About book Rena's Promise: A Story Of Sisters In Auschwitz (1996)
This book is a touching recount of the war in the eyes of two growing young women. Among the first 999 Jewish girls on the first transport brought into Auschwitz on March 26, 1942, was twenty-one year old Rena Kornreich-the seven hundred and sixteenth woman in that infamous death camp, Auschwitz. Two days later, she recognized her sister Danka among thousand other freshly shaved heads in Auschwitz where, together, they spent the next three years of their young lives as slaves to the Third Reich. From then on, she made a promise, to herself and to her parents [whom she will never see again], that she will survive this thing and return triumphant, with her sister, home. This story tells of the three painful years they spent in living hell, praying fervently that they would one day be liberated. Rena, being the elder sister, took great care of Danka during their captivity, time and time again giving up her meager portion of bread to get medicine when weak Danka was ill, and doing whatever it took to ensure a place for both her and her sister to be together during the many ‘selections’ and all these while holding on to her promise. Life in Auschwitz-Birkenau was hard; Rena had seen enough of war in occupied Poland, where she was from, to know a little of what to expect from the Nazis. Yet, she was still unable to fathom their cruelty. Rena quotes certain incidences which gave me goose bumps. There was once the kapos released dogs on a Jew who was too weak to carry on her task, and she died when the dogs bit her on her neck, still screaming all the way back to their block quarters. It was a scene that witnesses will never forget, and as I pictured that scene, it will stay etched in my mind forever. How can the Nazis enforce such cruelty? Don’t they have a conscience? Do they even have a heart? The conditions in the concentration camps were also horrible, what with no bunk beds, only shelves; three tiers high to make do as beds. The floor was basically covered in dirt and there was a sour smell of human odor. They were treated like non-living things, as if it is alright for them to suffer. Aren’t Jews humans too? The hard times that have passed may have been part of history but the memories will never fade. As I read this book, I cannot help reflecting on myself. How I would flinch at the slightest bit of dust and grumble should I not be happy about certain ideals in my life, and how I expect everything to be nothing short of perfection. I get upset when things do not go my way, and bothered when people reprimand me. Should I have been living in Rena’s shoes, I would have just given up on my sister, given up on myself. This book inspired me to go further, think deeper into my own life and reflect on how things have been going my way, yet still moaning that this and that has yet reached perfection. Though this blind chase of perfection is not a bad thing, I realized that sometimes you just have to take things the way they are, and live with it instead of trying to change things. Rena did not try to escape, nor did she constantly grumble about life. This gave herself, as well as her sister, the courage to move out of the darkness. For those who grumble constantly hold no hope for themselves, only fear in the deepest pits of their hearts. Only with hope, could Rena and her sister survive. I have learnt a lot from this novel. Much as I love reading about their account, I cannot help wishing that all those who lost their lives in Rena’s story could have lived their life differently, happily, less painfully. Life had been so unfair to them, and death, what I think must be the saddest thing in life, was in fact a form of liberation for them. Their short twisted lives would never end the way it was meant to be. I cannot help thinking: Hey some of them could have been doctors saving lives, famous lawyers ending trials, people who would do great things! And now they would never be able to do those things ever again.
"A promise is beauty kept secureThe exquisiteness of knowing what is to come..."The book Rena's Promise is one such story of a promise made, and a promise kept, by a young girl to her mother, to always, and at any cost, to protect her younger sister. Unfortunately, fate had a cruel way of testing her: for the sisters were Jewish, living in the Polish country-side during the height of antisemitism in Europe -- the 1940's.Written decades after her experiences at the labour camp along with her sister in Auschwitz, the novel is a gem of a work. It is a story of courage, of hope, and the strength of human spirit. On one hand, it stuns us with the horrors of the atrocities which a group of people can commit against another, and on the other hand, it shows us that even during those times of difficulties, there were some who did not let the kindness in their hearts die.The edition which I read contained lovely pictures of the actual characters of the memoirs and it just made my heart heavy to see their smiling faces and later read what fate had in store for them. As Rena wrote, "Our lives have become one long line moving slowly from one horror to another". Maybe that is where the beauty of life lies: that we never know our future has in store for us.However, there were times when I felt that Rena's selfless sacrifices were a little too good. Her younger sister Danka seemed a bit opportunistic in that respect, and her attitude kind of angered me. Maybe it wasn't her fault that she was not born a 'survivor' as her elder sister, but it just seemed unfair to me that it was a give and take relationship. Anyways, I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND this book to anyone who, like me, is interested in the Holocaust, and also to those who believe in the ultimate triumph of the indomitable will to survive, which can never be extinguished.
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This is the true story of Rena Kornreich. She was among the first 998 women transported to Auschwitz in March 1942. Soon after she got there, she was reunited with her younger sister Danka, and made a promise that she would take care of Danka and someday, bring her back home.They spent 3 years and 41 days in the camps, struggling to survive, and narrowly escaping death several times. Throughout it all, Rena maintained a spirit of love, for her in her words, "To hate is to let Hitler win."This was not an easy book to read, and by that, I mean it was at times harrowing and heartbreaking, but Rena's will to survive and her courage are amazing. I believe that stories like Rena's need to be told and listened too, to honor all who survived, and also died, during the Holocaust. The story was beautifully written, and just a few pages into the preface of the book, I knew that Rena was a very special woman indeed.I won a free copy of this book from Library Thing.
—Shari Larsen
Some might fear reading such a book, not wanting to know the horrors of the concentration camps. For those people, I would suggest they take heart and learn about the spirit of survival and the strength of human bonds and the way those bonds allow us to survive and thrive. This is a story of resilience, a story of sisterly love, and a tale of the ability to make the most out of a dire situation. You will immediately fall in love with the main character, Rena, and you will thrill in her love of life and her happiness. The author formed a unique bond that allowed her to tell this poignant tale when Rena herself could not tell it easily. There is something uniquely uplifting about this book that leaves one to thrill in our ability to see goodness in our darkest hours, even as we understand the torment of those hours.My book club read this book and people thanked me for suggesting it--unable to put it down until the end and growing from the experience!
—Sylvia Harrow
Summary:This novel is a memoir. This novel is about a girl named Rena and her sister Danka. They were brought into Auschwitz on the first Jewish transport from Poland. She was separated from her mother as soon as they got there. Rena promised their mother that she would look after and care for Danka no matter the circumstances. Fate plays a key role in the novel even though fate has a cruel of testing both the sisters. They were able to stay together, and they spent three years being slaves of the Third Reich. After a while, Rena and Danka are transported to Birkenau. Again, they were able to stay with one another. Food was scarce; if they decided to sneak an extra piece of food, they would get killed, no questions asked. They slept in wooden bunks with hundreds of other people. Her sister was even sleeping next to a dead body at one point. The officers would come in the morning and clean out the bodies. Throughout their journey, Rena and her sister do get separated. Rena hopes and prays that Danka is alright. She hopes that one day soon they will reunite, and they do!My Thoughts:This novel was amazing, and I would recommend it to anyone! Knowing that Rena survived this horrible historical event makes the novel that much more interesting. I started it, and I never wanted to put it down. This is the best book I have read in a long time. I also think that this is the best holocaust book that I have ever read. I chose to read it because I wanted something different. Novels about the holocaust have always interested me. I do feel that this novel should be read more in high schools! In my opinion, “Night” and “The Diary of Anne Frank” are way too over-used. This memoir is about a woman who was a part of the first Jewish transport to Auschwitz; and, the way that it is written, and the way that the story flows makes it feel like you are actually there. I love when books pull me right in! This novel is most definitely a page turner. If I had more time, I know I would have had this novel done in about two days.Questions:1. How does Rena and Danka find their strength to get through the three years of being in a concentration camp?2. What does Rena’s story have in common with other holocaust novels/stories?3. How hard was it for Rena and Danka to adjust to having an actual life after it was all over?
—Lindsey Keck
