Additional information
by Irene Gut Opdyke (Author), Jennifer Armstrong (With)
"No matter how many Holocaust stories one has read, this one is a must, for its impact is so powerful."--School Library Journal, starred
I did not ask myself, "Should I do this?" but "How will I do this?" Through this intimate and compelling memoir, we are witness to the growth of a hero. Much like The Diary of Anne Frank, In My Hands has become a profound testament to individual courage. You must understand that I did not become a resistance fighter, a smuggler of Jews, a defierof the SS and the Nazis, all at once. When the war began, Irene Gut was just seventeen: a student nurse, a Polish patriot, a good Catholic girl. Forced to work in a German officiers' dining hall, she learns how to fight back. One's first steps are always small: I had begun by hiding food under a fence. Irene eavesdropped on the German's plans. She smuggled people out of the work camp. And she hid twelve Jews in the basement of a Nazi major's home. To deliver her friends from evil, this young woman did whatever it took--even the impossible.Author Biography
Irene Gut Opdyke (1922-2003) was named by the Israeli Holocaust Commission one of the Righteous Among the Nations, a title given to those who risked their lives by aiding and saving Jews during the Holocaust. She was granted the Israel Medal of Honor, Israel's highest tribute, in a ceremony at Jerusalem's Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial. The Vatican honored her with a special commendation. And her story is part of the permanent exhibit at the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C.
Jennifer Armstrong is an award-winning author, perhaps best known for her books of history and historical fiction. Those books include The American Story: 100 True Tales from American History, Shattered, and Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World.
Number of Pages: 288
Dimensions: 0.7 x 8.5 x 5.9 IN
Illustrated: Yes
Publication Date: March 08, 2016
Accelerated Reader:
Quiz Name: In My Hands: Memories of a Holocaust Rescuer
Interest Level: Upper Grades, 9-12
Reading Level: 6
Point Value: 11
