- Paperback: 288 pages
- Publisher: Corgi Childrens; New edition edition (1 Jan 2001)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0552547166
- ISBN-13: 978-0552547161
- Product Dimensions: 19.4 x 12.8 x 2.2 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 55,471 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
In My Hands: Memories of a Holocaust Rescuer
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More About the Author
Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
Age range: 11 and over
Irene Gut Opdyke was just 17 when the Nazis invaded her native Poland. From that moment she was wrenched away from her family and forced --literally--to run for her life. Eventually, while bearing witness to and falling victim to the brutality of war, she was forced to work as housekeeper to a Nazi officer. It was there that she took her life in her hands and committed the most audacious of acts in the name of humanity: she hid 12 Jewish people in the basement of her Nazi employer's house.
In In My Hands Irene recounts her extraordinary history, leaving no stone unturned as she takes the reader through time from the moment of Nazi invasion to her eventual departure for America. But the most remarkable thing about this book is the matter-of-fact tone in which it is written, which somehow allows readers to observe the events of Irene's life without forcing them to wallow in any kind of sentimentality. And although there is no doubt as to how Irene thought, felt and reacted, readers are required only to observe and draw their own conclusions.
This is by no means an easy read: the effects of war on the lives of ordinary people are surfaced to the point where it is impossible to not feel pain, and although it is ultimately a story of hope and inspiration, the spoils of the human condition are laid bare in a no-holds-barred manner that sometimes takes the breath away.
Jennifer Armstrong, who interpreted Irene's story to form the narrative of In My Hands says: "I was afraid to write this book, to put my self into her past." Irene's past is indeed frightening, and being forced to confront evil in this way is certainly uncomfortable. But if nothing else, it serves as a reminder that there are some things we should never, ever forget. --Susan Harrison
Book Description
A remarkable, heroic true story from the Second World War.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I have recently read this book and found it truly amazing. It is unbeliveable what this girl went through and only at the age of 17. It is a tale of what it really means to be a true hero. This girl put her own life at risk to save the lives of 11 Jewish people at a time when Jews were regarded as the enemy. But she stood by her belifs and all that was true and right, and refused to give them away to the evil that Hitlar had caused. And at a time when most people would have abandoned thier faith, she kept hers strong, believing that amist all this evil, there was still good people in the world. It makes your daily problems seem insignifficant compared to what she had to go though, and her courage and strengh makes you feel very humble. She is a remarkable woman proving what it really is to be a human being. This book is a small price to pay for the impact it will have on you for the rest of your life. This book is truly unforgettable.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book will tell you the storey of a young girl of a strong catholic women who i beleive went to hell and back again. i know for a fact that i myself could never have had the strength to carry on helping these jews in such a situation. being raped once by a russian soldier must have been terrible enough but then to be given the option of being repeatidly forced to have sex or have you friends killed is just unbeleivable.i think that everyone should read this book and see, that even in the extreme evil of war there is a glimmer of hope for those in need, and Irene Gut Opdyke proved herself to be one of these glimmers of light to those twelve people who she hid. this book is one that i know i will re read and re read over and over again because, it has made a powerful impact on me.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book was truly amazing! I couldnt beleive one woman could go through all this and manage to survive. This is an excellent book from anyone ages 13-100, all ages would suit it! Read it and you will have to read it again.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
The great courage of a brave young woman from a brave nation
This book does more than tell the hard-to-believe story of one brave young woman's response to persecution by Stalin's Russians and the Nazis; it also describes the very great... Read more
Published 17 months ago by J. R. Richardson
A Great Find
I was a bit apprehensive about reading a book soley about the holocaust, that it would just be to sad but was amazed at how she managed such acts of humanity in amongst such... Read more
Published on 3 May 2009 by E. H.
in my hands
my parents brought me this book. i found it to be gripping i'm not really the sort to sit and read but when i started to read this book icouldnt put it down. Read more
Published on 13 Nov 2008 by Njcrewe
A fascinating read
This book is about a young Polish girl and her experiences throughout the 2nd world war. I came across this book by accident and found it fascinating, amazing and horrifying. Read more
Published on 23 Jun 2008 by BM
Very good book about a girl during the war
Irene is a girl during WW2 who lives in Poland and gets a job in a big Nazi household so that she can first of all give Jews food through the fence in the next-door concentration... Read more
Published on 16 July 2006 by Catherine
This is a moving and brave novel about the Holocaust.
Irene is a sweet, Catholic girl, brought up in her quiet Polish home town. Suddenly, her eyes are opened to a world of cruel acts, and people just turning the other way. Read more
Published on 1 May 2002
moving, excellent discription of the scenes and the charactr
I was moved by this book. The author managed to caputure the feelings and emotions excellently that I actually felt her pain and her terror. Read more
Published on 4 Feb 2002
Moving and really outstanding
This book is about a 17 year old girl who lives through the 2nd world war hiding and helping jews through the loss of her own family and various other incidents even though knowing... Read more
Published on 23 Nov 2001
Truth is Beauty
I have always wondered what life might have been like for a Gentile girl during the Second World War, and Irene Gut Opdyke's In My Hands answers the question splendidly. Read more
Published on 19 Sep 2001
Awe Inspiring !
This is THE most moving and awe inspiring book I have ever read. It tells of the hardship of thousands of ordinary people during the War years, but the main theme is the amazing... Read more
Published on 10 Mar 2001
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