Not Without My Sister by Marion Kummerow -historical fiction
Mandel and her older sister Rachel have been captured and have moved from
camp to camp. This is 1944 and now they arrive at Bergen-Belsen. As they go
in they get separated. Mandel is only four and is lost without her sister. Their
crime is that they are from a half jewish family and Hitler is still on th
e warpath. They have done well to evade capture up to this point but now
it’s the bleakness of camplife and both are alone. Each tells their own
stories- Rachel working in an ammunitions factory and Mandel doing her
best to stay alive. A tale of determination against all odds. Of being strong
and hanging in there whatever is thrown at you. Of being beaten and
starving and having SS guards making lives hell and living off scraps
and potato peelings whilst being forced to do hard labour.
A book to inspire, and one although fiction is based on true facts-
there is a small section at the end explaining which events and
characters were real. A memorable read.
For more reviews please see my blog http://nickibookblog.blogspot.co.uk/
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All they had left was each other. Until the Nazis tore them apart.
After years of hiding from the Nazis, Rachel Epstein and her little sister Mindel are captured by the Gestapo and sent to the concentration camp at Bergen-Belsen. The only ray of light for either girl is that they are together.
But on arrival they are separated. As she’s seventeen and deemed an adult, Rachel is sent to work in a brutal factory whilst four-year-old Mindel is sent into the so-called “star” camp for Jewish prisoners. All on her own, Rachel knows her sister will have no chance of survival—unless she can find someone to take care of her.
Working in the windowless, airless factory—filling munitions casings with chemicals that burn her fingers and make her eyes sting—the only thing that keeps Rachel going is the thought of her little sister. Because if there’s even a chance Mindel is alive, Rachel knows she must try to save her.
But, separated by barbed wire, and treated brutally by SS guards who do not even see them as human beings, can either of the orphaned sisters ever dare to hope that they’ll find their way back to each other? And to freedom?
A completely heartbreaking, utterly gripping tale of courage, loss and overcoming impossible odds, perfect for fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, The Ragged Edge of Night and The Orphan’s Tale.
Marion Kummerow was born and raised in Germany, before she set out to "discover the world" and lived in various countries. In 1999 she returned to Germany and settled down in Munich where she's now living with her family.
Inspired by the true story about her grandparents, who belonged to the German resistance and fought against the Nazi regime, she started writing historical fiction, set during World War II. Her books are filled with raw emotions, fierce loyalty and resilience. She loves to put her characters through the mangle, making them reach deep within to find the strength to face moral dilemma, take difficult decisions or fight for what is right. And she never forgets to include humor and undying love in her books, because ultimately love is what makes the world go round.
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