realities set in, and the family is deported to the Glinice and Walowa ghettos where, once again, they attempt to settle into a “new normal”. Dina watches her family fall apart, her former strong mother disappearing into fragility, her father and sister sent to back-breaking work for the Nazis, and her little brother witnessing things no child should ever see. Still, Dina's resilience shines through as the war rages around them and as they see more and more of their friends and family claimed by death. The story follows her for six years, through the hellish gates of Auschwitz, the sorrowful sorting of clothes and belongings during her work with the AVI, and a near tragic incident which leaves her horribly scarred – and still, her smile and fortitude bring comfort to those around her.
I am a shadow of who I was. Daughter, sister, friend – these are descriptions that no longer hold meaning for me. My young, healthy body strains under the tasks assigned to me, but these burdens only seem to strengthen my physical and mental determination.
The days wear on in a repetition of conflicting contrasts, the beauty of burgeoning summer and the squalor of the disintegrating ghetto.
Belle Ami's book is a must-read, not only for the masterful prose but for the message behind this inspirational story. We hear her mother's voice, told in first person – someone who survived one of the most horrific attempted genocides in the history of the world – and the words reach deep into the reader's heart. There is a well-known phrase by Mark Twain which reads – 'Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities. Truth isn't.' – and never has this been more evident than in this story which reads more like fictionalized narrative than a true biography, which helps the reader to settle into the storyline. Not until the very end, in the author notes, does the reader come to learn that this is a true story, and the 'truth' brings tears to the reader's eyes. When you know that this is a real account straight from the author's mother, the words brand your heart with a hot iron. Ms Ami does a remarkable job of honoring the past and those of her family lost in the Holocaust, but while speaking the truth about the horrors witnessed by a young 10-year-old girl, the author frames the entire riveting story with hope, love, faith, and heroism. For fans of books like “Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl” or “Facing the Lion: Memoirs of a Young Girl in Nazi Europe” by Simone Arnold Liebster, then this is one to add to your list, and needs to be among the list for teachers teaching students about the Holocaust. Very highly recommended.
*****
“The Last Daughter” by Belle Ami receives five stars from The Historical Fiction Company and the “Highly Recommended” award of excellence.
August 1, 2022
It’s very well written and I didn’t want it to end. I kept wanting to know more, some of which is in the epilogue. Very important and meaningful to read, while also being horribly tragic and beautiful, heartbreaking and heart warming, sad and joyous, on and on. I would love to meet and talk with the writer and her mother.
August 4, 2021
The Last Daughter is a novel by Belle Ami. This book is a powerful story of the horror of the Holocaust. Belle Ami has written about her Polish mother, Dina Frydman, during WW2. This was a difficult book to read. Dina was only 10 years old when the Nazis invaded Poland. Beginning with her father, then the rest of her family were murdered by the Nazis. Dina was relocated several times before she was sent to Auschwitz and she became tattooed with A-14569. I cannot begin to understand how Dina felt as she lived through those 6 years. We must never forget. I received an arc for free and am leaving my review voluntarily.
September 24, 2022
Riveting
An unbelievable true story on how one girl survives from a happy childhood to a tortured existence by the Nazi’s, then an exhilarating future after being liberated by the Allies.
An unbelievable true story on how one girl survives from a happy childhood to a tortured existence by the Nazi’s, then an exhilarating future after being liberated by the Allies.
March 16, 2022
Unforgettable
Some books are hard to read, not because they are poorly written or lack substance, but because they make us weep at the atrocities of mankind.
Some books are hard to read, not because they are poorly written or lack substance, but because they make us weep at the atrocities of mankind.
January 18, 2022
The Last Daughter by Belle Ami is a beautifully written book that tells the story of her mother during the Holocaust and everything that she went thru during those years.
What makes this book stand up from other Holocaust recount books is first of all the way it is written, as a first person story but starting thru the eyes of a 10 year old girl, way beyond wise for her age, and ending as a sixteen year old with all the suffering she endured during those years.
Secondly, the attention to details, nothing was small enough to have missed being told in the book, to descriptions of foods, to how to milk a cow and to the big ones, beatings, shootings and killings.
And lastly, the story itself, how miraculously it is that Dina survived all the internment camps, extermination camps and everything in between.
This is a story of desperation, hardship, heartbreak but also of resilience, courage and love.
Powerful book not to miss.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
What makes this book stand up from other Holocaust recount books is first of all the way it is written, as a first person story but starting thru the eyes of a 10 year old girl, way beyond wise for her age, and ending as a sixteen year old with all the suffering she endured during those years.
Secondly, the attention to details, nothing was small enough to have missed being told in the book, to descriptions of foods, to how to milk a cow and to the big ones, beatings, shootings and killings.
And lastly, the story itself, how miraculously it is that Dina survived all the internment camps, extermination camps and everything in between.
This is a story of desperation, hardship, heartbreak but also of resilience, courage and love.
Powerful book not to miss.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
September 4, 2021
I am a huge fan of books set during WWII. I was thrilled that I was given the opportunity to read this book. What an amazing story of love, innocence, fear, emotion, pain, and new beginnings. The experiences Dina and her family have during the Holocaust will break your heart. Based on the life of the author’s mother, you will be touched deeply as you travel through the pages and endure life during such a traumatic time in history.
Thank you to BookSiren and Tema Merback for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.
Thank you to BookSiren and Tema Merback for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.
October 6, 2021
Wonderful book
Truly maybe the best Holoacaust book that I have read, and I have read dozens. This book is filled with such strong emotions and the love of a beautiful family. Dina was blessed of God to have survived no question about that.
Truly maybe the best Holoacaust book that I have read, and I have read dozens. This book is filled with such strong emotions and the love of a beautiful family. Dina was blessed of God to have survived no question about that.
September 23, 2021
The Last Daughter
By Belle Ami
Summary
Belle Ami’s book was inspired by her mother who survived the horrific Holocaust of the Nazi’s under Hitler. I believe it must have taken a lot of courage for Belle Ami to revisit that period of time and emerge herself in the joys and sufferings of her own mother and the Jews in order to write.
The setting is Radom, Poland 1939.
The story begins with Dina Frydman (Belle Ami’s mother) only 10, telling her story about living with her parents, young brother Abek, sister Nadja, age 16, and grandmother; her grandfather is deceased.
Her father owns a butcher shop in the Jewish community. Her mother is admired as a successful business woman in the community. The people living in this Jewish community are happy and united. They enjoy a simple life.
Quite often, the author uses Jewish words. For me, it meant some guessing. I am curious so I looked them up.
A foreshadowing of the downfall of the Jews in Poland is shared by Nadja in a poem she is reading and shares with Dina. Nadja explains her understanding of this forecast. It is a warning for the Jews to return to Palestine.
The inevitable happens. The Germans invade Poland and the life of Joel Freidman’s family is forever changed. Under the Nazi regime, family life is now diminished to home and a trip to market for food.
The greatest misery of all is not death; it is the eventual and eternal separation of family. The anguish of separation and the unknown is a grief likened unto a living death revealed through the only family survivor, Dina.
Alone under the Nazi Regime her friends keeps her strong. Her final days are lived at Auswitch, the Nazi Death Camp, and a final stay at Bergen-Belsen where pain and hunger are daily companions; humanity is lost. As Dina recovers from Typhoid, she is told the news the war has ended.
Review
Horrific tragedy can destroy the human spirit in a way that only a teardrop of hope remains.; Belle Ami has done an outstanding job of describing these emotions in her characters so the reader is able to feel the core of their soul.
As I read this recap of history, it seems very real and genuine. The author writes as though she had lived through it and not her mother. The author’s manner of dialogue conveys a warm familial love that is present throughout the story. I truly believe that being reminded of history is all about how it is presented and this book is exceptionally written.
The description of the bombing and chaos is surreal. The author emphasizes the word “fear” as though it is an unknown emotion that suddenly grips the hearts of the Jews as they embrace one another. Their faith is shaken but will prevail as seen throughout the book.
Belle Ami’s description of the blitz is vividly described and highly emotional as the Jews pull together in a magnificent bond of love. The persecutions of the Jewish people are described in detail and are unimaginable as they reveal “man’s inhumanity to man”.
Human emotions change as the humiliation of the Jews is felt deep in their soul. In-spite of change, it is the bond of love and hope that holds the Jews together. The characters speak from their soul; e.g.,” my guilt is caged inside me, and sometimes I feel as though I will suffocate from it”.
April 15, 1945 the war ends and Dina is free. A rebirth of life commences for all survivors but not without the scars.
"Five star"-- I would have given this rating if the author would have prolonged the German attack and devoted more time to life before the invasion. Also, a list of definitions of the Hebrew words used would have been helpful.
Reviewed By: Carol Smith, Author
By Belle Ami
Summary
Belle Ami’s book was inspired by her mother who survived the horrific Holocaust of the Nazi’s under Hitler. I believe it must have taken a lot of courage for Belle Ami to revisit that period of time and emerge herself in the joys and sufferings of her own mother and the Jews in order to write.
The setting is Radom, Poland 1939.
The story begins with Dina Frydman (Belle Ami’s mother) only 10, telling her story about living with her parents, young brother Abek, sister Nadja, age 16, and grandmother; her grandfather is deceased.
Her father owns a butcher shop in the Jewish community. Her mother is admired as a successful business woman in the community. The people living in this Jewish community are happy and united. They enjoy a simple life.
Quite often, the author uses Jewish words. For me, it meant some guessing. I am curious so I looked them up.
A foreshadowing of the downfall of the Jews in Poland is shared by Nadja in a poem she is reading and shares with Dina. Nadja explains her understanding of this forecast. It is a warning for the Jews to return to Palestine.
The inevitable happens. The Germans invade Poland and the life of Joel Freidman’s family is forever changed. Under the Nazi regime, family life is now diminished to home and a trip to market for food.
The greatest misery of all is not death; it is the eventual and eternal separation of family. The anguish of separation and the unknown is a grief likened unto a living death revealed through the only family survivor, Dina.
Alone under the Nazi Regime her friends keeps her strong. Her final days are lived at Auswitch, the Nazi Death Camp, and a final stay at Bergen-Belsen where pain and hunger are daily companions; humanity is lost. As Dina recovers from Typhoid, she is told the news the war has ended.
Review
Horrific tragedy can destroy the human spirit in a way that only a teardrop of hope remains.; Belle Ami has done an outstanding job of describing these emotions in her characters so the reader is able to feel the core of their soul.
As I read this recap of history, it seems very real and genuine. The author writes as though she had lived through it and not her mother. The author’s manner of dialogue conveys a warm familial love that is present throughout the story. I truly believe that being reminded of history is all about how it is presented and this book is exceptionally written.
The description of the bombing and chaos is surreal. The author emphasizes the word “fear” as though it is an unknown emotion that suddenly grips the hearts of the Jews as they embrace one another. Their faith is shaken but will prevail as seen throughout the book.
Belle Ami’s description of the blitz is vividly described and highly emotional as the Jews pull together in a magnificent bond of love. The persecutions of the Jewish people are described in detail and are unimaginable as they reveal “man’s inhumanity to man”.
Human emotions change as the humiliation of the Jews is felt deep in their soul. In-spite of change, it is the bond of love and hope that holds the Jews together. The characters speak from their soul; e.g.,” my guilt is caged inside me, and sometimes I feel as though I will suffocate from it”.
April 15, 1945 the war ends and Dina is free. A rebirth of life commences for all survivors but not without the scars.
"Five star"-- I would have given this rating if the author would have prolonged the German attack and devoted more time to life before the invasion. Also, a list of definitions of the Hebrew words used would have been helpful.
Reviewed By: Carol Smith, Author
July 7, 2021
Award winning author, Belle Ami, crafts a true story of courage, loss and endurance woven through the devastating strands of time and history. The harrowing tale of her mother’s real past starts from the tender age of ten.
The Last Daughter begins just before Hitler’s troops invade Poland. The author describes the young life of her mother, Dinale (Dina) through six years of torture, heartbreak, and courage.
Innocence, love, laughter, and curiosity are a great part of the Frydman family before the invasion. The ongoing discussions and concerns about growing anti-Semitism before the war build a sense of impending doom. The thoughts and actions of the characters as they are moved along like cattle portray an accurate depiction of the human psyche and lends credit to the author’s depiction of the travesty. Belle drives home how quickly things can be swept away and rights lost where happiness and freedom were once taken for granted.
Young, fragile, suddenly orphaned and living at the factory where she works, Dina makes her way through Nazi Poland and claws her way to a destiny she could never have fathomed. This compelling and poignant story, even in its tragic moments, is remarkable and heart lifting. It is amazing this Nazi survivor could endures so much at such a tender age. Luck, fait, the destiny to survive, Dina beats all odds and lives to tell the history of her ancestors and the atrocities of WWII. Today, she still stands in the face of evil, and her story will hopefully keep the vigilance of freedom alive. Shock, horror and devastation of a true account of one of the youngest holocaust survivors will keep you rapt in the story, but courage, determination and perseverance will encourage you to read until the very end. Belle’s portrayal of her mother’s history is a wonderful acknowledgement and gift to her mother and other survivors so that we can never forget. Don’t miss this captivating story, The Last Daughter.
The Last Daughter begins just before Hitler’s troops invade Poland. The author describes the young life of her mother, Dinale (Dina) through six years of torture, heartbreak, and courage.
Innocence, love, laughter, and curiosity are a great part of the Frydman family before the invasion. The ongoing discussions and concerns about growing anti-Semitism before the war build a sense of impending doom. The thoughts and actions of the characters as they are moved along like cattle portray an accurate depiction of the human psyche and lends credit to the author’s depiction of the travesty. Belle drives home how quickly things can be swept away and rights lost where happiness and freedom were once taken for granted.
Young, fragile, suddenly orphaned and living at the factory where she works, Dina makes her way through Nazi Poland and claws her way to a destiny she could never have fathomed. This compelling and poignant story, even in its tragic moments, is remarkable and heart lifting. It is amazing this Nazi survivor could endures so much at such a tender age. Luck, fait, the destiny to survive, Dina beats all odds and lives to tell the history of her ancestors and the atrocities of WWII. Today, she still stands in the face of evil, and her story will hopefully keep the vigilance of freedom alive. Shock, horror and devastation of a true account of one of the youngest holocaust survivors will keep you rapt in the story, but courage, determination and perseverance will encourage you to read until the very end. Belle’s portrayal of her mother’s history is a wonderful acknowledgement and gift to her mother and other survivors so that we can never forget. Don’t miss this captivating story, The Last Daughter.
November 8, 2021
The Last Daughter: Based on a true story of one girl’s courage in the face of evil is by Belle Ami. Belle Ami is the daughter of Dina Frydman Balbien and tells her mother’s story to show her unfailing bravery in the face of evil. She tells the story in such a way that we can imagine her mother’s stories coming alive and sharing with us Dina’s thoughts and feelings as she braves her way forward with her life. She shows how the essence of Dina’s inner self survived in spite of her circumstances.
The use of first person to tell the story really takes us back into the past. We learn Dina’s past and even her future from her dreams of her Grandfather. She truly believes that he visits her at night and gives her advice as well as warning her of things to come and what she needs to know. We get to know her relationships with her grandparents, her parents, and her siblings better this way that in any other viewpoint.
The use of her looking out her window at life as a young girl and later as a survivor gives a clear picture of her looking at life from a distance instead of being fully involved. It is a dreamlike view that could easily describe her memories of the past. The past is there; but now dream-like so we can imagine it did not exist; but beneath it all, Dina knows that it did.
It is a very good book and has a great deal of meaning below the surface even though it is technically a fiction book. She does base it on her mother’s life.
The use of first person to tell the story really takes us back into the past. We learn Dina’s past and even her future from her dreams of her Grandfather. She truly believes that he visits her at night and gives her advice as well as warning her of things to come and what she needs to know. We get to know her relationships with her grandparents, her parents, and her siblings better this way that in any other viewpoint.
The use of her looking out her window at life as a young girl and later as a survivor gives a clear picture of her looking at life from a distance instead of being fully involved. It is a dreamlike view that could easily describe her memories of the past. The past is there; but now dream-like so we can imagine it did not exist; but beneath it all, Dina knows that it did.
It is a very good book and has a great deal of meaning below the surface even though it is technically a fiction book. She does base it on her mother’s life.
July 23, 2021
Beautifully written! A touching and terrifying story of what happened during the holocaust.
This novel is based on the author’s mother who was the only survivor from her family.
The story took me into another time and place and I learned a lot about the Jewish way of life in Poland. Dina lived in a perfect childhood dream of a place until the war began.
Even though I knew that Dina had survived the Holocaust it was an extremely hard book to read because reading about her family, I grew to know them. To see so much love in a family and then see them destroyed was emotional and painful.
I agree with the author, it’s important we never forget.
This novel is based on the author’s mother who was the only survivor from her family.
The story took me into another time and place and I learned a lot about the Jewish way of life in Poland. Dina lived in a perfect childhood dream of a place until the war began.
Even though I knew that Dina had survived the Holocaust it was an extremely hard book to read because reading about her family, I grew to know them. To see so much love in a family and then see them destroyed was emotional and painful.
I agree with the author, it’s important we never forget.
August 9, 2021
This novel adequately and masterfully chronicles the life of Dina from the beginning of the Holocaust to liberation and beyond. It is a complex and engaging tale of heroism, sadness, happiness, joy, and eventually new beginnings. The author realistically tells the tale of the Holocaust through Dina. This is a must read for those seeking to learn more about the Holocaust and those who enjoy the stories of the many Holocaust heroes that were apart of that era. Never forget!
September 27, 2021
An inspiring tale of survival .... A tragic tale of loss!
I have read numerous books similar in their content, and they never fail to astound me with their horror, their sorrow, and yet the inspiration and bravery of those who fought and survived. This book is another of those gems. To me a book is good when the reader can feel the emotions expressed in the writing. I felt the writer's emotions.
I have read numerous books similar in their content, and they never fail to astound me with their horror, their sorrow, and yet the inspiration and bravery of those who fought and survived. This book is another of those gems. To me a book is good when the reader can feel the emotions expressed in the writing. I felt the writer's emotions.
April 22, 2022
Absolute phenomenal read!!
This book had me in such a grip of different emotions. The total devastation of the holocaust is terrible to try and imagine but the part in the book about how the Nazis forced the ghetto dwellers to hand over their pets knowing full well that they were probably going to be killed was too much for me. That alone would have broken me into thousands of pieces.
This book had me in such a grip of different emotions. The total devastation of the holocaust is terrible to try and imagine but the part in the book about how the Nazis forced the ghetto dwellers to hand over their pets knowing full well that they were probably going to be killed was too much for me. That alone would have broken me into thousands of pieces.
July 11, 2024
A MUST read!!
I was captivated by this writer's style before I finished the first page! Her vivid descriptions made each scene come alive in my mind almost as if watching a movie. Dina was a delightful child, and to see the photograph of her at the end of the book enchanted me. She truly was beautiful! I will be recommending this book to anyone and everyone else who enjoys reading as much as I do!
I was captivated by this writer's style before I finished the first page! Her vivid descriptions made each scene come alive in my mind almost as if watching a movie. Dina was a delightful child, and to see the photograph of her at the end of the book enchanted me. She truly was beautiful! I will be recommending this book to anyone and everyone else who enjoys reading as much as I do!
October 13, 2021
Survival
I am a avid reader of WW2 history, I gave this 5 stars as a spell binding historical fiction bringing the hatred of the Jewish people before our eyes as it was lived in this horrible war. we cannot stick our headq in sand this happened, we must remember. excellent read for those who like History.
I am a avid reader of WW2 history, I gave this 5 stars as a spell binding historical fiction bringing the hatred of the Jewish people before our eyes as it was lived in this horrible war. we cannot stick our headq in sand this happened, we must remember. excellent read for those who like History.
November 22, 2021
I was captivated from the beginning…I felt all the fears and small joys that Dina felt! The way the author described events in the book made me feel like I was right there, especially the part when the rumble of the tanks of the Germans are felt when they invaded the town. A true account of courage and the will to survive the most unimaginable situations at such a young age.
February 26, 2022
excellent makes you feel the pain, sorrow, and anguish shared with hope, love and joy
This book brought to life the horror of the nazi regime and all they did to harm and kill innocent people just for being Jewish. We can never forget yet I fear we are as so many want to silence anyone who disagrees with them. This is how Hitler began. Books like this keep the stories alive.
This book brought to life the horror of the nazi regime and all they did to harm and kill innocent people just for being Jewish. We can never forget yet I fear we are as so many want to silence anyone who disagrees with them. This is how Hitler began. Books like this keep the stories alive.
June 17, 2022
Very heart-wrenching
The hearts wrenching true story put on these pages brought me to tears of sadness, then finally joy. A must read story for anyone interested in the truth of the horrors of the holocaust.
This story is very well written, and I could not quit until it was finished.
The hearts wrenching true story put on these pages brought me to tears of sadness, then finally joy. A must read story for anyone interested in the truth of the horrors of the holocaust.
This story is very well written, and I could not quit until it was finished.
January 1, 2023
I always love WWII books. I am saddened by the horrific way humans can behave while at the same time I marvel at the resilience of the human spirit to survive. This book is a perfect example of these ideas. That said it is a story I’ve read before with little to no new view points. It’s the same painful and sad story I’ve read so many times before.
October 30, 2021
Amazing survival story
Dina's story was terrifying in it's truthfulness. I'm sure other survivors have similar experiences to tell but don't have a Belle Ami to put pen to paper and write their story.
Dina's story was terrifying in it's truthfulness. I'm sure other survivors have similar experiences to tell but don't have a Belle Ami to put pen to paper and write their story.
November 3, 2021
This was fiction but based on the true story of Ami’s mother, a young Jewish girl living in Radom, Poland during WWII and her harrowing story of survival in the ghetto and various concentration camps. Truly astounding account
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January 20, 2022A tough read
A story that needs repeating over and over again to ensure we never forget. The realistic description s were respectful of the people living through hell on earth, and difficult (emotionally] to read.
A story that needs repeating over and over again to ensure we never forget. The realistic description s were respectful of the people living through hell on earth, and difficult (emotionally] to read.
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