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A review by bookbrig
In My Hands: Memories of a Holocaust Rescuer by Irene Gut Opdyke
emotional
informative
medium-paced
I listened to this audio, which was excellent, and the story is fascinating. I also listened to it thinking it was a YA book, which isn't accurate I guess. I think I'll bring it to our schools anyway, because Irene is a teenager for a good part of the story, and it's so compelling I think they'll find it interesting. It does touch on very dark things as well as very hopeful things, but it didn't feel too graphic for our middle school students.
It also has stark parallels to several current situations, and I found her very first acts to help Jewish people in the ghettos encouraging for when you're overwhelmed by a situation. That moment of "I can't fix this, but I can offer a small act," is such a good reminder that small things count even if you sometimes feel like nothing you can do will matter in the grand scheme of things.
It also has stark parallels to several current situations, and I found her very first acts to help Jewish people in the ghettos encouraging for when you're overwhelmed by a situation. That moment of "I can't fix this, but I can offer a small act," is such a good reminder that small things count even if you sometimes feel like nothing you can do will matter in the grand scheme of things.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death