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A Point in Time #1
Naomi's Gift
A woman’s life-altering discovery after her mother’s death sheds light on the best and worst of humanity in this haunting short story by New York Times bestselling author Martha Hall Kelly.
After her mother’s passing, Aldona finds a tin filled with old letters from a prisoner at Ravensbrück, a women’s concentration camp in northern Germany. Amid the descriptions of daily deprivations and humiliations at the camp, she uncovers the heart-wrenching story of a small circle of women who risked their lives to hide a baby girl from the guards. Aldona is rocked to the core by this record of courage and sisterhood during one of the grimmest chapters of human history.
Martha Hall Kelly’s Naomi’s Gift is part of A Point in Time, a transporting collection of stories about the pivotal moments, past and present, that change lives. Read or listen to each immersive story in a single sitting.
After her mother’s passing, Aldona finds a tin filled with old letters from a prisoner at Ravensbrück, a women’s concentration camp in northern Germany. Amid the descriptions of daily deprivations and humiliations at the camp, she uncovers the heart-wrenching story of a small circle of women who risked their lives to hide a baby girl from the guards. Aldona is rocked to the core by this record of courage and sisterhood during one of the grimmest chapters of human history.
Martha Hall Kelly’s Naomi’s Gift is part of A Point in Time, a transporting collection of stories about the pivotal moments, past and present, that change lives. Read or listen to each immersive story in a single sitting.
53 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 28, 2022
1268 people are currently reading
3980 people want to read
About the author
Martha Hall Kelly
15 books8,229 followersMartha is still pinching herself after her debut novel LILAC GIRLS, about socialite Caroline Ferriday and her fight to help a group of concentration camp survivors, became an Instant NY Times bestseller in 2016 and went on to sell over two million copies. Once the paperback stayed on the NYT list for 54 weeks, and became published in fifty countries she wrote three more novels: LOST ROSES about Caroline's mother, SUNFLOWER SISTERS about her great grandmother, and THE GOLDEN DOVES about two best friends who unite to find a missing Nazi doctor. Martha's next book, which arrives summer 2025, is THE MARTHA'S VINEYARD BEACH AND BOOK CLUB about two sisters who turn the tide of the war with the help of their book club. Martha grew up in Massachusetts and now splits her time between Connecticut and New York City. You'll find more info about the incredible, true stories behind all of her books at her website: http://www.marthahallkelly.com, on Instagram: @marthahakkkelly, Facebook and on her ever-changing Pinterest page.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 282 reviews
December 26, 2022
Naomi's Gift (A Point in Time #1)
by Martha Hall Kelly (Author) narrated by Nina Yndis
I've already read three novels by Martha Hall Kelly and plan to read another book of hers soon. This short story has a connection to the upcoming book and this was a good time for me to listen to it. The phrase, "there is good news and there is bad news" is used in the story and I felt that phrase as I listened to this story. The bad news is the horror Ravensbrück, a women’s concentration camp in northern Germany. The good news is that the sacrifices of many allowed a few children to survive that horror.
Fictional Aldona uses the time of her mother's death to finally open a tin that her mother would never allow her to open. That tin contains words that free Aldona to be the person of her birth. I wish we could know what happens after this short story ends. I know there is a book in that story and I'd like to read it.
A Point in Time, a transporting collection of stories about the pivotal moments, past and present, that change lives. This has been a Kindle Unlimited audiobook selection.
by Martha Hall Kelly (Author) narrated by Nina Yndis
I've already read three novels by Martha Hall Kelly and plan to read another book of hers soon. This short story has a connection to the upcoming book and this was a good time for me to listen to it. The phrase, "there is good news and there is bad news" is used in the story and I felt that phrase as I listened to this story. The bad news is the horror Ravensbrück, a women’s concentration camp in northern Germany. The good news is that the sacrifices of many allowed a few children to survive that horror.
Fictional Aldona uses the time of her mother's death to finally open a tin that her mother would never allow her to open. That tin contains words that free Aldona to be the person of her birth. I wish we could know what happens after this short story ends. I know there is a book in that story and I'd like to read it.
A Point in Time, a transporting collection of stories about the pivotal moments, past and present, that change lives. This has been a Kindle Unlimited audiobook selection.
August 25, 2022
She has written about Ravensbruck before and about strong, courageous women, some of whom survived and some who didn’t. I loved Martha Hall Kelly’s Lilac Girls and the two books that follow in the series. This short story is equally as moving and meaningful. In letters to a new born baby, later named, a baby born of love and hope, a Jewish baby girl, born in a concentration camp . The letters accounting the story of her birth and the horrors of daily life there. I loved this story and the sweet touch of the flower theme once again with snowdrops. Thrilled to know she has a new novel to be published in 2023.
( One of Amazon Original Stories , A Point in Time Collection. All seven stories on kindle + the Audible are included with a Prime membership.)
( One of Amazon Original Stories , A Point in Time Collection. All seven stories on kindle + the Audible are included with a Prime membership.)
April 4, 2023
What a moving novella.
The story and writing were completely immersive. My eyes were NOT dry, more than once while reading this. I was on the edge of my seat wondering how this mystery was going to unfold.
I felt the author did a wonderful job utilizing old letters to formulate the story. A one hour read on KU and I feel it was worth every second.
The story and writing were completely immersive. My eyes were NOT dry, more than once while reading this. I was on the edge of my seat wondering how this mystery was going to unfold.
I felt the author did a wonderful job utilizing old letters to formulate the story. A one hour read on KU and I feel it was worth every second.
April 19, 2023
In a Nutshell: An emotional short story set in the WWII concentration camps and written mostly in epistolary format. Needed more at the end, but still a decent tale.
Story Synopsis:
Plusses:
✔ At 53 pages, this is a somewhat quick read. You can easily complete it in one setting.
✔ The epistolary format is put to good use here. Each letter expresses the writer’s emotions well.
✔ The historical story about the baby will warm your heart as well as leave you teary-eyed. I liked reading how the women banded together to do the best they could for the baby.
✔ The author’s note at the end reveals some more insights about the factual background.
Minuses:
❌ The story didn’t feel convincing. I can still get a pregnant woman getting away undetected in a concentration camp for 9 months because of the severe malnutrition, but to have the baby’s carers working all day with no Nazi discovering the baby even once? It felt exaggerated. I must also wonder how the prisoners had access to so much stationery in the camp.
❌ The two points where the story isn’t epistolary – the initial part before Aldona discovers the letters, and the ending after she completes the final letter – are very vague and hence disappointing. It is understandable why we cannot know more about what happened, but the time gap between the last letter and the post-war situation is too wide for us to fill in all the dots. I was left with many questions. Maybe the epistolary style was partly to blame – after a point, the letters from the past had to come to an end, and that’s where we also stop learning the story. A regular storytelling approach would have worked better in ensuring completeness.
❌ Aldona’s character isn’t at all developed, so it is tough to feel for her. Her decision at the end seems abrupt and even ungrateful.
Overall, a heartwarming yet tragic read that might work better for historical fiction readers who aren’t too nitpicky.
I have heard of Martha Hall Kelly’s prowess in historical fiction, so I will try out her full-length works before I pronounce any opinion on her writing. Some authors are just better at longer works of writing, so maybe short fiction isn’t her forte.
3.25 stars.
This story comes from the ‘A Point in Time’ collection, which is available for free to Amazon Prime subscribers.
———————————————
Connect with me through:
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Story Synopsis:
After her mother’s death, Aldona finds a tin filled with old letters. To her surprise, the letters are by some woman prisoner in Ravensbrück, a women’s concentration camp in northern Germany. Through the letters, Aldona discovers the story of how a baby girl was born to one of the women in the camp, and how all of them banded together to save the little one.
Most of the story comes to us in first person through the letters written to Aldona.
Plusses:
✔ At 53 pages, this is a somewhat quick read. You can easily complete it in one setting.
✔ The epistolary format is put to good use here. Each letter expresses the writer’s emotions well.
✔ The historical story about the baby will warm your heart as well as leave you teary-eyed. I liked reading how the women banded together to do the best they could for the baby.
✔ The author’s note at the end reveals some more insights about the factual background.
Minuses:
❌ The story didn’t feel convincing. I can still get a pregnant woman getting away undetected in a concentration camp for 9 months because of the severe malnutrition, but to have the baby’s carers working all day with no Nazi discovering the baby even once? It felt exaggerated. I must also wonder how the prisoners had access to so much stationery in the camp.
❌ The two points where the story isn’t epistolary – the initial part before Aldona discovers the letters, and the ending after she completes the final letter – are very vague and hence disappointing. It is understandable why we cannot know more about what happened, but the time gap between the last letter and the post-war situation is too wide for us to fill in all the dots. I was left with many questions. Maybe the epistolary style was partly to blame – after a point, the letters from the past had to come to an end, and that’s where we also stop learning the story. A regular storytelling approach would have worked better in ensuring completeness.
❌ Aldona’s character isn’t at all developed, so it is tough to feel for her. Her decision at the end seems abrupt and even ungrateful.
Overall, a heartwarming yet tragic read that might work better for historical fiction readers who aren’t too nitpicky.
I have heard of Martha Hall Kelly’s prowess in historical fiction, so I will try out her full-length works before I pronounce any opinion on her writing. Some authors are just better at longer works of writing, so maybe short fiction isn’t her forte.
3.25 stars.
This story comes from the ‘A Point in Time’ collection, which is available for free to Amazon Prime subscribers.
———————————————
Connect with me through:
My Blog | The StoryGraph | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
December 15, 2024
This author did such a great job with giving us so much in short form here with this story!
It is an emotional and heartwarming story about a woman and the baby she gives birth to while at the Ravensbruck concentration camp and the women who help keep her safe.
(One of Amazon Original Stories, A Point in Time Collection. All seven stories on Kindle and Audible are included with a Prime membership.)
It is an emotional and heartwarming story about a woman and the baby she gives birth to while at the Ravensbruck concentration camp and the women who help keep her safe.
(One of Amazon Original Stories, A Point in Time Collection. All seven stories on Kindle and Audible are included with a Prime membership.)
November 23, 2022
Born in a Nazi Labor Camp
What happens in a Nazi labor camp when a young woman realizes she is pregnant. The pregnancy occurred before she was taken. If this was found out the mother and baby could be gassed. What a sweet story - and sad - of a baby born in a labor camp. I found myself holding my breath wondering what would happen next.
What happens in a Nazi labor camp when a young woman realizes she is pregnant. The pregnancy occurred before she was taken. If this was found out the mother and baby could be gassed. What a sweet story - and sad - of a baby born in a labor camp. I found myself holding my breath wondering what would happen next.
August 31, 2022
A touching short story written as a series of letters detailing the birth of a child within a concentration camp, shortly before the war was expected to end. Although the horrors of day to day life were present as background, the main focus was on how a group of women helped and supported the pregnant mother as she hides her condition and the birth from captors.
August 21, 2022
Told in epistolary form, this devastating short story tells of a brave group of women in Ravensbrück during the Holocaust, women who risked their lives in hiding a newborn baby girl. As the number of survivors of Holocaust atrocities are dwindling, stories like this are important to keep the facts alive and to never forget.
January 13, 2023
A short but very powerful story
December 6, 2022
Naomi's Gift by Martha Hall Kelly (5 stars)-Phenomenal. You can figure out where Kelly is taking you, but I honestly was shocked at the the whole Holocaust camp for women/mothers/children. I keep thinking that there is nothing that could shock me at that point in time, but there still is. It just makes me even more sickened and upset that we have too many people doing the whole "I am just asking questions" crap about how the Holocaust must be or could be inaccurate. Too many records people. It's accurate and terrible we did these to our fellow human beings. Back to the story. We follow a 30 year old woman in the 1970s whose mother dies and she finds out her history is not what she thought/imagined. The ending leaves on a bit of hope. Just a bit though. I can guess what could have happened for her to be where she ended up.
April 3, 2023
Naomi's Gift is a very powerful story about a baby that was born in a WWII camp.
It shows how the love of 2 sisters and their friends saved the little girl's life in hard conditions of Ravensbrück, a women’s concentration camp in northern Germany.
Aldona was not told the story of her birth till she finds a tin with folded papers that are letters from her aunt to her.
It is hard to read about conditions in the camp during the war but letters are full of love and hope.
It is a good read for everyone.
It shows how the love of 2 sisters and their friends saved the little girl's life in hard conditions of Ravensbrück, a women’s concentration camp in northern Germany.
Aldona was not told the story of her birth till she finds a tin with folded papers that are letters from her aunt to her.
It is hard to read about conditions in the camp during the war but letters are full of love and hope.
It is a good read for everyone.
July 30, 2022
This short story by Martha Hall Kelly is mainly told through a series of letters from an aunt(who is in Ravensbruck concentration camp) to her niece. You find out a lot of the horrible details of what went on in these concentration camps.
I was really drawn into to this story by the beautiful writing of the author and even though it is a tough subject to read about, it is important to be reminded of this history.
Highly recommend this short story!!
I was really drawn into to this story by the beautiful writing of the author and even though it is a tough subject to read about, it is important to be reminded of this history.
Highly recommend this short story!!
November 24, 2022
I liked the way the epistolary style was written, but I didn't like the ending.
☆☆☆½
☆☆☆½
October 4, 2022
4.5 rounded up
Touching story.
Touching story.
April 23, 2023
Naomi’s Gift
By: Martha Hall Kelly
5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A child is a gift of unconditional love that brings joy to so many. This story is a series of letters from an aunt to her niece. The letters are written while they are in Ravensbrück.
The lengths the women will go through to save a baby. So many women where not allowed to keep their children.
After her mothers death Aldona opens a tin which contains letters. While her mother was alive she was not allowed to open the tin.
Will the letters help Aldona understand more about her mother? Will she discover what she endured in Ravensbrück or much more than she anticipated?
So glad I read this after The Golden Doves. The victims of Ravensbrück have endured physical and mental pain beyond imaginable.
#naomisgift, #marthahallkelly, #brillianceaudio, #friendsandfictionchallenge, #audiobook, #bookstagram, #bookreview, #booksconnectus, #stamperlady50
By: Martha Hall Kelly
5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A child is a gift of unconditional love that brings joy to so many. This story is a series of letters from an aunt to her niece. The letters are written while they are in Ravensbrück.
The lengths the women will go through to save a baby. So many women where not allowed to keep their children.
After her mothers death Aldona opens a tin which contains letters. While her mother was alive she was not allowed to open the tin.
Will the letters help Aldona understand more about her mother? Will she discover what she endured in Ravensbrück or much more than she anticipated?
So glad I read this after The Golden Doves. The victims of Ravensbrück have endured physical and mental pain beyond imaginable.
#naomisgift, #marthahallkelly, #brillianceaudio, #friendsandfictionchallenge, #audiobook, #bookstagram, #bookreview, #booksconnectus, #stamperlady50
August 4, 2023
Cool story bro, aber man hätte schon ein wenig mehr über KZs recherchieren können. Idk bestie, aber vielleicht sollten wir Konzentrationslager nicht romantisieren und die Gefangenen dort nicht als tugendhaft darstellen?
Und was ist das für ein Ende
Und was ist das für ein Ende
July 29, 2022
A birth of a child in a Nazi concentration camp..... eye opening... keep history alive. Never Forget!
July 28, 2022
Full review available at Elza Reads
From the pen of best selling author of The Lilac Girls, Martha Hall Kelly, comes a remarkable short story that will pull at your heart strings and just remind us again of a point in time where life was tormented by war and despair.
After the passing of her mother, a young woman discovers an old Royal Baking Powder tin containing a stack of letters curled tightly together.
"If found, please return these letters to 4th St, Apt 18, Bucharest, Romania"
Through the letters contained in the baking powder tin, Aldona, who always thought the difference between herself and her mother were quite severe, discovered her true identity and how love and friendship can bring hope and the will to survive in the harshest of circumstances.
Born in the concentration camp, Ravensbrück in Northern Germany, a couple of months before liberation, Aldona's chances for survival where limited to say the least. But through the determination of a group of women who risked their lives to keep the baby safe, she lives to read the story of her mother and the women who surrounded her.
Naomi's Gift is the first in a collection of seven historical stories from a number of acclaimed authors. These stories are perfect for a one-sitting read that will lingere in your heart and mind for days to come.
From the pen of best selling author of The Lilac Girls, Martha Hall Kelly, comes a remarkable short story that will pull at your heart strings and just remind us again of a point in time where life was tormented by war and despair.
After the passing of her mother, a young woman discovers an old Royal Baking Powder tin containing a stack of letters curled tightly together.
"If found, please return these letters to 4th St, Apt 18, Bucharest, Romania"
Through the letters contained in the baking powder tin, Aldona, who always thought the difference between herself and her mother were quite severe, discovered her true identity and how love and friendship can bring hope and the will to survive in the harshest of circumstances.
Born in the concentration camp, Ravensbrück in Northern Germany, a couple of months before liberation, Aldona's chances for survival where limited to say the least. But through the determination of a group of women who risked their lives to keep the baby safe, she lives to read the story of her mother and the women who surrounded her.
Naomi's Gift is the first in a collection of seven historical stories from a number of acclaimed authors. These stories are perfect for a one-sitting read that will lingere in your heart and mind for days to come.
August 26, 2022
A short story, but beautifully written.
August 9, 2022
Heartbreaking..
A short story, about war and survival in Germany, during the prison camps and unbearable conditions, I've read several books before about this era, and this one is sad and also, happy for survivors who stood strong.
A short story, about war and survival in Germany, during the prison camps and unbearable conditions, I've read several books before about this era, and this one is sad and also, happy for survivors who stood strong.
April 7, 2023
》From time to time I like to read something different from what fits into my genre and this book was a happy choice! 💝
》Naomi's Gift presents a dark episode of history and tells us the details we don't get the chance to learn in school. 😬 It (also) a story about self-knowledge, about discovering your roots, your origins and learning who you truly are by blood, nor by the stories you hear everywhere around you.🩸
》The title is very suggestive and is probably the best choice. 🥺 It's the key of understanding properly the plot. 🔑
》The first thing that caught my attention was that the characters are from Romania, such as I am. 🇷🇴 I had a chance to see my culture from a foreigner's eyes and it was a wonderful experience! 😌 I discovered some traditions I never heard of which is totally amazing yet frustrating. 😆 Because I'm not sure I could have written so beautifully about my own culture. 👀
》It was also the first time I read something where a character has the same name I do which was very interesting! 🤭 (Not the main one, though... 😅 Still looking for it. 🔍)
》The composition is very interesting, rare, pleasant... and the narrative techniques were so damn well chosen! 👏
》At first, I didn't understand who was who and I thought I missed something but a couple of pages later everything was clear and I learned that was just the hint of mystery that made the book even better! 🤌 It wasn't confusing at all and I loved how the narrative voice explained everything, even the unnecessary details. 🙏
》Each character has their own personality. ✨ They don't have many features because it's a short story but you can definitely see how different they are from each other through their actions and motives.
》Naomi's Gift presents a dark episode of history and tells us the details we don't get the chance to learn in school. 😬 It (also) a story about self-knowledge, about discovering your roots, your origins and learning who you truly are by blood, nor by the stories you hear everywhere around you.🩸
》The title is very suggestive and is probably the best choice. 🥺 It's the key of understanding properly the plot. 🔑
》The first thing that caught my attention was that the characters are from Romania, such as I am. 🇷🇴 I had a chance to see my culture from a foreigner's eyes and it was a wonderful experience! 😌 I discovered some traditions I never heard of which is totally amazing yet frustrating. 😆 Because I'm not sure I could have written so beautifully about my own culture. 👀
》It was also the first time I read something where a character has the same name I do which was very interesting! 🤭 (Not the main one, though... 😅 Still looking for it. 🔍)
》The composition is very interesting, rare, pleasant... and the narrative techniques were so damn well chosen! 👏
》At first, I didn't understand who was who and I thought I missed something but a couple of pages later everything was clear and I learned that was just the hint of mystery that made the book even better! 🤌 It wasn't confusing at all and I loved how the narrative voice explained everything, even the unnecessary details. 🙏
》Each character has their own personality. ✨ They don't have many features because it's a short story but you can definitely see how different they are from each other through their actions and motives.
August 22, 2022
A short story (1:31) told by a woman who was in a concentration camp along with her beloved pregnant sister. The story is epistolary, told in letters to the unborn baby. Lots of sadness, but there is also hope. Narration is great. Beautiful accent.
Title: Naomi's Gift by Martha Hall Kelly
Series: A Point in Time #1
Narrator: Nina Yndis
Length: 1 hour, 31 minutes
Publisher: Amazon Original Stories
Title: Naomi's Gift by Martha Hall Kelly
Series: A Point in Time #1
Narrator: Nina Yndis
Length: 1 hour, 31 minutes
Publisher: Amazon Original Stories
September 7, 2022
A poignant reminder of that horrible time during WWII.
A short story written like a diary recounting the trials these courageous women endured.
A short story written like a diary recounting the trials these courageous women endured.
August 31, 2022
A short story filled with love and heartache. To know such a time existed not that long ago is awful. Well written and worth the read.
August 30, 2022
beautiful, different, heartbreaking 🤍
August 26, 2022
I really liked this story.
I like the way the story was constructed.
I'm a historical fiction fan.
I like the way the story was constructed.
I'm a historical fiction fan.
August 21, 2022
Absolutely beautiful on audible!
August 6, 2022
Love, loyalty, and determination between sisters
This author never disappoints. The narrator performed magnificently! My plans are to search for more of her narrations. There was so much to love and admire about the females in this heart-wrenching story, as well as the precious baby. This was narrating and writing at the best. The characters and story will stay with me. My wish is that Audible continue to make more novellas available in the future.
This author never disappoints. The narrator performed magnificently! My plans are to search for more of her narrations. There was so much to love and admire about the females in this heart-wrenching story, as well as the precious baby. This was narrating and writing at the best. The characters and story will stay with me. My wish is that Audible continue to make more novellas available in the future.
July 28, 2022
Wow! Martha Hall Kelly does it again
Naomi’s Gift is heat breaking and heart warming. Martha Hall Kelly takes us back to Ravensbruck to tell us this wonderful story of 2 sisters and the community of women that support them through this terrible chapter in history.
This short story will have you wanting more! Well done Martha ❤️
Naomi’s Gift is heat breaking and heart warming. Martha Hall Kelly takes us back to Ravensbruck to tell us this wonderful story of 2 sisters and the community of women that support them through this terrible chapter in history.
This short story will have you wanting more! Well done Martha ❤️
July 28, 2022
This is a powerful story in a small package. It tells the story through a series of letters from an aunt to a baby born in a Nazi concentration camp. This is a story that everyone should read. I would give more than 5 stars if I could.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 282 reviews