Wendy Holden in the Spotlight

 

Born Survivors by Wendy Holden 

Finalist in the 2015 Goodreads Book of the Year

 

 

 

Book description:

Among millions of Holocaust victims sent to Auschwitz II-Birkenau in 1944, Priska, Rachel, and Anka each passed through its infamous gates with a secret. Strangers to each other, they were newly pregnant, and facing an uncertain fate without their husbands. Alone, scared, and with so many loved ones already lost to the Nazis, these young women were privately determined to hold on to all they had left: their lives, and those of their unborn babies.

That the gas chambers ran out of Zyklon-B just after the babies were born, before they and their mothers could be exterminated, is just one of several miracles that allowed them all to survive and rebuild their lives after World War II. Born Survivors follows the mothers' incredible journey - first to Auschwitz, where they each came under the murderous scrutiny of Dr. Josef Mengele; then to a German slave labour camp where, half-starved and almost worked to death, they struggled to conceal their condition; and finally, as the Allies closed in, their hellish 17-day train journey with thousands of other prisoners to the Mauthausen death camp in Austria.

Hundreds died along the way but the courage and kindness of strangers, including guards and civilians, helped save these women and their children. Sixty-five years later, the three 'miracle babies' met for the first time at Mauthausen for the anniversary of the liberation that ultimately saved them. United by their remarkable experiences of survival against all odds, they now consider each other "siblings of the heart."

In Born Survivors, now published in 21 countries and translated into 16 languages, Wendy Holden brings all three stories together for the first time to mark their seventieth birthdays and the seventieth anniversary of the ending of the war. A heart-stopping account of how three mothers and their newborns fought to survive the Holocaust, Born Survivors is also a life-affirming celebration of our capacity to care and to love amid inconceivable cruelty.

“An exceptionally fresh history, a work of prodigious original research, written with zealous empathy.” New York Times

 

"Holden weaves.. written, oral and recorded accounts, plus an array of historical records, into a spellbinding story of perseverance amid systematic abuse." American Jewish World

“One of the most important books of the year.” Last Word Reviews

About the Author:

 

Wendy Holden was a journalist for eighteen years, including a decade at the Daily Telegraph where she worked as a foreign and war correspondent. She is author and the co-author of more than thirty books, including several bestselling wartime biographies, including Tomorrow to be Brave, Till the Sun Grows Cold, and Behind Enemy Lines. She lives in Suffolk, England with her husband and two dogs and divides her time between the U.K. and the U.S.

 

Website and blog: www.wendyholden.com Wendy also invites you to follow her on Facebook at the.real.wendyholden, on Twitter @wendholden, at wendholden on Instagram and on Tumblr, Goodreads, and Pinterest.

The Bucket: Memories of an Inattentive Childhood- Allan Ahlberg

Allan Ahlberg is a bit of a legend in my eyes.  Regular readers of Books with Bunny will know I am hugely passionate about high quality children's books and Ahlberg has been at the top of this field for decades.  I read his books when I was a child myself, particularly enjoying the Happy Families series (Mr Tick the Teacher may well have ignited my desire to work in a small school and influenced my career choice-talk about a life changing read!) and Ahlberg has continued to be an ever-present in my life as a reader, in recent years when reading to the children I work with and my own son.

So when I heard that Allan's new memoir of poetry and prose The Bucket was being published by Penguin I was very keen to read it, and begged Penguin to let me have an advance copy.   It was time to learn more about the man behind the magic.

The Bucket is a nostalgic collection; short yet embracing Ahlberg's family life (he was adopted as a child) and portraying aspects of childhood that readers will be able to relate to.  Unfortunately, the memory which struck me most was the horrifying fact that circa 1987 I ate one of my scabs whilst waiting for ballet class to begin (the wonderful The Things I Ate might remind you of some deeply buried 'meals' you enjoyed as a child too). 

Whilst reading The Bucket there were times I was reminded of the work of the late Seamus Heaney-not in the style which is predominantly rhyming poetry and simple yet emotive prose, but in the content.  Ahlberg's ability to conjure up long-forgotten images of a bygone era left me with pangs of emotion- heartbreak and humour side by side.  As I read I was reminded of how I felt the first time I read Heaney's Blackberry-Picking, longing for the innocence of youth to remain.  The generic experiences of childhood combined with Ahlberg's personal memories makes The Bucket a touching and heart-felt read. 

I found The Bucket to be a charming memoir, and I am sure it will appeal to a wide ranging audience. 

The Bucket is available to buy from tomorrow (5th September 2013).

8.5/10

With thanks to Penguin for providing me with a copy of this book after I unashamedly pleaded for it.  All views expressed here are my own.

Cross My Heart-Carmen Reid *Review, author top 10 and giveaway!*

I am a huge fan of Carmen Reid.  I first came across her Annie Valentine 'shopper' books a couple of years ago now, and found them a laugh-out-loud funny.  Similar to Sophie Kinsella's Shopaholic series, they are thoroughly entertaining reads.  Carmen is also the author of the St Jude's series of teen books.  A modern spin on the popular boarding school genre, they are humorous, fast-paced reads.

Today on Books with Bunny you can read my review of her latest novel, the heartbreaking war story Cross My Heart, discover Carmen's favourite reads as a teen and there is also the opportunity to WIN one of three of Cross My Heart via a rafflecopter giveaway!  What more could you ask for?!

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When I heard that Cross my Heart was being released I was slightly overexcited- a completely new approach from one of my favourite authors was definitely something to celebrate!  I have messaged Carmen quite a bit via her facebook page and knew that this book held a special significance for her and desperately hoped that it would live up to my high expectations. 

I needn't have had any concerns.  Cross My Heart proves just how versatile Carmen Reid is as an author, demonstrated by her ability to tackle the horrific subject matter of WWII in a sensitive, informative manner. 

Nicole, a fifteen year old Belgian girl, finds her life thrown upside down when the Nazis invade.  Her best friend Lottie is a German Jew and flees Belgium seeking safety, her Papa disappears without trace and before long Nicole decides she has to make a stand.  Against her family's wishes, Nicole and her friend Anton join the Resistance to help fight for the freedom of their country. Nicole is determined and gutsy, yet finds there are still moral dilemmas however strongly you believe in a cause.  Essentially a war story, Cross My Heart also encompasses romance and family loyalty ensuring that there is something that will appeal to readers of a wide range of genres.

Although aimed at teens, Cross My Heart has a strong plot that will also appeal to adults.  The story skips along at incredible pace and I found myself greedily turning the pages to discover Nicole and Anton's fate.  It is almost unimaginable to someone who has grown up in a safe, relatively peaceful society that Cross My Heart is based around fact.  Our generation has a responsibility to educate and inform our children about the horrific acts committed during both World Wars.  Books such as Cross My Heart are vital in doing this by providing a vivid account of how life may have been for teens during this time, and I hope that Carmen Reid's latest offering will be as widely read as other children's books set in this era such as John Boyne's The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas and Nina Bawden's Carrie's War. 

Cross My Heart is out now, published by Corgi Childrens.

8.5/10
With thanks to Corgi for sending me a review copy of Cross My Heart in return for an honest review.

If you would like to read Cross My Heart, why not enter the rafflecopter giveaway at the bottom of this blog post?  Good luck!
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An avid reader as well as an author, Carmen was keen to share the books that she loved as a young teen with Books with Bunny.  Here are some of her favourites and why they appeal to her...

Sunset Song - Lewis Grassic Gibbon

So romantic and so sad. This book is set in the part of Aberdeenshire, Scotland, where I grew up. Yes the skies and landscape really are as beautiful as described. I love Chris, the central character, and her journey from teenager to young woman.

Little Women  - Louisa May Alcott

One of my absolute favourites. The four March sisters are so well portrayed with their quarrels and their quirks and their big ambitions for life. They are on the brink of womanhood and they have big plans for their future. I have two sisters and although the Marchs live in America in the 1800s, so many of their thoughts and feelings were familiar.

Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy

A heartbreak of a book. I’ve read it so many times. I love the rural England portrayed here and poor, gorgeous Tess. She’s so badly treated and nothing ever goes right for her. You’ll never feel quite the same about eating a strawberry after this story.

The Yearling - Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings

A beautiful story about a boy and a wild fawn who becomes his pet. But it’s not sentimental, this is a story set in a harsh, small farming community with a tragic ending.

To Kill A Mockingbird - Harper Lee

A brilliant book packed with totally memorable characters: Scout, Jem, Atticus, Mrs Dubose and her azaleas, scary Boo Radley in the cellar next door. It’s funny, sad, thoughtful and wonderful. A tale of racism and injustice which both seem all the worse as seen through children’s eyes. 

Little House on the Prairie - Laura Ingalls Wilder

I was a devoted fan of the TV series, so went on to read all the books I could find in this series. It’s about a family growing up in rural America and I was captivated.

Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck

This is also set in rural America, but it’s more serious and grown up. Two farm workers are searching for a happier life, despite all the hardship they encounter.

The complete novels of Nancy Mitford

I’ve read all of Nancy Mitford’s books (I think!) and I just love her sense of humour. This is upper crust English society and although she makes fun of it most of the time, there are some lovely characters portrayed with real feeling. I always loved the story of the girl who runs off to Paris to be with romantic Frenchman Padrice.

Letters from my Windmill - Alphonse Daudet

Lovely stories from rural France which we would occasionally be read at bedtime.

My father’s Glory - Marcel Pagnol

I loved this book and did in fact read it in French. It’s all about a boy growing up in the heart of Provence. There is a lot of detail about hunting all kinds of little birds and creatures which I remember finding totally fascinating.

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Books with Bunny has three copies of Cross My Heart to give away to lucky winners.  Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway below-  the competition closes on Friday 30th August.  Winners will be informed shortly after this date.




 

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway