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Along the Tracks: The Story of Yankele, a Polish Boy Separated from His Mother in World War II Poland
Based on a true story, Along the Tracks tells the tale of Yankele, a Polish boy who is separated from his mother during the German invasion of Poland in World War II.
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1991
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
January 31, 2013
Some Jewish people saw the writing on the wall and were able to get out of Nazi-occupied Europe before World War II began, or at least before the Nazis occupied their particular part of Europe. Certainly they suffered, as all refugees do: they had to flee their homes, often on short notice, often with almost nothing but the clothes on their backs, and start all over again in a strange land, and most of them were never able to return home. Most times those people are still referred to as "Holocaust survivors" because they were definitely victims of Nazi aggression. But I prefer the term "Holocaust avoiders" or "Holocaust escapees."
Along the Tracks is just such a story: a Polish-Jewish family who were able to escape the Nazi terror by fleeing deep into the Soviet Union. This novel, based on a true story, is about this family and in particular the oldest son, Yankele aka Yasha.
It was a compelling story and definitely a page-turner, and showed a side of the Holocaust and World War II that children aren't often told about. Although they may have never had to deal with concentration camps or gas chambers, the family had to deal with illness, separation, forced labor, starvation, homelessness, and other trials of war.
I thought the second half of the story was much better than the first half. This was mainly because the second half was told from one point of view while the first half had like a zillion different narrators switching back and forth, sometimes three on the same page, which was really jarring and annoying for me. It might not bother some people as much, though. Once the story got into the second half, which had only Yankele/Yasha's perspective, it really galloped along for me.
If you're interested in stories of European refugees who fled into the USSR during World War II, I recommend Anatole Konstantin's A Red Boyhood: Growing Up Under Stalin . He was also Jewish and his family fled to Kazakhstan for the duration of the war; his experience was quite similar to the novel.
Along the Tracks is just such a story: a Polish-Jewish family who were able to escape the Nazi terror by fleeing deep into the Soviet Union. This novel, based on a true story, is about this family and in particular the oldest son, Yankele aka Yasha.
It was a compelling story and definitely a page-turner, and showed a side of the Holocaust and World War II that children aren't often told about. Although they may have never had to deal with concentration camps or gas chambers, the family had to deal with illness, separation, forced labor, starvation, homelessness, and other trials of war.
I thought the second half of the story was much better than the first half. This was mainly because the second half was told from one point of view while the first half had like a zillion different narrators switching back and forth, sometimes three on the same page, which was really jarring and annoying for me. It might not bother some people as much, though. Once the story got into the second half, which had only Yankele/Yasha's perspective, it really galloped along for me.
If you're interested in stories of European refugees who fled into the USSR during World War II, I recommend Anatole Konstantin's A Red Boyhood: Growing Up Under Stalin . He was also Jewish and his family fled to Kazakhstan for the duration of the war; his experience was quite similar to the novel.
November 12, 2008
WOW!
A far different story of how an entire family escaped from Lodz, Poland, went to Russia,seperated and not only survived the War but were reunited.
Interesting twists and turns of fate and life told from the viewpoint of an Eight (8) year old in a strange Country and how he survives the World War two in throughout the Soviet Union.
Great look at Cultures and an Inside look at Stalin Russia during the Great Patriotic War.
A far different story of how an entire family escaped from Lodz, Poland, went to Russia,seperated and not only survived the War but were reunited.
Interesting twists and turns of fate and life told from the viewpoint of an Eight (8) year old in a strange Country and how he survives the World War two in throughout the Soviet Union.
Great look at Cultures and an Inside look at Stalin Russia during the Great Patriotic War.
November 20, 2019
Along the Tracks is a historical fiction novel written by Tamar Bergman and translated from its native Hebrew by Michael Swirsky. Along the Tracks is about a Jewish boy, Yankele, and his family who escape from their home in Lódź to find refuge from the Nazis. They successfully make it to the Soviet Union, but when the train they’re on is bombed, Yankele is separated from his family and has to travel through foreign villages and cities to look for them, becoming one of many “abandoned children” that roam the streets of war-torn Europe, stealing to survive.
Yankele’s story is based on the actual story of a friend of the author’s, and shows the courage, determination, and willpower of a boy dedicated to finding his family against nearly impossible odds.
My favorite part of the book is when Yankele and the other Jewish boys are given more food than the others at the transit center. I don’t really know why I enjoy it so much, but I know that I like that Yankele and the other Jews are being shown some compassion, the complete opposite of how they would have been treated in Yankele’s homeland.
I would recommend Along the Tracks to anyone that often reads about the Holocaust, because it provides a meaningful insight into how those Jews that fled Hitler ended up.
Yankele’s story is based on the actual story of a friend of the author’s, and shows the courage, determination, and willpower of a boy dedicated to finding his family against nearly impossible odds.
My favorite part of the book is when Yankele and the other Jewish boys are given more food than the others at the transit center. I don’t really know why I enjoy it so much, but I know that I like that Yankele and the other Jews are being shown some compassion, the complete opposite of how they would have been treated in Yankele’s homeland.
I would recommend Along the Tracks to anyone that often reads about the Holocaust, because it provides a meaningful insight into how those Jews that fled Hitler ended up.
April 7, 2012
Anne Zemba
Adventure
Along the Tracks is a fascinating story about Yankele and his Jewish family. In order to escape the Germans in World War II, they are forced to leave their Polish homeland. They decide to seek safety in Russia. His parents have a hard decision to make. They realize what their fate will most likely be if they stay. They have to move quickly.
Yankele’s adventure begins when he finds a pocket knife that belongs to a German soldier. He knows he has to hide it, but is still fascinated with it. Yankele and his family have to travel be foot, and by train. At one point Yankele is separated from his parents. He is forced to learn what it takes to survive.
It is interesting to see life from Yankele’s point of view and his experiences. It truly was a bad time in history.
Adventure
Along the Tracks is a fascinating story about Yankele and his Jewish family. In order to escape the Germans in World War II, they are forced to leave their Polish homeland. They decide to seek safety in Russia. His parents have a hard decision to make. They realize what their fate will most likely be if they stay. They have to move quickly.
Yankele’s adventure begins when he finds a pocket knife that belongs to a German soldier. He knows he has to hide it, but is still fascinated with it. Yankele and his family have to travel be foot, and by train. At one point Yankele is separated from his parents. He is forced to learn what it takes to survive.
It is interesting to see life from Yankele’s point of view and his experiences. It truly was a bad time in history.
May 25, 2018
WARNING: CONTAINS SOME MINOR SPOILERS
I rated this book 4 stars for many reasons. I liked it because it emphasized the confusion of everything happening. Very Early in the book, Yankele and his family were discussing the rumours about what the nazis were doing to Jews. The Jewish community had no idea what was happening. There were rumors that the news were being rounded up and killed, and other rumors about Jews being moved to a safer area. They did not want to take any chances, so they took the long journey to the Soviet Union, but had to leave their grandparents behind. The book did a really nice job at portraying what it was like in a communist society. Before reading this, I thought in communist countries, people were payed the same money, but I found out they were not payed with money, but in food. It did a good job portraying the issues and terror of living in the Soviet Union, not only in general, but especially when it was being invaded by the nazis.
There was only one reason I did not rate it 5 stars, it was because of how relative it got. I understand that the procedures during that time were repetitive, but I thought that the author did not do a great job in keeping it interesting. Everytime the kids snuck onto the freight train and kept traveling traveling. There were no plot twists that were unexpected that made the reptitivity interesting. Everytime the kdis would lose each other and find a new friend to help them survive. I am willing to look past the book’s flaws as it was overall a good book. It gives a good insight on what happened and the terror and pain the citizens of the Soviet Union went through when the nazis invaded.
I rated this book 4 stars for many reasons. I liked it because it emphasized the confusion of everything happening. Very Early in the book, Yankele and his family were discussing the rumours about what the nazis were doing to Jews. The Jewish community had no idea what was happening. There were rumors that the news were being rounded up and killed, and other rumors about Jews being moved to a safer area. They did not want to take any chances, so they took the long journey to the Soviet Union, but had to leave their grandparents behind. The book did a really nice job at portraying what it was like in a communist society. Before reading this, I thought in communist countries, people were payed the same money, but I found out they were not payed with money, but in food. It did a good job portraying the issues and terror of living in the Soviet Union, not only in general, but especially when it was being invaded by the nazis.
There was only one reason I did not rate it 5 stars, it was because of how relative it got. I understand that the procedures during that time were repetitive, but I thought that the author did not do a great job in keeping it interesting. Everytime the kids snuck onto the freight train and kept traveling traveling. There were no plot twists that were unexpected that made the reptitivity interesting. Everytime the kdis would lose each other and find a new friend to help them survive. I am willing to look past the book’s flaws as it was overall a good book. It gives a good insight on what happened and the terror and pain the citizens of the Soviet Union went through when the nazis invaded.
July 18, 2022
This is an incredible story of an 8 yr. old boy who survives on his own for 4 years with the aid occasionally of others. There was much swearing and some raunchy mature themes. This is not a children's book, rather, it should not be. There was some good in it, though, when Yankele had compassion on a caged boy, and he acted upon that compassion. I liked it, but not well enough to keep.
June 2, 2019
Original review, age 15: "Real bored by this raggedy homeless boy." As an adult, I have no memory of the book, so it seems fair to preserve the original rating.
April 26, 2020
Not your typical ww2 story, with a perspective that I never thought about. It also made me thing of current inmigrants and refugees, an amazing, feflective read.
July 4, 2022
I think this is my favorite book of all time. Highly recommend.
September 11, 2010
Yankele has a loving family but it all splinters when the Germans begin exterminating Jews. His family runs, but he is separated, and we learn his tale of loneliness, despair and desparation as he at first struggles to find his Mama (he is only 8 years old) then struggles just to survive.
This is a true story, but was written for children, so it leaves out a lot of the true horror and nastiness of the German war machine, but it is still bad enough. Recommended reading for anyone who has never liked history.
The epilogue tells us there was a happy ending. Oh if only there could be happy endings for all!
This is a true story, but was written for children, so it leaves out a lot of the true horror and nastiness of the German war machine, but it is still bad enough. Recommended reading for anyone who has never liked history.
The epilogue tells us there was a happy ending. Oh if only there could be happy endings for all!
May 20, 2009
This book was fairly good. It takes place during World War II from the prospective of a young Polish boy named Yankele. After he gets lost from the rest of his family, Yankele must survive on his own. I wouldn't say this is the best book i have read, but i think it was interesting to see what the life of orphans on the street was like.
February 10, 2011
As a history buff this was a very entertaining book that put a different spin on World War II. Probably the strongest part of book was how much it focused on how much family meant to the main character. Ideally I don't really like books that feature the same thing over again. Each family member was described down to every little detail. It made me think about my family and how lucky I am.
March 21, 2013
It's crazy the state of the world at the time of this true story and how much we can learn about the horrid conditions and circumstances faced by people during WWII. It's an amazingly heart-warming story of survival and one that, as an example for our own young children who live lives of extreme comfort, is good for them to know exists. It can imbue more appreciation and wonder.
April 5, 2014
This was a really touching book. It talked about a boy in Russia and what abandonned kids did. I've read a lot of books about the holocaust, but I never really read one about Russia. I think it was kind of forgotten. I also realized more of what polish jews did. It's an inspiring story.
November 7, 2007
This book was amazing!!!! It was very interesting and educational.
July 3, 2011
An amazing true story of a boy's survival amid the pogrom during WWII- a stunning account of the will we have to live amid all obstacles.
October 25, 2013
It was a very interesting book, but slightly confusing at times. It was set in Poland and the U.S.S.R. and was based around their culture. It's a great book and an easy read.
April 12, 2014
Though nothing too special, this book was still a reasonably enjoyable read. Fans of historical fiction will definitely enjoy it.
May 14, 2014
Maybe a little less. It is a "young adult" novel, and is written for very young adults, but the story is interesting.
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July 18, 2015"Was really good," says eleven-year-old ambyr's diary.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews