FIRST SHE ESCAPED THE HOLOCAUST AND THE POVERTY OF THE SHTETL. AFTER THAT, SHE MOVED IN MANY WORLDS. AND IN EVERY ONE SHE MADE HER MARK.
Felice Massie was a student in France, caught up in the horrors of Naziism when she was 20 years old. Cut off by the war from her family living in a small village in Poland, she shifted from one country to another attempting to find a home for herself and a means to rescue her parents, brother and sister. As the Holocaust descended on her shtetl, she arrived penniless in America. Over time she raised a family and amassed one of foremost collections of American modern art. Her boldness and resilience became a beacon of hope and inspiration for others.
Particulars of the Book :
Publisher: booksBnimble
Publication Date: Feb, 2012
Link to book on Amazon (or where it is sold): http://www.amazon.com/Felices-Worlds-Holocaust-Modern-ebook/dp/B0079Q0HU6/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1329434260&sr=1-1
I posted a spotlight for this book some time ago, and I have finally reviewed it!
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
First of all, this is a monumental books that truly covers decades of some of the most important in history. I learned more than I can ever remember from reading this account, and I was pleased to learn that the book is truly a memoir rather than a fictionalized account. It begins in WWI in Poland and finishes in about the year 2007. It follows one Jewish woman who survived against all odds, and it truly captured the pathos of a survivor.
Due to the massive amount of material covered in this book, I would have preferred for this book to be split in two. The length of the book alone may turn some readers off. All I can say is that it is worth the read, and just be sure that you take your time so you can fully digest the history you are reading.
I also felt that sometimes the book spent too much time giving a history lesson and not enough time telling the reader about the characters. I grew tired of the extended flashbacks in the book, and I would have preferred the book to discuss a certain period of time in the characters' lives in one section of the book rather than several. I sometimes grew weary of jumping back and forth between the 1930's, the 1940's and the 2000's all within one chapter. This is just a personal preference of mine and did not ruin the overall story for me.
I was pleased that there were no sexual encounters (there were some veiled references to such), and profanity was virtually nonexistent. I always feel better about recommending books like this to others, and so I can certainly say this is clean. There is no overly descriptive violence either.
The author has truly captured the essence of Felice's life, and I believe the reader will be able to connect with her as I did. If you approach this as a heavy, historical read that will give you true insight into modern Jewish history, I believe you will really enjoy this. This is not light reading, but it is worthwhile reading.
I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I was not financially compensated, and all opinions are 100 percent mine.
Due to the massive amount of material covered in this book, I would have preferred for this book to be split in two. The length of the book alone may turn some readers off. All I can say is that it is worth the read, and just be sure that you take your time so you can fully digest the history you are reading.
I also felt that sometimes the book spent too much time giving a history lesson and not enough time telling the reader about the characters. I grew tired of the extended flashbacks in the book, and I would have preferred the book to discuss a certain period of time in the characters' lives in one section of the book rather than several. I sometimes grew weary of jumping back and forth between the 1930's, the 1940's and the 2000's all within one chapter. This is just a personal preference of mine and did not ruin the overall story for me.
I was pleased that there were no sexual encounters (there were some veiled references to such), and profanity was virtually nonexistent. I always feel better about recommending books like this to others, and so I can certainly say this is clean. There is no overly descriptive violence either.
The author has truly captured the essence of Felice's life, and I believe the reader will be able to connect with her as I did. If you approach this as a heavy, historical read that will give you true insight into modern Jewish history, I believe you will really enjoy this. This is not light reading, but it is worthwhile reading.
I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I was not financially compensated, and all opinions are 100 percent mine.
Thank you for taking time to read and review this important book. I fell in love with Felice!
ReplyDeleteDeborah/TheBookishDame
Hi Ruth
ReplyDeleteI am visiting you from the Alexa Blog Hop! I also review books and enjoyed reading your reviews - particularly this one. I hope you'll stop by and visit me as well at
Create With Joy
http://create-with-joy.com
Have a fabulous weekend! :-)