Hey there bookworms and happy Saturday! It’s a rainy fall day and I’m hunkered down doing a bit of cleaning, a bit of reading, and a bit of writing, so I thought I’d jump on here and give you guys a book review!
How silly is this that the book I’m going to be discussing today is one that I read back in May, and the first selection I picked for The Blabbing Book Club? I told you in prior posts that my reviews are all backed up and being posted out of order at this point, but, better late than never, right? Anyway, let’s talk about We Were the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter!
With plenty of history seemingly repeating itself here in America and even elsewhere, I feel it’s important to discuss books like this one, remember those dark days, and swear to fight to never repeat them. I’m so glad I got a copy of this book and was able to share it with fellow readers and my book club. This was the debut novel by Hunter, and it’s a profound one for sure!
Inspired by the incredible true story of one Jewish family separated at the start of World War II, determined to survive—and to reunite—We Were the Lucky Ones is a tribute to the triumph of hope and love against all odds
It is the spring of 1939 and three generations of the Kurc family are doing their best to live normal lives, even as the shadow of war grows closer. The talk around the family Seder table is of new babies and budding romance, not of the increasing hardships threatening Jews in their hometown of Radom, Poland. But soon the horrors overtaking Europe will become inescapable and the Kurcs will be flung to the far corners of the world, each desperately trying to navigate his or her own path to safety.
As one sibling is forced into exile, another attempts to flee the continent, while others struggle to escape certain death, either by working grueling hours on empty stomachs in the factories of the ghetto or by hiding as gentiles in plain sight. Driven by an unwavering will to survive and by the fear that they may never see one another again, the Kurcs must rely on hope, ingenuity, and inner strength to persevere.
An extraordinary, propulsive novel, We Were the Lucky Ones demonstrates how in the face of the twentieth century’s darkest moment, the human spirit can endure and even thrive.
Reading this book was an emotional journey. Each chapter is written from a different family member’s perspective, and since they’re all on such different paths, you have to keep track of their status, and hang on, and worry, and wonder if they’ll come out on the other side of things and survive Hitler’s reign.
This is a tense read, an emotional read, and more touching with every page turned. Yes, there’s a message of history and survival, but more than that, there’s a story here of love and family and how that helps you see tough times through until tomorrow. This family endured together, they endured separately, and they trudged through dismal days and escaped death so that they could live to find each other once more. It seems like such common sense and a natural instinct, but as you read and realize some of the situations members of this family had to go through, you almost wonder how they escaped, how they made it through camps, escaping to neutral territories, and having numerous close brushes with death. They didn’t know the status if their family was alive or dead. They didn’t know if this war would end, they’d make their way back home, and find the place in ruins, or worse… discover they were alone. To have so much unknown but still fighting for life is such a profound take away from this book for me as I’m sure it was for most readers.
In war, it’s unlikely to have a happy ending, so I was glad to see what would come in the afterward of such an awful time in world history. I thoroughly enjoyed learning of Georgia’s family, and of her discovery and process for telling their story. I loved my time with them and they taught me so much about how to copy in the face of pure evil.
To learn more about the truth behind this story, head here, and then please go read this book if you haven’t yet. Just click the image below.
Until next time, happy reading!
My Final Review: four out of five stars
Read This Book:
