By Stefanie Davis
“One Hundred Saturdays” was voted one of The Wall Street Journal’s 10 Best Books of 2022. Stella met author Michael Frank after a chance encounter at a lecture. Stella recounts the vibrant life of the Juderia, including the rituals and customs. She was one of seven children. The deportation of Jews from Rhodes was one of the longest ones across time and place. They deported 1,650 Jews with only about 50 remaining who were Turkish citizens. First, they were loaded on boats and after eight days arrived at Greece’s mainland. From there, they would wait three more days to be transferred to the trains that would take them to Auschwitz. Three-and-a-half weeks later they arrived at Auschwitz on Aug. 16, 1944. Stella tells of one incredible survival tale where she went to the hospital at the camps despite being warned not to. The doctor examined her but told her to sleep in the barracks no matter how ill she felt. The next day they emptied out the hospital and took everyone there to Dachau to be gassed. Stella returned to Rhodes in the 90s and then again in 2015, which was likely the last time she will visit there. For similar reads, I recommend “Lily’s Promise” by Lily Ebert, “When Time Stopped” by Ariana Neumann, and “Surviving the Angel of Death” by Eva Mozes Kor. If you’re looking for brighter inspiring reads instead, check-out some of my recommendations below.
ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS:
Adult:
“The Daughter of Auschwitz: My Story of Resilience, Survival, and Hope” by Tova Friedman
“The Winter Rose” by Melanie Dobson
“From Strength to Strength: Finding Success, Happiness, and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life” by Arthur Brooks
“Home Therapy: Interior Design for Increasing Happiness, Boosting Confidence, and Creating Calm” by Anita Yokota
Young Adult:
“Heroines, Rescuers, Rabbis, Spies: Unsung Women of the Holocaust” by Sarah Swartz
“American Shoes: A Refugee’s Story” by Rosemarie Turke
“Being Mary Bennet” by J.C. Peterson
“Girl on Fire” by Alicia Keys
Children:
“I Will Protect You: A True Story of Twins Who Survived Auschwitz” by Eva Mozes Kor
“Alias Anna: Zhanna Arshanskaya: a biography in verse: a true story of outwitting the Nazis” by Susan Hood
“A Sweet New Year for Ren” by Michelle Sterling
“What Makes Me Happy” by Marie Le