My Name Is Selma - The Remarkable Memoir of a Jewish Resistance Fighter and Ravensbrück Survivor by Selma van de Perre
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Web ID: 14061521Awe-Inspiring
This was an incredibly inspiring book. I am embarrassed to admit that I’d never heard of Selma’s story, before this. I am very proud to now know of her story, though. Selma’s story of being a resistance fighter in WWII is one of suspense, fear, courage, and bravery. There is so much more to her story and she makes me so incredibly proud and honored to be Jewish. I am so thankful for people like her for fighting to keep Jewish people alive in history and future. Thank you to netgalley for providing me with this arc in exchange for an honest and fair review. Publish your review! We’ve already copied it to your clipboard.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
a courageous autobiography
We hear all about non-Jews who were brave and opposed the Nazi regime by hiding Jews, but something I learned is that few Jewish resistance fighters were publicly known, because many changed their names to survive. My Name is Selma is the story of a Jewish woman who changed her identity, fought in the resistance, and was imprisoned at Ravensbruck, not because she was Jewish, but because she was a “political prisoner.” For a lot of the book, it did feel like readers were held at arm’s length, but the writing style could also be due to the translation. However, I also don’t blame the author for not wanting to dwell in lengthy detail about what she endured at Ravensbruck; vulnerability can mean having to relive trauma, and I can respect her decision about not wanting to do that, if that is the case. In fact, Selma said that she hopes that the book helps preserves the people who died or suffered in the Holocaust, and her attitude after liberation wasn’t to focus on what happened, but what could be, to enjoy the future she had to its fullest. The core of the book, instead, is relationships. Many points in the book emphasize how finding connections and support from others was critical to survival, or simply making things feel better. This is contrasted with the effects of betrayal, loss, and loneliness. When Selma lived in the Netherlands during the war and before being imprisoned, she spent a lot of time going home to home as it became more dangerous to harbor Jews and the war made food and money scarce. The last third, focusing on liberation, life after the war, and recovery is probably the most detailed and rich. Her experience re-integrating into society, coping with her parents’ and sister’s murders in camps, and leaving her life in the Netherlands for England was very moving. ~ It’s not my favorite nonfiction/autobiography, but there are important messages and moving moments within its pages. I also learned a lot about WWII and the Holocaust, even though I’ve read my fair share of that kind of literature (mainly historical fiction).
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Excellent Book
My Name is Selma by Selma van de Perre is an excellent and stunning memoir by a woman that has literally been through the bottoms of the earth and back. A Jewish woman that survived being prisoner at Ravensbruck by being able to hide her nationality and religion, the loss of her parents, and a former resistance fighter, Selma has literally experienced it all and risked everything. Being able to read her story, her struggle, her faith, her strength, and her survival was something I will treasure forever. To see someone that was able to survive to tell her story when so many, including my own distant relatives, could not, means so much to us. It helps solidify my faith and hope for a future where no one should have to experience this. I am speechless and awed. Thank you Selma for telling us your story. 5/5 stars
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com