Long Journey Home: A Young Girl's Memoir of Surviving the Holocaust

1939, WWII. Lucy Lipiner (nee Mandelbaum, BA, MA) narrates her memoir of the horrors of surviving the Holocaust. 6/25/1949, Welcome to America. Warning: This book contains extremely graphic adult content, violence, or expletive language &/or uncensored sexually explicit material which is only suitable for mature readers. It may be offensive or have potential adverse psychological effects on the reader. I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review. Only an honest one. A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very well written book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great movie, PP presentation, or better yet a mini TV series or even a documentary (A & E, History channel). It was just OK for me but I will still rate it at 5 stars. Thank you for the free author; InstaFreebie; Usher Publishing; Amazon Digital Services LLC.; book Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)

This memoir was written simply and clearly. The reader experiences the trauma endured as Lucy and her family escape first the approaching Germans and resulting Holocaust, then continue to endure unbelievable hardships in Russia, and being sent to Siberia. Everyday life is barely sustainable. When they are allowed to leave Siberia, believing conditions in the southern regions would be better, the travel with great difficulty to Tajikistan. There they suffer still in numerous ways until they finally receive permission to leave the USSR. Even when things were better, they remained traumatizing. Growing up under these horrible circumstances that led to losing her parents emotionally and losing her extended family, she still managed to overcome the life she had experienced and achieve amazing goals. The story of such remarkable perseverance and her ability to recall and understand details and overall situations was impressive. I did detect a certain distance between her telling that story and the person she is and found that a little disconcerting, although understandable. The book is well worth reading and gives the reader a helpful perspective to understanding the lives that were destroyed during the Holocaust, particularly the survivors.

I thought this was a well-written, poignant story of the holocaust written through the eyes of a young child. At first I didn't realize it was Lucy's story. I thought it was going to be about her mother. But I quickly discovered it was the story of Lucy (Americanized name) and her family told from her childhood perceptions. I loved that in the midst of all the trials they went through, she pointed out "this was the best meal I ever ate," or "we loved having a stove in the middle of the kitchen." It seemed like even as a child going through so much trauma, she pointed out something that her joy. I also appreciated some of the observations she made, perhaps as an adult looking back on an experience. For example, as long as she held onto her father's fedora, she felt safe because he represented safety. I really loved her perceptions. a great read and recommended! I read it one sitting.

The story is excellent. Each Holocaust story has similarities, but each is as unique as the individuals who lived them. This story is clearly told from the heart and from the first-person perspective. The writing, however, feels less polished than many. The timing jumps around. Offhand comments throughout the text reference other times in the writers life the feel more like you’re in conversation rather than reading a published work. That said, they can add to the authenticity of the story - English is not the authors native tongue, and to journey in her minds eye back through those years of hardship... Such strength to go there and wrote it all down. Still, I like a smoother read. Glad I read it. Won’t read it again. Glad it is here to help Amy who read remember, know this ugly history that is humanity’s. May we never repeat it.

This is a survival story told by the youngest daughter of a Polish Jewish family. The father of that family in 1939 had unusual foresight about what awaited Jews at the hands of the Nazis and managed to convince his wife and extended family to flee to the east, for the Soviets at that time were believed to be more tolerant of the Jews. The family leaves in the middle of the night with few belongings and a cart and horse, a party of 14 or so. Told from the viewpoint of the youngest daughter who is six when they leave, a harrowing journey of courage and luck unfolds as the family manages to stay ahead of the Germans. Simply and convincingly told we hear about cold and hunger, lice, exhaustion, illness, and survival. This is one family's private story, and I am grateful that Ms. Lipiner has told it to the rest of us.

This is a good book, but what I found to be particularly intriguing was the perspective of this Polish, Jewish family as they reacted to the arrival of the Nazi influence upon their homeland as it contrasted with much of my recent study of the East Prussian refugee flights. These folks ran east, toward the Russian army, rather than away from the red troops which was the path of survival for the German civilians throughout the conflict. Of course, this journey would eventually save the lives of the family, but at the time; they had no way of knowing this. Another very enjoyable aspect of this story are the descriptions given of life in the Soviet provinces into which they resided while hoping to return to Poland after the war. Siberia was their home for a while, but then they moved south to Tajikistan. Never have I been able to read about life in this region where Judaism, and Buddhism, are prevalent in a mixed society of people living almost hand to mouth. The Soviet Union encompassed a wide variety of cultures, and ethnic groups bearing their own unique ways of life. This book offers a rare glimpse of what existed in Tajikistan during WWII.

Excellent story. Many of the books I’ve dabbled in on the subject of Jews trying escaping the clutches of Hitler’s Germany usually center on hiding in Germany while at the same time attempting to secure passage to a neutral country or escape to Palestine or the US. This is the first story I’ve read where a family flees to the Russian occupied zone and then is deported to Siberia. When, if ever, is being deported to Siberia a good thing? For Lucia and her family, it would be a God send they wouldn’t realize for five long, harrowing years. Her father, Abraham is constantly chastised by his family for tearing them away from their homes in Sucha, Poland. They could have stayed and been happy. They would have friends and relatives who would tend to them. They would be safe, secure and happy. He ignored their complaining and pressed on. In the end, when they are finally allowed to leave The USSR and return home, they learned the unvarnished truth of what their fate would have been. Do they thank him? No. They are too overwhelmed with the destruction and grief that ravaged their war-torn country while they eked out an existence. The book doesn’t go into great details as other do. This is the story of young six-year old girl, who wakes up on September 2nd, 1939 to find out the world she knew is going to change forever. It will be ten years before she starts living a normal life. The most intriguing part is how attached she remains to her family. The fear of being separated is a strong theme. It is still unfathomable to truly understand what all these people went through during and after the war. Yes, we in America have had or struggles, Depression, Dust Bowl, Cholera, Small Pox, but nothing compares to the suffering and fortitude of those who lived and survived the Holocaust. Hoe do you empathize with those who lost not only possessions and family members, but your country and your way of life? Highly recommend this story! Five Stars

This was quite a touching book. In the midst of desperation, I could always sense a feeling of hope. Each scene came to life before my mind's eye and the struggles really yanked at my heartstrings. It is a truly well-written memoir. So many accounts of the Holocaust have been told and retold, but I felt that this one really stood apart from those that I have read in the past. I do not know if that feeling was created by the story itself or the author's voice, but I greatly enjoyed it. I could nitpick and find little openings for improvement, but not enough to affect my rating. This is a memoir and the author's story and voice both came through and touched my heart: What more could one ask for when reading someone's life?

Interesting and touching account of WWII lived by a young girl and her family, trying to survive. Makes us proud.

This book is well written and an interesting read. The story of the family's escape and their journey transports the reader back in time.

Very informative and educational insight into the difficulties, pain and suffering of individuals and families before and during World War Two and the Holocaust. To a lot of people Holocaust is just a term for something that happened 'a long time ago' and does not mean very much today. It is very important that we never forget what happened to the millions of human beings who were murdered, some butchered 'in the name of medicine', men, women, children and babies, some still in the mother's womb. This must never be allowed to happen again, and we need to learn a lesson from history. Books such as this should be included in the curriculum in all of our schools so that our children understand the horror and stupidity of war. The author survived, many millions did not. This has been an excellent read.

This was heartbreaking at times, but also a story of triumph. Definitely worth reading.

WOW! Great read from cover to cover. Well written with vivid description. Because of a wise father with tremendous insight of events unfolding at the time he was able to stay one step ahead of the German invading forces and thereby save his immediate family along with several of his extended family but not without many harrowing and dangerous experiences. This book will capture your attention, highly recommended.