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Sunday, September 9, 2018

In My Hands by Irene Gut Opdyke

"I was only a girl, alone among the enemy.
What could I do?"


Irene Gut was only seventeen when Poland was invaded by Germany on the West and Russia on the East. Separated from her family, raped by Russian soldiers, and then forced to work for the German army, she found a way not only to survive, but to fight back. She snuck food into the Jewish ghetto, passed on information she overheard from the German officers she served, and managed to hide twelve Jews from the SS in the basement of the house where she worked. She even fought with the Polish Resistance. Her memoir is an amazing story of survival, courage, and sheer grit, and shows what World War II was like through the eyes and heart of a young Polish girl caught between countless enemies who refused to give up. It's honest and moving and several parts made me cry; I read it all in just one day and loved every single word. Irene Gut is such an inspiring person and her story is a truly memorable one. This is one book that's definitely going on my list of favorite reads in 2018!

"The war was a series of choices made by many people. Some of those choices were as wicked and shameful to humanity as anything in history. But some of us made other choices. I made mine. ... I did not ask myself, Should I do this? But, How will I do this? Every step of my childhood had brought me to this crossroad; I must take the right path, or I would no longer be myself. You must understand that I did not become a resistance fighter, a smuggler of Jews, a defier of the SS and the Nazis, all at once. One's first steps are always small:  I had begun by hiding food under a fence."

 Happy Reading!

 

27 comments:

  1. What remarkable courage. I love the excerpt you ended with! We all make (and justify) our choices, but it is inspiring to read about people who really act on what they know is right--regardless of the danger.

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    1. I was so impressed by Irene and the choices she made. And she was so young when she did all these amazingly brave things! That made it even more impressive to me.

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  2. This sounds amazing! And luckily, our libraries have copies available, so I'm adding it to my list.

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    1. But only as an ebook and an audio book, I see too late. I'm getting used to ebooks but still prefer paper.

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    2. I prefer real books, too. :)

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  3. I agree that this book sounds very good. And I've not heard of it, but I see that it came out at least 10 years ago. My library has it too - in print, on audio, and e-book. I'll have my choice. Audio might be the way to go for me. I'm listening to more and more books, which is working great for me.

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  4. An amazing, courageous woman and as Irene points out the war was a series of choices and maybe on a smaller scale that's true about life in general where we can be faced with something not as horrendous as what Irene lived through but something that still requires courage sacrifice to do the right thing. There are important lessons to be learned from this book.

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  5. That's an inspiring book about courage and survival! Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts with us, Lark. :)

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    1. It's a really good read, and would make an even better movie.

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  6. This sounds like an amazing read! I love hearing about the courageous people who stood up and fought against tyranny during WWII. Great review! :)

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  7. Wow sounds amazing and inspiring. Never ceases to ammze me the courage some people had in WWII.

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    1. I agree! There are so many unforgettable stories out there to read. :)

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  8. Irene sounds like an inspiration. I think stories like hers are even more important today than they ever were before. Thank you for sharing this, Lark.

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    1. I think it's important for stories like hers to be told, too.

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  9. I have this book! I loved it when I first read it. Irene's story is quite amazing. I am inspired by people like her who seem quite ordinary but who do extraordinary things in impossible circumstances. Great review. It might be time for me to read this one again.

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    1. It is an amazing book...and definitely one worth owning! :)

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  10. I used to read a lot of books like this and I'm always amazed by how these people survive the trauma they are put through.

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    1. I'm always amazed, too. I don't think I have that same kind of courage and determination inside of me.

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  11. Books like these certainly help you put things in perspective don't they? I am in awe of people that have suffered so much and yet go on and fight back. Sounds like a wonderful book.

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    1. I really liked it. And it is a story that definitely puts things into perspective. :)

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  12. This sounds fascinating. I hadn't heard it before, but I definitely want to read it now. Thanks for the heads-up!

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