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Červenovláska z Osvienčimu
Rosie vždy hovorili, že jej ryšavé vlasy sú prekliatím, no ona tomu nikdy neverila. Často snívala o tom, ako bude vyzerať v bielom závoji po boku muža svojich snov. Jej život sa však desivo mení v roku 1944, keď musí opustiť svoj domov a po strastiplných udalostiach končí na tom najhoršom mieste na celej zemi – v Osvienčime.
Hneď po príchode jej oholia hlavu a spolu so svojimi nádhernými vlasmi stráca aj život, ktorý tak milovala. Vo všetkom tom chaose a obklopená zúfalstvom si Rosie uvedomuje, že to jediné, čo jej nacisti nemôžu vziať, je jej duša plná neskrotnej červenovlasej húževnatosti. Keď všetky jej priateľky dospejú k záveru, že z Osvienčimu pôjdu do neba, ona trvá na tom, že pôjde domov. A tak zbiera všetku svoju odvahu, vďaka ktorej sa jej to aj napriek koncentračným táborom a pochodom smrti podarí.
Tento životopis ovenčený víťazstvom napísala jej vnučka Nechama Birnbaum.
Je plný života i smrti. Je o úskaliach židovskej kultúry, ktorá žije dodnes, a o láskyplných zážitkoch, ktoré prežíva každý z nás. Je o rodine, dospievaní a prvej láske. Je to oslavný príbeh viery v samu seba bez ohľadu na to, čo prináša život. Je to príbeh o malom ryšavom dievčatku, ktoré verilo, že to zvládne. Je to tá najkrajšia kniha, ktorú ste kedy čítali.
Hneď po príchode jej oholia hlavu a spolu so svojimi nádhernými vlasmi stráca aj život, ktorý tak milovala. Vo všetkom tom chaose a obklopená zúfalstvom si Rosie uvedomuje, že to jediné, čo jej nacisti nemôžu vziať, je jej duša plná neskrotnej červenovlasej húževnatosti. Keď všetky jej priateľky dospejú k záveru, že z Osvienčimu pôjdu do neba, ona trvá na tom, že pôjde domov. A tak zbiera všetku svoju odvahu, vďaka ktorej sa jej to aj napriek koncentračným táborom a pochodom smrti podarí.
Tento životopis ovenčený víťazstvom napísala jej vnučka Nechama Birnbaum.
Je plný života i smrti. Je o úskaliach židovskej kultúry, ktorá žije dodnes, a o láskyplných zážitkoch, ktoré prežíva každý z nás. Je o rodine, dospievaní a prvej láske. Je to oslavný príbeh viery v samu seba bez ohľadu na to, čo prináša život. Je to príbeh o malom ryšavom dievčatku, ktoré verilo, že to zvládne. Je to tá najkrajšia kniha, ktorú ste kedy čítali.
328 pages, Hardcover
First published November 21, 2021
2177 people are currently reading
32896 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 962 reviews
February 6, 2022
This was a tear jerker! Rosie’s true story is one I’ll never forget. Heart breaking and beautiful story of resilience and courage that we must never forget. Rosie along with her sister and millions of others were put in concentration camps by Nazis to be abused, forced to work in conditions we can’t imagine, used as medical experiments, beaten, starved, and so many unimaginable things including murdered because they were Jewish. As Rosie and her sister end up at Auschwitz her fight to live begins. As she watched so many people die every day from sickness or being murdered she fights to live on and tries to help others. It truly makes me wonder how she found the strength and the will to live. Her saying “I am going home” to herself as a reminder constantly to give herself hope really stuck with me. While by many miracles she was one of the survivors is astonishing after reading everything she endured. Im so glad she did and that her story is with us as a reminder to us all. I most love Rosie’s spirit and soul after reading this. She says “They can take everything from you, but they can’t take away what is in your head.” Let’s not forget this. I highly recommend this to everyone even those who are not fans of reading history.
Read
July 8, 2023As part of my review considerations, I will not be giving this book a star rating. I cannot judge the holocaust. I may write a review, in which case my opinions will be included.
October 23, 2021
I was sent an advanced copy of this book, but I am now pre-ordering a hard copy, that is the impact it has made. The book is the true story of Rosie's first person account told to and written by her Granddaughter. I have followed 'The Redhead of Auschwitz' on Instagram, and heard this remarkable woman speak so as I read I could hear her voice telling her story. Beautifully written, but at times so difficult to read that I had to pause. The bravery that this young woman had, determined that 'I will go home,' is nothing short of amazing. It is a story of strength and grace in the midst of the most horrible of inhumanity and brutality. All the more impactful because it was not a novel about a character created by an author, but the true telling of a survivor. Read the book, follow her on Instagram and hear her message of hope for us all to do better.
January 28, 2023
I think I'd enjoy the book a lot more if I had read it myself. The audible reader had a very high pitch and screechy voice for some of her characters. The author's note was beautiful.
Six word: Sisters in Auschwitz strength survival story.
Six word: Sisters in Auschwitz strength survival story.
January 18, 2022
Rounded to 4.5 stars.
I received a copy of this book from Amsterdam Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
I’ve made a commitment to reading more nonfiction this year, and while I never enjoy reading biographies or memoirs about the Holocaust, it’s something I feel obligated to do. I’ve mentioned in other reviews that my father was a Holocaust survivor, and he often read other memoirs. He frequently mentioned how important it was to read these stories and share them, especially because we are the last generation who will be able to get in contact with these survivors. My father made it a personal mission to speak publicly about his own experiences every chance he got. I first became aware of this book through social media, which is a fabulous use of technology to share stories to an even broader audience. And I’m especially grateful to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book.
As many of these books that I’ve read, no two are alike. Each person has their own unique story of survival, and each one is a miracle. Rosie’s story is no different, and reading it and talking about it feels like my own way of honoring her life and ongoing legacy. She’s an incredible woman, and I loved her right from the start. She’s strong-willed, stubborn, and loyal, even as a child, and while she had some mischievous tendencies, it made her even more relatable and likable.
The chapters alternate between her younger years and her time during the Holocaust, when she was in her late teens. Despite her father dying when she was young, growing up poor, and experiencing some losses, her childhood was full of happy memories and love. It’s a stark contrast to being torn away from her family and uprooted to what basically amounted to Hell — first a ghetto where she was forced to work while being starved, and then to Auschwitz. But through it all, she never lost her fierce sense of determination and hope. That, more than anything, speaks to an immense inner strength. The Nazi system was designed to dehumanize and break people down, but Rosie never succumbed to it. She is a survivor in every single sense of the word.
“All destruction comes from thinking about others as different from you. To be cruel to someone, you cannot think of them as yourself. So, we make them a stranger in our eyes. As if we don’t all have the same blood in our veins, as if we don’t breathe the same air. No one can be cruel unless they really view someone as different but that rips the world apart.”
For this book, I chose not to include content warnings, because I’m guessing that if you decide to read this, you’re already aware of what you’re in for. It’s brutal and heartbreaking, and full of loss and pain. But even through all of that, it’s full of beauty and hope and love as well. Even in the darkest times, Rosie found ways to let her inner self shine through. She never gave up hope that she’d be able to go home, even when everyone around her despaired.
“‘Be realistic, Rosie, I don’t think anyone goes home from here. It won’t be a bad thing to die, you know that.’
‘I am going home!’ I almost yell. And then I lower my voice. ‘Leah, we are going home from here.’ They look at me as if I am crazy. But I know, I am going home from here.”
Even when they were forced to get numbers tattooed on their arm, Rosie was still focused on her ultimate goal of going home. Rather than staying on the line where the tattooer was nervous and giving out large, uneven numbers, she risks everything to switch lines:
“I look over at the prisoner girl at the next table. She seems calmer. She does not look at the girl in line in the eye, but she gently pushes her sleeve up and slowly writes small and even numbers. Her arm looks much prettier than the other one. I am not having those big numbers on my arm. Without thinking, I run to the line next to me. An officer shouts but no one shoots.”
While Rosie does survive and thrive, the effects of the Holocaust never truly go away. Her story does have a successful resolution, but as always, it’s still tinged with pain. I can absolutely relate to this — my father struggled every single day with the influences of the handful of years that he experienced, and they colored the rest of his long life. Rosie, and all the other survivors dealt with this as well:
“She did not have an easy life, or a happily ever after, even when she got home. The Holocaust ruined many more years than the one year she lived through. There were nightmares and trauma, and irreparably shattered people. As immigrants, they struggled to find themselves, to restore their culture, and to make a living. My grandmother fought paranoia for her entire life, and my grandfather was racked with guilt because he survived while his family didn’t.”
This is such a moving and personal story, and I’m incredibly grateful to this family for sharing their own personal tale with the world. At the end, Nechama, Rosie’s granddaughter shares her own thoughts about writing this story, and how her grandmother feels about it. And the important thing to remember is that the Holocaust wasn’t just caused by one person. It was caused by a society, and it isn’t distant history. It hasn’t even been 80 years since this occurred, and it’s especially important to learn our lessons from the past, before we find ourselves in the same position we once swore to never let happen again.
“Evil does not only happen when a person is abnormally bad. Evil happens when good people do not see the good in other people. Evil happens when we judge each other. Evil happens when we put ourselves higher than others. Evil happens when we stand by someone else’s evil and do not speak up.”
I received a copy of this book from Amsterdam Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
I’ve made a commitment to reading more nonfiction this year, and while I never enjoy reading biographies or memoirs about the Holocaust, it’s something I feel obligated to do. I’ve mentioned in other reviews that my father was a Holocaust survivor, and he often read other memoirs. He frequently mentioned how important it was to read these stories and share them, especially because we are the last generation who will be able to get in contact with these survivors. My father made it a personal mission to speak publicly about his own experiences every chance he got. I first became aware of this book through social media, which is a fabulous use of technology to share stories to an even broader audience. And I’m especially grateful to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book.
As many of these books that I’ve read, no two are alike. Each person has their own unique story of survival, and each one is a miracle. Rosie’s story is no different, and reading it and talking about it feels like my own way of honoring her life and ongoing legacy. She’s an incredible woman, and I loved her right from the start. She’s strong-willed, stubborn, and loyal, even as a child, and while she had some mischievous tendencies, it made her even more relatable and likable.
The chapters alternate between her younger years and her time during the Holocaust, when she was in her late teens. Despite her father dying when she was young, growing up poor, and experiencing some losses, her childhood was full of happy memories and love. It’s a stark contrast to being torn away from her family and uprooted to what basically amounted to Hell — first a ghetto where she was forced to work while being starved, and then to Auschwitz. But through it all, she never lost her fierce sense of determination and hope. That, more than anything, speaks to an immense inner strength. The Nazi system was designed to dehumanize and break people down, but Rosie never succumbed to it. She is a survivor in every single sense of the word.
“All destruction comes from thinking about others as different from you. To be cruel to someone, you cannot think of them as yourself. So, we make them a stranger in our eyes. As if we don’t all have the same blood in our veins, as if we don’t breathe the same air. No one can be cruel unless they really view someone as different but that rips the world apart.”
For this book, I chose not to include content warnings, because I’m guessing that if you decide to read this, you’re already aware of what you’re in for. It’s brutal and heartbreaking, and full of loss and pain. But even through all of that, it’s full of beauty and hope and love as well. Even in the darkest times, Rosie found ways to let her inner self shine through. She never gave up hope that she’d be able to go home, even when everyone around her despaired.
“‘Be realistic, Rosie, I don’t think anyone goes home from here. It won’t be a bad thing to die, you know that.’
‘I am going home!’ I almost yell. And then I lower my voice. ‘Leah, we are going home from here.’ They look at me as if I am crazy. But I know, I am going home from here.”
Even when they were forced to get numbers tattooed on their arm, Rosie was still focused on her ultimate goal of going home. Rather than staying on the line where the tattooer was nervous and giving out large, uneven numbers, she risks everything to switch lines:
“I look over at the prisoner girl at the next table. She seems calmer. She does not look at the girl in line in the eye, but she gently pushes her sleeve up and slowly writes small and even numbers. Her arm looks much prettier than the other one. I am not having those big numbers on my arm. Without thinking, I run to the line next to me. An officer shouts but no one shoots.”
While Rosie does survive and thrive, the effects of the Holocaust never truly go away. Her story does have a successful resolution, but as always, it’s still tinged with pain. I can absolutely relate to this — my father struggled every single day with the influences of the handful of years that he experienced, and they colored the rest of his long life. Rosie, and all the other survivors dealt with this as well:
“She did not have an easy life, or a happily ever after, even when she got home. The Holocaust ruined many more years than the one year she lived through. There were nightmares and trauma, and irreparably shattered people. As immigrants, they struggled to find themselves, to restore their culture, and to make a living. My grandmother fought paranoia for her entire life, and my grandfather was racked with guilt because he survived while his family didn’t.”
This is such a moving and personal story, and I’m incredibly grateful to this family for sharing their own personal tale with the world. At the end, Nechama, Rosie’s granddaughter shares her own thoughts about writing this story, and how her grandmother feels about it. And the important thing to remember is that the Holocaust wasn’t just caused by one person. It was caused by a society, and it isn’t distant history. It hasn’t even been 80 years since this occurred, and it’s especially important to learn our lessons from the past, before we find ourselves in the same position we once swore to never let happen again.
“Evil does not only happen when a person is abnormally bad. Evil happens when good people do not see the good in other people. Evil happens when we judge each other. Evil happens when we put ourselves higher than others. Evil happens when we stand by someone else’s evil and do not speak up.”
November 20, 2021
The Redhead of Auschwitz by Nechama Birnbaum. Thanks to @amsterdampublishing for the gifted book ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Nechama tells us the true story of her grandmother’s childhood and time in World War 2 concentration camps.
This was a difficult read but enthralling. I finished in one day. I could not put this book down. There were short chapters about Rosie’s childhood before the war started which showed her history. The reader really gets to know the family and feels for her all along the way.
“No one ever cared that I was Jewish. I spent my childhood in this very square, meeting friends and shopping for Mama. It has always been my home, but in an instant, it has turned into something else. Something I can’t even recognize.”
The Redhead of Auschwitz comes out 11/28.
Nechama tells us the true story of her grandmother’s childhood and time in World War 2 concentration camps.
This was a difficult read but enthralling. I finished in one day. I could not put this book down. There were short chapters about Rosie’s childhood before the war started which showed her history. The reader really gets to know the family and feels for her all along the way.
“No one ever cared that I was Jewish. I spent my childhood in this very square, meeting friends and shopping for Mama. It has always been my home, but in an instant, it has turned into something else. Something I can’t even recognize.”
The Redhead of Auschwitz comes out 11/28.
February 4, 2022
Great read
This book was great. The only thing I didn't particularly enjoy was that every other chapter was a flashback to her youth. I understand why it was done that way but it threw me off a bit.
This book was great. The only thing I didn't particularly enjoy was that every other chapter was a flashback to her youth. I understand why it was done that way but it threw me off a bit.
December 6, 2021
I recently saw a post on Instagram about a historical fiction book set in the Nazi concentration/extermination camp Auschwitz – the post said she “loved books about WW2 and Auschwitz”. Oof. That really turned my stomach. It would be one thing if she said she loved learning about this history, but it struck me as her loving “trauma porn”.
I understand that many readers don’t like nonfiction so they may only learn about the Holocaust from reading historical fiction. I recently had a discussion with some descendants of Holocaust survivors who said that they do not believe anyone should learn about it from fictionalized accounts. I can understand that perspective. I do wish more people read first-hand or well-researched nonfiction accounts of the atrocities of WW2 and the Holocaust.
The Redhead of Auschwitz, written by Nechama Birnbaum, the granddaughter of a Holocaust survivor, is a timely nonfiction release as a shocking number of people worldwide do not know about the Holocaust or they diminish its devastation, or they actually deny that it happened!
Birnbaum beautifully juxtaposes snippets of her grandmother’s life before she was ripped from it and sent to Auschwitz with the time of her life spent in the concentration camps. The horrors she witnessed and endured are beyond upsetting but it is essential for us to hear these stories to understand why we say Never Again.
Thank you to @amsterdam_publishers for gifting me a copy of this book. I highly recommend checking out this publisher as they specialize in Holocaust memoirs, WW2 and biographies about survivors.
I understand that many readers don’t like nonfiction so they may only learn about the Holocaust from reading historical fiction. I recently had a discussion with some descendants of Holocaust survivors who said that they do not believe anyone should learn about it from fictionalized accounts. I can understand that perspective. I do wish more people read first-hand or well-researched nonfiction accounts of the atrocities of WW2 and the Holocaust.
The Redhead of Auschwitz, written by Nechama Birnbaum, the granddaughter of a Holocaust survivor, is a timely nonfiction release as a shocking number of people worldwide do not know about the Holocaust or they diminish its devastation, or they actually deny that it happened!
Birnbaum beautifully juxtaposes snippets of her grandmother’s life before she was ripped from it and sent to Auschwitz with the time of her life spent in the concentration camps. The horrors she witnessed and endured are beyond upsetting but it is essential for us to hear these stories to understand why we say Never Again.
Thank you to @amsterdam_publishers for gifting me a copy of this book. I highly recommend checking out this publisher as they specialize in Holocaust memoirs, WW2 and biographies about survivors.
April 6, 2022
As soon as I closed this book, I balled my eyes out. I so appreciated this story and I think everyone should read it. I really cherished Rosie’s child-like spirit while also being courageous as hell. She’s also taught me a lot about faith.
I also found this book was also the perfect length. I know this topic can be really lengthy (understandably), but the author just gets to the point and it made for a super easy read. I think every WW2 book I have read (fiction/non-fiction) is really drawn out, and honestly, it’s a hard topic to have drag on. So I appreciated how fast this book moved.
I also found this book was also the perfect length. I know this topic can be really lengthy (understandably), but the author just gets to the point and it made for a super easy read. I think every WW2 book I have read (fiction/non-fiction) is really drawn out, and honestly, it’s a hard topic to have drag on. So I appreciated how fast this book moved.
August 22, 2022
Finally, I got to finish reading the book which is called “The Redhead of Auschwitz“ written by Nechama Birnnaum. She wrote the book in honour of her grandmother, Rosie’s life growing up in Crasna, Romania. She was able to write in her voice of her grandmother’s experiences. I must say her story is even more mind blowing, captivating, a moving and heart- wrenching book. She promised herself she would go home. As a result, she’s survived with a great legacy of 5
Children, 28 grandchildren, 120 great grandchildren and 7 great, great grandchildren.
Children, 28 grandchildren, 120 great grandchildren and 7 great, great grandchildren.
December 10, 2021
Once I started reading this book I couldn't put it down, I finished it in two nights!
"The Redhead of Auschwitz" is a book that breaks your heart and gives you hope at the same time. I was amazed of her strenght and coolheadedness on a place where losing yourself is the easiest thing; while going through the story it reminds you how evil the human can be, and at the same time, that kindness can shine even in the darkest places.
"The Redhead of Auschwitz" is a book that breaks your heart and gives you hope at the same time. I was amazed of her strenght and coolheadedness on a place where losing yourself is the easiest thing; while going through the story it reminds you how evil the human can be, and at the same time, that kindness can shine even in the darkest places.
June 27, 2024
Ive read well over a 100 books on different concentration camps and experiences and this is the most difficult book I’ve ever read because of the true memories and the horror of the treatment the Jews received from the SS men and women soldiers. Exceptionally inspirational and sobering.
April 12, 2023
Prachtig boek.
Dit boek gaat niet alleen over een holocaustoverlevenden, het gaat over liefde, dood, huwelijk, familie en volwassen worden.
Dit boek gaat niet alleen over een holocaustoverlevenden, het gaat over liefde, dood, huwelijk, familie en volwassen worden.
December 30, 2024
3.5*
The truth of this story and the author’s note at the end are five stars for me. Some of the writing choices and the reader of the audiobook were not my favorite.
Excerpts:
As I write this now, the redhead who promised herself that she would be going home has five children, 28 grandchildren, 120 great grandchildren, and seven great great grandchildren. Each one of these children is a world in themselves. Each one loves and has revelations of their own. For each, it is as if the world was created just for them. If you are reading this now, if you are listening to us now, you are alive, and for you too, the world was created for you alone. all the beauty of the world was created just for you. and for each one of us.
Above all, I’m grateful to God for letting us live this beautiful life. Because while there is hardship, pain, and sadness, there’s also beauty, happiness, and love. we cannot always prevent the bad, but we also cannot let it overshadow the good.
The truth of this story and the author’s note at the end are five stars for me. Some of the writing choices and the reader of the audiobook were not my favorite.
Excerpts:
As I write this now, the redhead who promised herself that she would be going home has five children, 28 grandchildren, 120 great grandchildren, and seven great great grandchildren. Each one of these children is a world in themselves. Each one loves and has revelations of their own. For each, it is as if the world was created just for them. If you are reading this now, if you are listening to us now, you are alive, and for you too, the world was created for you alone. all the beauty of the world was created just for you. and for each one of us.
Above all, I’m grateful to God for letting us live this beautiful life. Because while there is hardship, pain, and sadness, there’s also beauty, happiness, and love. we cannot always prevent the bad, but we also cannot let it overshadow the good.
March 2, 2022
After blogging about books on and off for a long while, I rarely post reviews for books these days. I find that there is never enough space to say what I want to. But I could not not write something here. The Redhead of Auschwitz is one of the most powerful books I've ever read. Rosie's story. There are no words to express how moved I was by it. How much pain I felt. How much joy. All of it. We're truly blessed to have her story available to us. Please consider reading this book. You will not regret it. Thank you, Rosie (and you, too, Nechama) for giving us permission to peek in on your life, all aspects of it, the laughter, the love, and the loss.
January 17, 2023
I’m always fascinated with WWII books and stories. This story was difficult at times, but over all was not the best WWII book I’ve read. It just didn’t “grab me”. I didn’t like the notes at the back of the book I wish they were footnotes instead . It was frustrating having to flip to the back of the book to find definitions. This book is classified as YA and it would be appropriate for middle schoolers ( there are some examples of groping).
May 12, 2023
A very harrowing story. It follows Rosie and her sister Leah, Jewish girls, during their capture and incredibly torturous stay under Nazi hands during the war.
The sheer brutality and hatred of the 6 million dead Jews is just so hard for me to comprehend! How do humans do this to each other!! This is a story of survival of these girls and the hundreds of Jewish girls captured with these 2 sisters.
Another book I couldn’t put down.
The sheer brutality and hatred of the 6 million dead Jews is just so hard for me to comprehend! How do humans do this to each other!! This is a story of survival of these girls and the hundreds of Jewish girls captured with these 2 sisters.
Another book I couldn’t put down.
January 28, 2024
Leitura comovente, uma narrativa que parecem folhas soltas de um diário, intercalados entre os momentos felizes e as atrocidades cometidas pelo ser humano, esta é a história de Rosie, pela sua neta em honra das suas memórias, o seu sonho era que a história fosse conhecida. Um livro carregado de emoções,sensações, medos,uma verdadeira história. Desde pequena que ouvia dizer que a cor do seu cabelo era o peso a pagar de uma maldição, para Rosie a cor do seu cabelo era a marca e homenagem ao pai que já tinha perdido vida.
Uma família feliz que de um dia para o outro deixa a paz e conhece o inferno.
Aos poucos todos os sobreviventes do maior genocídio alguma vez vivido vão perdendo a vida,restam estes pedaços de memória para avivar o que não se pode esquecer e sobretudo sobre não permitir que volte a acontecer.
Recomendo para quem gosta de ler não ficção.
🙂❤
Uma família feliz que de um dia para o outro deixa a paz e conhece o inferno.
Aos poucos todos os sobreviventes do maior genocídio alguma vez vivido vão perdendo a vida,restam estes pedaços de memória para avivar o que não se pode esquecer e sobretudo sobre não permitir que volte a acontecer.
Recomendo para quem gosta de ler não ficção.
🙂❤
June 25, 2025
This was so well done. The author switching between perspective at Auschwitz and then back to her childhood highlighted how tragically these people were ripped from their lives ❤️🩹 highly recommend
July 12, 2025
Wow, such a moving story. It is hard to hear because it is a true story and the things they endured were truly awful. But the grit and perspective they give are moving. I really liked the book but didn’t love the voice of audiobook I listened to. I think it would have been better just to read it than to listen to it.
July 9, 2025
Am pierdut șirul titlurilor care abordează tema Holocaustului. Mărturiile supraviețuitorilor lagărelor de concentrare sunt copleșitoare. Și mi s-a confirmat, nu doar că am impresia, că oricât de mult aș citi, nu e niciodată de ajuns. Chiar dacă aceleași atrocități s-au petrecut în cazul multor oameni, fiecare le-a simțit altfel, fiecare a fost marcat în felul său, unic și sfâșietor.
De fiecare dată mi-e greu să parcurg o astfel de poveste. Și totuși, simt o atracție profundă pentru ele. Poate am mai spus asta, dar o repet: nu mai e vorba că mă surprind întâmplările — le cunosc. Și totuși, mă surprind. Mă dor. Mă zdruncină. Mă lasă fără aer. Și nu-mi pot imagina de unde și-au găsit acei oameni puterea de a merge mai departe. De a păstra o fărâmă de speranță în mijlocul iadului. Când întregul scop al acelui loc era să te nimicească. Să te dezumanizeze. Să-ți ucidă viața din interior.
Povestea lui Rozi, fata cu părul roșcat, m-a marcat profund. A ajuns în lagăr împreună cu sora ei, iar cele două au rămas una lângă cealaltă, strâns legate. S-au susținut reciproc în cele mai cumplite momente. Când una era la pământ, cealaltă o ridica. Au fost far una pentru cealaltă în întunericul absolut.
Pentru mine, legătura dintre ele a fost devastator de frumoasă. Mi-a arătat cât de mult poate însemna iubirea între frați. Cât de vital este sprijinul sincer, uman, în momentele de disperare. Și cât de adâncă este puterea iubirii, chiar și în cele mai cumplite împrejurări.
Mi-a plăcut foarte mult structura poveștii — cele două planuri temporale, trecutul și prezentul. Trecutul, în care Rozi își rememorează viața înainte de tragedie, și prezentul, în care își spune povestea. Îi simți durerea, impactul, zbuciumul interior. Toate trăirile pe care le poartă încă în ea. Momentele în care și-a pierdut speranța. Și momentele, rare, în care a reușit să o regăsească. Neputința pe care o simțea la fiecare nedreptate văzută. Liniștea forțată. Controlul de care trebuia să dea dovadă pentru a rămâne invizibilă. Pentru a supraviețui.
Nu simt că pot să-i fac dreptate acestei povești. Dar sper că aceste rânduri v-au convins să o treceți pe listă. Să o citiți. Pentru că dincolo de cuvinte, sub povestea lui Rozi, se ascunde ceva care trebuie simțit. Și niciodată uitat.
February 2, 2022
We shall never forget. What an amazing and courageous woman. Everyone should read this book
March 20, 2024
This was one of the most emotional holocaust books I’ve ever read.
November 24, 2021
The Redhead from Auschwitz: A True Story is written by Nechama Birnbaum. Nechama is the granddaughter of Rosie Greenstein, a Holocaust survivor. When other grandmothers gave their grandchildren gifts and things, Nechama’s grandmother gave her stories. These stories are the basis of this book. Rosie felt that her memories and those of other survivors should be told so that the tragedy of this era were not lost and that those who lost their lives should be remembered.
Rosie, her mother, her brother and her sister, Leah, were taken from their home in Crasna on May 14, 1944 along with the other Jew of the town and were combined with many of the small towns around Crasna on a train bound for Auschwitz. Her mother made her and Leah promise to keep together no matter what and to help each other. On arrival at Auschwitz, her mother was sent to the right while the three children were sent to the left. However, her brother couldn’t stand his mother being alone and managed to sneak to the right. Rosie’s last sight of them was of them wrapped in each other’s arms. She had no way of knowing this was the last she would see her mother and brother.
Leah and Rosie managed to stick together in the same barrack and when Leah wanted to give up, Rosie badgered her to keep going. Rosie never gave up the idea that she would go home after this was over. Nechama gives the details her grandmother gave her as she tells us the horrible road her grandmother traveled to reach freedom. She and Leah went through Auschwitz, Bergen-Belsen, Duderstadt ammunition factory, and Theresienstadt. Together, they traveled with their aunt back home.
Nechama tells the story in alternate chapters. The first set of chapters tells us of her life before the war at different ages. We learn about her father, mother, brother, and grandfather who had such an effect on her life. The second set of chapters shows us what happened after they were taken in May, 1944 until she and her husband attempt to get to America. The details she gives of her life and the feelings and thoughts she has throughout her life gives us a clear picture of her strengths and where she got them. When she is working at the ammunition factory, she has flashbacks to her home and family. Her mother and grandfather give her the strength through these flashbacks to continue and fight to live. Her family means everything to her. Rosie is now the mother of 5 children, 28 grandchildren, 120 great-grandchildren, and 7 great-greats. All of them know their grandmother well and have heard her stories. Nechama vows not to let them forget.
The book is easy to read and is compelling. I was able to read the book in one day with extensive bouts of reading. I simply could not easily put it down when I had to. When she and the others were in the gas chamber at Auschwitz, I could vividly see the scene as I have been to that camp. I saw where the orchestra played and where they undressed. I was able to go into that gas chamber and see the scratches on the walls. It was extremely easy to feel the suspense building as the door was shut but no water or gas came out. It wasn’t until later that Rosie realized where they had been and why their Kapo was so amazed that they were alive. The book is amazing.
Rosie, her mother, her brother and her sister, Leah, were taken from their home in Crasna on May 14, 1944 along with the other Jew of the town and were combined with many of the small towns around Crasna on a train bound for Auschwitz. Her mother made her and Leah promise to keep together no matter what and to help each other. On arrival at Auschwitz, her mother was sent to the right while the three children were sent to the left. However, her brother couldn’t stand his mother being alone and managed to sneak to the right. Rosie’s last sight of them was of them wrapped in each other’s arms. She had no way of knowing this was the last she would see her mother and brother.
Leah and Rosie managed to stick together in the same barrack and when Leah wanted to give up, Rosie badgered her to keep going. Rosie never gave up the idea that she would go home after this was over. Nechama gives the details her grandmother gave her as she tells us the horrible road her grandmother traveled to reach freedom. She and Leah went through Auschwitz, Bergen-Belsen, Duderstadt ammunition factory, and Theresienstadt. Together, they traveled with their aunt back home.
Nechama tells the story in alternate chapters. The first set of chapters tells us of her life before the war at different ages. We learn about her father, mother, brother, and grandfather who had such an effect on her life. The second set of chapters shows us what happened after they were taken in May, 1944 until she and her husband attempt to get to America. The details she gives of her life and the feelings and thoughts she has throughout her life gives us a clear picture of her strengths and where she got them. When she is working at the ammunition factory, she has flashbacks to her home and family. Her mother and grandfather give her the strength through these flashbacks to continue and fight to live. Her family means everything to her. Rosie is now the mother of 5 children, 28 grandchildren, 120 great-grandchildren, and 7 great-greats. All of them know their grandmother well and have heard her stories. Nechama vows not to let them forget.
The book is easy to read and is compelling. I was able to read the book in one day with extensive bouts of reading. I simply could not easily put it down when I had to. When she and the others were in the gas chamber at Auschwitz, I could vividly see the scene as I have been to that camp. I saw where the orchestra played and where they undressed. I was able to go into that gas chamber and see the scratches on the walls. It was extremely easy to feel the suspense building as the door was shut but no water or gas came out. It wasn’t until later that Rosie realized where they had been and why their Kapo was so amazed that they were alive. The book is amazing.
December 9, 2021
Thank you to Amsterdam Publishers for gifting me a copy of this book.
“The Redhead of Auschwitz” is a true story. It’s a biography of the author’s grandmother, Rosie, who escaped death in Auschwitz, alongside her sister. The author also interlopes anecdotes from Rosie’s childhood and life before the war.
This book is not pretty. It’s not romantic. It’s a brutal read. It’s severe and graphic. It’s raw and emotional and authentic. And it’s so, so important.
The Holocaust was 80 years ago. It wasn’t that long ago, but Holocaust survivors are dying out. Soon enough, there won’t be any living testimony left of what happened. That’s why stories like this one are so important. We need to remember and have direct accounts of what happened from those who lived it.
“The Redhead of Auschwitz” is a true story. It’s a biography of the author’s grandmother, Rosie, who escaped death in Auschwitz, alongside her sister. The author also interlopes anecdotes from Rosie’s childhood and life before the war.
This book is not pretty. It’s not romantic. It’s a brutal read. It’s severe and graphic. It’s raw and emotional and authentic. And it’s so, so important.
The Holocaust was 80 years ago. It wasn’t that long ago, but Holocaust survivors are dying out. Soon enough, there won’t be any living testimony left of what happened. That’s why stories like this one are so important. We need to remember and have direct accounts of what happened from those who lived it.
“But lately her song has adopted a sort of sadness. She is scared. She knows that there will not be many more years in which this world will have living testimony of what happened. She is saddened by antisemitism - especially by the extreme rise in it right now. She is bewildered by the number of people who have no idea what the Holocaust was. Most of all she is in agony over the way people treat one and other.
People speak of forgiveness, but it is not for us to forgive. Forgiveness belongs to the six million Jews who gasped for air, who were shot into mass graves, who were shot into rivers, who were abused, violated, and embarrassed - it is there choice to forgive, but they are forever silenced. While they cannot speak, we can speak for them. Instead of speaking of forgiveness, we can speak of remembrance and revenge. The greatest regency we can inflict is to have tolerance and kindness for ALL peoples, all those that Hitler so strongly stood against. Hitler, who did not kill six million Jews by himself. Evil does not only happen when a person is abnormally bad. Evil happens when good people do not see the good in other people. Evil happens when we judge each other. Evil happens when we put ourselves higher than others. Evil happens when we stand by someone else’s evil and do not speak up.”
December 4, 2021
Wonderful but horrifying story of survival. Beautifully written.
April 24, 2023
The epilogue saved this book. The story is very sad which I was expecting reading a Holocaust book. However the whole first half of the book I did not like the writing. It was a bit random, a lot of names that we never hear about again and choppy. But once the stories connect and we get to “real time”. The book is unreal. The writing, i felt like i was there. Since I have been to the camps she wrote about, i felt like i could connect to the scenes. But the epilogue and the power in the themes of Holocaust education and the current rise in antisemitism is why i moved to 4 stars for this book. There were so many important and beautiful sentiments. From 1 survivor has come 5 children, 28 grandchildren, 120 great grandchildren and 7 great great children. Thats a little nation within itself and its absolutely beautiful.
November 28, 2021
This a book about an amazing woman. Rosie and her family were living in a village in the Romania and Hungary border until the war began. They were sent to slavery labor work in a factory and then to Auschwitz. I couldn’t put the book down. Loved the way it was written, a really touching and powerful story. Nechama Birnbaum wrote her grandmother’s story in a way that made me feel like part of it, like a witness of all the struggles and the losses but mostly a witness of the strength of Rosie had to survive.
September 25, 2025
De mult nu mai citisem o carte cu subiectul Auschwitz. A avut multe momente dure și scandaloase, însă nu m-a sensibilizat cât îmi doream eu.
Am apreciat că este menționată și România în poveste.
De ceva timp îmi doresc să citesc Biblia în special pentru versete, iar psalmi din această carte sunt 👌🏻.
Dacă mă captiva ceva mai mult, intra în topul ficțiunilor istorice preferate, însă tot vă recomand să o citiți pentru că are ceva al ei aparte și neapărat citiți și notele din final.
3,75
Am apreciat că este menționată și România în poveste.
De ceva timp îmi doresc să citesc Biblia în special pentru versete, iar psalmi din această carte sunt 👌🏻.
Dacă mă captiva ceva mai mult, intra în topul ficțiunilor istorice preferate, însă tot vă recomand să o citiți pentru că are ceva al ei aparte și neapărat citiți și notele din final.
3,75
November 30, 2021
Absolutely incredible
This was so incredibly moving I couldn’t put it down. I literally can’t put into words how amazing this book is. I’m grateful for Rosie for telling her story , i know this must have been so painful at times to relive those moments . I have learned so many things.
This was so incredibly moving I couldn’t put it down. I literally can’t put into words how amazing this book is. I’m grateful for Rosie for telling her story , i know this must have been so painful at times to relive those moments . I have learned so many things.
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