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Thursday, May 7, 2009

Sala's Gift by: Ann Kirschner

I have recently been told that I am obsessed with the Holocaust. This may, or may not be true. But I do know this -- some of the most incredible stories are to be found within the era's of great turmoil, and upheaval. When evil is given free reign in this life, the greatest moments of heroism, hope, and faith can then be found. This has always been my perception of the Holocaust. It isn't the atrocity that I find so fascinating, but the hope I find for the human race, in the stories of the survivors, the heroes, and the people that most of society class as the victims.
One story that so beautifully portrays this message is in the book I just finished reading. Sala's Gift is the story of a young girl, who volunteers to go to the work camp, in Poland, in the place of her sister. This is an unusual Holocaust story, in that Sala spent no time in the death camps, of the Nazi war machine. She spent all of her time in the work projects, mostly that worked on the German Autobahn. Her unique personality, and independence gave her the tools that were necessary to survive. And when her own strengths failed her, she would fall back on the letters that she received from her friends, and family, during the time she was interred.

There are certainly some heartbreaking moments found in this book, as letters from people she knew, and loved became fewer, and fewer, until they finally ceased to come all together. It wasn't until the end of the war that Sala finally realized the magnitude of what those ominous silences meant -- and the true extent of her losses became a reality.
But this is also a unique story of the love, and the strength of relationships and between family members, and friends -- and what a critical role those relationships played, in the survival of those who managed to get through. The beauty of this story cannot be overshadowed by the horrors that were going on around Sala, in one of the darkest chapters of human history. And through the letters she went to great lengths to preserve, the voices of Sala, and those closest to her will never be silenced. They will outlive the horrible plan that the Nazi's devised for them. Their lives will forever carry on in the memories of those that read their heritage -- while the fates of the Nazi's fade into the minutia of history.

This is a book that I can't recommend enough. So much strength and goodness have survived through this story. It is an amazing book to read, and one that I would love to share with everyone.

1 comment:

  1. Thanks, Lisa, for your beautiful words. My mother and I appreciate them!

    Ann Kirschner, author of Sala's Gift

    ReplyDelete