A Daughter of Two Mothers

by Miriam Cohen

A Daughter of Two Mothers is the utterly captivating and remarkable story of a young girl s coming-of-age in the years prior to, and during, WWII. This true account of betrayal and abduction, of a determined mother s relentless search for her missing daughter, and of a daughter s quest for her true identity, is filled with intrigue and unexpected twists and turns, as it taps into the full spectrum of human experience and emotion.
Set against a harrowing backdrop of European nations preparing for and then plunged into war, A Daughter of Two Mothers becomes as unbelievable as it is unforgettable. What emerges most of all are the towering testimonies to courage and faith personified by two extraordinary a mother who never lets go of her love and loyalty to her daughter, and a daughter driven and determined to reunite with her mother.
Ultimately uplifting and filled with the nobility of the human spirit, A Daughter of Two Mothers is a book to savor as it depicts the heart s capacity for light and hope during one of history s most brutal and darker chapters.

Genres: Jewish, Holocaust, Memoir, Nonfiction, Biography

540 pages, Hardcover

First published January 24, 2007

Reviews

[Mimi · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Daughter of Two Mothers is a second-hand account of Leah’s experiences in Hungary (from the age of 8 to the age of 20) in the years leading up to and including WWII. The author’s grandmother was instrumental in helping to reunite Leah with her birth-mother before the start of the war. The author has heard many of the stories of life in pre-war Hungary, including Leah’s experiences, and she asks Leah to share her personal story. While the story seems rather incredulous at times, this is how Leah, as an old woman, told her story. The telling gets a little repetitive at times and the writing is sometimes a bit stilted. Then again, this novel was originally published in Hebrew and it was translated into English. I sort of lost interest in the story about half-way through but I was determined to finish it so as to find out how Leah survived the Holocaust and ended up in Israel. The part of how she was hidden in the forest after the Nazis invaded Hungary was intriguing.

[Always Run with scissors · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely the BEST book I have EVER read.

[Sindy Pariente · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best book in the 🌎!!!!!!✈✈✈✈✈🌏

[Emma Sass · Rating 4 out of 5]

very good

[Cindy Wiesel · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story is absolutely fascinating, but the writing could be much better. I also would have liked a tighter story of the earlier years and some more information about after the war.

[Fay Ashlag · Rating 5 out of 5]

give 10 stars 1 of my favvvvorite booooks

[Kressel Housman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truth isn't just stranger than fiction; it's more inspiring, too! This is a best seller in the Ultra-Orthodox Jewish world, and once you get into it, it's easy to see why. It's a true life story of an Orthodox Jewish girl who grew up in pre-war Hungary, so the Jewish tradition is the backdrop of the story, but it also has universal appeal, not just in the extraordinary way she survived the Holocaust, but in the first half of the book, which is the story of her discovery that she was adopted. My only criticism is that the chapter that was supposed to be taken from her diary didn't ring true. Otherwise, this story and the outstanding kindness of many of its characters makes it a gripping and important read. I recommend it to Jews and non-Jews alike!

[Shari (Shira) · Rating 3 out of 5]

An incredible, real life story of a Jewish Hungarian girl who is adopted by an affluent family. However, she was not available for adoption. Her poor, disabled, yet pious mother puts up a Herculean fight to get her daughter back. This all takes place pre-WWII when all Hungarian Jews are worried about their survival.

[rivka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ordered this for the kids for Chanukah a couple years ago, and managed to snag it to read myself recently.

While it has a few issues of omission and bias (likely largely because this was published posthumously and based on second-hand stories from the person who actually lived the experiences), still a remarkable and well-written book. Definitely worth a read.

[Miriam · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story itself is absolutely fascinating. A true and unique story in many ways. Unfortunately, the writing is painfully slow and puffed up with unnecessary information. Large chunks could have and should have been cut out. It's a story that needs to be told, but by someone else.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading stories like this, I am truly amazed that people can go on living. Unbelievable. Human nature is incredible, on both sides.

[Janlynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Daughter who has converted to this religion gave book to my mom, then she gave to me to read. Very good and true story to read. Loved it!!!