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leenduff's review against another edition
4.0
I loved finally hearing the story of Marthe Huffnung Cohn. She endured so much, saved so many, changing the harsh world from the 1940s in Eurasia. What a heroic woman.
rpcroke's review against another edition
5.0
If someone gave this less than four stars may god have mercy on their soul. This story, and the many untold like it, are reminders of the best and worst in humanity and detail how and why we need to be vigilant against the temptation to hate.
This women is a hero. I was privileged enough to recently have met her (virtually) and she was adamant about the rising tide of hate. She warned us and implored us to stand against it. Message heard.
This women is a hero. I was privileged enough to recently have met her (virtually) and she was adamant about the rising tide of hate. She warned us and implored us to stand against it. Message heard.
coffeekat's review against another edition
5.0
An exciting story with a (mostly) happy ending. I would have loved this story as fiction, and it's even better because it's true! This is a great book, and I wish I would have found it when I was in middle school, so I could have read it multiple times already.
nj_14's review
4.0
I got this book from my aunt, and it was signed by the author last August, when she was 99 years old! An incredible story!
sjklass's review against another edition
3.0
A brave woman. An interesting memoir. After losing her beloved fiancé and her sister and having her family torn apart and scattered across Europe during WWII, young French Jew Marthe accepts the offer to to assist the French Resistance. Blonde, blue eyed and fluent in German, she boldly went behind enemy lines and posed as a German civilian searching for her fictional German-soldier fiancé. She was able to witness and gain critical information on the movement of German troops towards France. She put herself in harms way, in life and death situations time after time.
Writing this memoir sixty years after events, her recollections are told matter of factly. There are a lot of dates, places and names. Her occasional dip into introspection includes " War taught me many things, among them that, like anyone, I could be a coward one minute and brave the next, depending entirely on circumstance. They say that war brings out the best and the worst in people, and I certainly saw both sides. When I think of the dozens of people who risked their lives for us, it almost helps compensate for all the sad and bitter memories of those who were so cruel".
As WWII falls further into history, it's valuable to read these type of first person accounts.
Writing this memoir sixty years after events, her recollections are told matter of factly. There are a lot of dates, places and names. Her occasional dip into introspection includes " War taught me many things, among them that, like anyone, I could be a coward one minute and brave the next, depending entirely on circumstance. They say that war brings out the best and the worst in people, and I certainly saw both sides. When I think of the dozens of people who risked their lives for us, it almost helps compensate for all the sad and bitter memories of those who were so cruel".
As WWII falls further into history, it's valuable to read these type of first person accounts.
necessitteem's review against another edition
4.0
What an incredibly brave woman! Her story was amazing and quite the journey. I’m definitely glad I read her story and I plan to read more stories like hers!
mlmorgenstern's review
5.0
The remarkable story of one brave woman's fight to do the right thing under incredible odds. Marthe Hoffnung tells her story in such a matter-of-fact way that I am in awe of her actions during WWII. She showed a tireless effort to protect her friends, family, and country from the brutalities of Nazi-occupied France, and her story should inspire us all.
There were times when I wish her story had more details, but that seems a silly thing to quibble over in light of Marthe's story. What I will most take away is the feeling of her fearlessness, which she never seemed to see as such. All she wanted was to help, and she went so far above and beyond that I feel her story needs to be broadcast to everyone.
This is a story of Jewish resistance against unspeakable evil, and I hope to be inspired by Marthe's courage with me for the rest of my life.
There were times when I wish her story had more details, but that seems a silly thing to quibble over in light of Marthe's story. What I will most take away is the feeling of her fearlessness, which she never seemed to see as such. All she wanted was to help, and she went so far above and beyond that I feel her story needs to be broadcast to everyone.
This is a story of Jewish resistance against unspeakable evil, and I hope to be inspired by Marthe's courage with me for the rest of my life.
sfahrney's review against another edition
3.0
Another real story of what an ordinary person can accomplish when passionately roused. Marthe was a Jew in France and her family was caught up in Hitler's insanity. Not only Marthe but her close circle and family found many ways to actively resist the oncoming destruction of their faith, culture, beliefs and humanity. One has to celebrate the strength and commitment to push oneself beyond the comfort zone into action and action into heroism. Timely for today as American values and beliefs are being challenged......
starrburst112's review against another edition
3.0
An interesting story and makes you think about at what lengths you will go to protect your family and the ones you love.
hmwestfall's review
4.0
I really enjoyed this memoir of Marthe Cohn, a French Jewish spy in Nazi Germany.