Within these walls of sorrow : a novel of World War II Poland

Title:

Author:

Barratt, Amanda, 1996- author.

Summary:

Zosia Lewandowska knows the brutal realities of war all too well. Within weeks of Germany's invasion of her Polish homeland, she lost the man she loves. As ghetto walls rise and the occupiers tighten their grip on the city of Krakow, Zosia joins pharmacist Tadeusz Pankiewicz and his staff in the heart of the Krakow ghetto as they risk their lives to aid the Jewish people trapped by Nazi oppression. Hania Silverman's carefree girlhood is shattered as her family is forced into the ghetto. Struggling to survive in a world hemmed in by walls and rife with cruelty and despair, she encounters Zosia, her former neighbor, at the pharmacy. As deportation winnow the ghetto's population and snatch those she holds dear, Hania's natural resiliency is exhausted by reality. Zosia and Hania's lives intertwine as they face the griefs and fears thrust upon them by war, until one day, they are forced to make a desperate choice. . . one that will inexorably bind them together, even as they are torn apart. -- Amazon.

Physical Description:

304 pages ; 23 cm

Genre:

Historical fiction.

Subject Term:

World War, 1939-1945 -- Poland -- Fiction.

Jews -- Poland -- Fiction.

Female friendship -- Fiction.

National socialism -- Fiction.

Geographic Term:

Kraków (Poland) -- History -- 20th century -- Fiction.

Publisher:

Kregel Publications,

Publication Date:

2023

ISBN:

9780825447013

Publication Information:

Grand Rapids, MI : Kregel Publications, [2023]

Call Number:

BARRATT

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Item Barcode	Collection	Call Number	Status	Item Holds
33607003682617	New Adult Fiction	BARRATT Amanda	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

Christy Awards 2023 BOOK OF THE YEAR and winner for best Historical Fiction 2023, by multiple-time Christy winner and widely-acclaimed author, Amanda Barratt.
"As superbly written as it is haunting in its truth." --Kate Breslin, best-selling author of For Such a Time
"This tense WWII historical from Barratt (My Dearest Dietrich) follows a woman's efforts to help her neighbors survive the Kraków ghetto. . . . Moving and effective, this inspirational finds light in the darkest of places."-- Publishers Weekly
"Meticulous research and lush, award-winning writing result in an emotionally moving story about a group of unsung heroes who fought for hope and humanity in the most harrowing of times."-- Midwest Book Review

Zosia Lewandowska knows the brutal realities of war all too well. Within weeks of Germany's invasion of her Polish homeland, she lost the man she loves. As ghetto walls rise and the occupiers tighten their grip on the city of Krakow, Zosia joins pharmacist Tadeusz Pankiewicz and his staff in the heart of the Krakow ghetto as they risk their lives to aid the Jewish people trapped by Nazi oppression.
Hania Silverman's carefree girlhood is shattered as her family is forced into the ghetto. Struggling to survive in a world hemmed in by walls and rife with cruelty and despair, she encounters Zosia, her former neighbor, at the pharmacy. As deportation winnow the ghetto's population and snatch those she holds dear, Hania's natural resiliency is exhausted by reality.
Zosia and Hania's lives intertwine as they face the griefs and fears thrust upon them by war, until one day, they are forced to make a desperate choice . . . one that will inexorably bind them together, even as they are torn apart.
Amanda Barratt's meticulous research and lush, award-winning writing shine once again in this moving look at a group of unsung heroes who fought for hope and humanity in the most harrowing of times.

"An unflinching tale that implores readers to stop and see, not a massive crowd of people, but individual hearts and souls. This book will linger in your heart and mind long after you've read the final page." --Amanda Cox, Christy Award-winning author of The Edge of Belonging

Reviews (1)

Publisher's Weekly Review

This tense WWII historical from Barratt (My Dearest Dietrich) follows a woman's efforts to help her neighbors survive the Kraków ghetto. Zosia Lewandowska is a widow living in Kraków, Poland, when the Nazis crack down on the local Jewish community in the early 1940s. Caught up in the Nazis' brutality are Zosia's neighbors, the Silbermans, who are forced to move to the ghetto. Confronted with rumors of the suffering going on there, Zosia seizes an opportunity to work at a pharmacy in the ghetto and joins a small group of civilians who organize to smuggle food and medicine to those trapped inside. As efforts to "liquidate" the ghetto accelerate, Zosia teams up with the Silbermans' eldest daughter, Hania, to help the family escape while Zosia grapples with how to live up to her Christian morals in the face of atrocities. The narrow focus on Zosia, Hania, and their associates provides an intimate look at the Holocaust, capturing how faith and selflessness can persist even in dire times. Moving and effective, this inspirational finds light in the darkest of places. (Jan.)