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Alison Pink (7 KP) rated Sarah's Key in Books

Jan 15, 2018  
Sarah's Key
Sarah's Key
Tatiana de Rosnay | 2006 | Contemporary, Fiction & Poetry
10
7.4 (7 Ratings)
Book Rating
The first wors that pops into my head as I sit here trying to think of what to write is moving. I don't know what else to say about this book. I love reading anything about the Holocaust (The Book Theif being another favorite.) I wasn't sure about this one just from reading the back cover. I'm thrilled however that I didn't let that deter me from reading this book.
There are so many twists and turns. The past is firmly and solidly entwined with the present. I love that this book was able to teach me more about occupied France during WWII. Most books focus on Poland or Germany. I like that this book captivated without being too familiar.
  
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Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated Educated in Books

Apr 5, 2018  
Educated
Educated
Tara Westover | 2018 | Biography
9
9.3 (9 Ratings)
Book Rating
Harrowing and inspiring
It seems almost impossible that Tara Westover is an academician from both Harvard and Cambridge given that she had never been to school. Her story is important, revealing how women are treated and subjugated in fundamentalist societies.

Brought up in a survivalist, Mormon family, Westover speaks about a poverty-stricken, difficult childhood where education is seen as secondary and violence is rife. Her relationship with her abusive brother is horrifying, And moreso is her family's acceptance of his behaviour. So gaining scholarships to top universities in the world despite having had no clue about the Holocaust, the civil rights movement, and Napoleon, is no mean feat.

While parts are repetitive, it is engaging and harrowing to hear her inspiring story.
  
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John Taylor recommended Wings of Desire (1987) in Movies (curated)

 
Wings of Desire (1987)
Wings of Desire (1987)
1987 | International, Drama, Sci-Fi
(0 Ratings)
Movie Favorite

"The film that restored grace and poetry to Berlin and the German language after forty years of stereotypical war movies featuring stereotypical German actors playing the parts of stereotypical Germans. The fog of war had settled over Birmingham when I came along in 1960, and there was no moving it for some time. Nothing about Germany was to be trusted, as even its postwar art was tainted by the events surrounding the Holocaust, unsurprisingly. But I was glad when this movie came along, despite the awful history of the twentieth century, as it allowed me to love Germany for what it is now, its language, the sound of its spoken word and all its formidable arts. Wim Wenders must surely be Germany’s greatest living director."

Source
  
The Young Survivors
The Young Survivors
Debra Barnes | 2020 | Education, History & Politics
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This is not your usual memoir about the Holocaust ... well not one I have ever read before anyway ... it's the true story of what is was like for a family of Jews living in France during World War II.

Written from the perspective of three of the children, the story tells of their harrowing experiences during the German occupation of France and having to move from place to place, losing the adults in their lives and being separated from their siblings.

This is a heart-rending story but also a story of survival, bravery and hope and I want to thank the Duckworth Books Group via JellyBooks for my copy in return for them analysing my reading data and an honest review although this wasn't compulsory.