Jack Witkow’s Reviews > Remembering Regina: My Journey to Freedom > Status Update

Fanny's family has moved on to Tangier, North Africa. When they arrived, an Arab man put their baggage on a donkey and started walking away. "Afraid of losing our worldly possessions, running after the Arab and his donkey, racing downhill...." (88) In the end it was just a taxi service, but this shows irony that in a time of such blood and gore, there were still quite funny moments.

Fanny's home in Poland is being invaded by Gestapo. They order her and her mother to remove their clothes. "How dare you humiliate innocent people like this!" she responded. (78) This shows that Fanny was brave, and wasn't afraid to speak out against oppressors.

Fanny feels a heartlessness in her mother, and is upset that she never praises her. One day she confronted her, after showing Regina her great drawings, and getting the response of, "I guess they are alright." (62) Her response to the confrontation was, "Parents shouldn't praise their children, or else it will go to their heads." (63) This shows that Regina truly cares about the future of her children.

Fanny is young, and just waking up from a nap. A stranger (babysitter) then walks into her room and removes her from her crib. "Where is my mother?" (39) she immediately asked. This shows that Fanny loves her mother very much, their strong bond, and their need to be together.

In desperate times, Regina's father is asking her to risk her life to reopen their pub in Poland. He says he chose her out of his 13 children because, " I know you can do anything you set your mind to." (27) This shows that he believes in her and knows that she is a strong soul.

Regina is telling Fanny stories of her childhood. I liked this area of the book because the sensory details really brought me into the moment. "I was almost overcome by the sweet honeysuckle fragrance," Regina said. (21) This line really brought me into the story, and I was able to create a mental picture of the scene for myself.

Fanny was having a conversation with Regina, her mother, about her decisions during the Holocaust. "But I didn't save my sister, and I will never forgive myself for that," Regina said. (11) If she had brought her sister with her family to America, the family would be endangered, but she still wouldn't let up. This shows that she has a great soul, and cares about each and every person, no matter the cost.