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schmev7's review
3.5
Very important history to know... and history I had never heard before. The style of writing wasn't my favorite, but I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone interested in hearing the stories of determined people willing to risk everything to save others.
lemoney's review against another edition
3.0
The actual story of Irena Sendler and the others she worked with to save so many children (and adults!) during WWII in Poland is amazing. They risked their lives daily to help them live and allow for many generations to come. For that there aren’t enough stars to give. However, for me, the way the book was written fell short of my expectations. I know I’m in the minority on this with so many 5 star reviews. It reminded me a bit of The Radium Girls book I recently read but not written in such a choppy way as that one. It does have a lot of characters like that story, but here the author does a better job at helping the reader keep track of who is who and why they are mentioned. I believe she wants people to know how big of a community actually worked together to save all of these people, not just Irena alone. I wish this had been written in more of a storytelling way than like a paper written about Irena, if that makes sense. I wanted to feel more emotion while reading the book and when reading a story like this, should have felt. Instead, there were a few parts I skimmed through. I read many WWII Holocaust books I’ve cried through and felt like I really knew the characters, but not so much in this one.
boxerrebellion1's review
4.0
Irena's Children tells the story of Irena Sendler during WWII in Warsaw. A Catholic, she was a radical before the German invasion and banded together with mentors and friends to help resist the Nazi's and save thousands of children from Warsaw and its ghetto from 'the final solution'. Irena was not a superhero trope.... she was a real person, and as such had flaws. She also never considered herself a hero, instead Irena always regretted those she was unable to save... despite the odds and the amount she did accomplish.
Between this and The Zookeeper's Wife, I am realizing that due to the USSR's actions following WWII there are many stories we have yet to hear.
Between this and The Zookeeper's Wife, I am realizing that due to the USSR's actions following WWII there are many stories we have yet to hear.
veganbookie's review against another edition
5.0
Everyone knows about the horrors of the Holocaust, but it's no less heartbreaking regardless of how many times you read about it. Irena was an amazing and brave individual, as were many of the resisters. A little slow moving, but this woman's amazing story is worthy of high praise.
sdickard's review against another edition
4.0
Irena and her friends were amazing people. This book does an amazing job of not only telling the story of Irena but also the many other people that helped her save so many.
jenmangler's review against another edition
4.0
I already knew the basics of Irena Sendler's story, but I still learned so much from this book. It really gives you a sense of what it was like for the people in Irena's network, the risks they took and the fear they lived with on a daily basis.
ninasbooks57's review
Powerful- I have read multiple books on this topic and it was cool to see them mentioned in this book! I can’t fathom the cruelty done to these people and the small children. I gave it a 4 because there were so many names that were difficult to pronounce- street names etc . It really slowed down my read. So worth it though!
beillumined's review
3.0
A wonderful and inspiring story. I did truly enjoy reading about Irena Sendler and everyone involved in this story. However, I did have to give this book 3 stars because it was the story itself that kept me engaged, and the writing style that turned me off. Do pick this one up just to learn about this amazing woman, but be forewarned that you may not jive with the way it's written.