I Have Lived A Thousand Years: Growing Up In The Holocaust (1997)

I wouldn't state that this was one of my favorite books that I have read recently about the Holocaust, but I would state it is the one that was able to draw out some emotions in myself. It reminded me of some of my own experiences in life, which helped me to understand this particular era in a more profound way than I had before reading it. I had to ultimately realize that the writing style of this book was geared towards a younger audience than myself because that was my main gripe with it that it felt like she was dumbing down certain aspects of her story and also she ended a lot of chapters overly dramatically, which caused one to question how she would deal with the tragedies she was sure to face later on in the book since one is usually aware that this is about the Holocaust and those horrible events.

While I didn't totally appreciate this particular book I do find myself wanting to read her other two books that deal with her life after this period. I feel that it would be fascinating to know what happened to her once she left the camp and also when she came to America. I am sure she had a vastly different perspective than we have currently in our society, so those will be interesting to read. This book is a good lead into those two other books, since not many books about the Holocaust deal with the effects of after it.

I believe Livia Bitton-Jackson created a book that would also be good for teachers that are trying to help students learn about this time period because the book contains two separate appendixes that are timelines. The first timeline is of the events in her own individual life and the second is a timeline of the events in World War 2. Then after these timelines there is a glossary of the terms that she uses in the book. The timelines specifically feel like a great educational resource because a teacher can utilize these to show how certain events in Bitton-Jackson's life goes against what is happening in the war at that particular point. I felt that this would be a great tool for educators. ( )

This book is definitely for an older audience (ages 14 and up) though the reading level is grade 5. The story of Elli L. Friedmann takes your breath away. It is a graphic and raw memoir told in the present-tense. Elli is 13 and experiences the Nazi invasion in Hungary in 1944. It is a year of torture, death and forced labor for Elli and her mom and brother. Luckily, they are liberated and come to the United States a year later. I like the way that Bitton-Jackson (who is also Elli) always has hope, despite the awful things she witnesses.

This would be an excellent text to use during a history lesson about the holocaust. ( )

My realation to the Holocaust is what made me want to read this book. Q5P5 AHS/Mary N.

A graphic narrative describes what happens to a 13-year-old Jewish girl when the Nazis invade Hungary in 1944. Includes a brief chronology of the Holocaust. The author describes her experiences during World War II when she and her family were sent to the Nazi death camp at Auschwitz. ( )

I’ve read my fair share of Holocaust memoirs but this is the one I will recommend to everyone. I was blown away by Elli Friedmann’s account of her unbelievable start to teenage life. She was only 13 when the Nazis invaded Hungary. The book is vivid and descriptive. There were one or two points where I actually had to close the book for a moment just to reflect on the suffering experienced.

The memoir is a book unlike any I have ever read and will stay with me for life. I would go as far to say it would be in my top twenty books of all time. It is amazing that she lived to tell her tale and in fact it is quite unreal how many times she escapes immediate death. Her courage and determination is admirable and I felt humbled to be able to read such a devastating account of Occupation, Auschwitz and beyond. ( )