jbronderbookreviews

I Love You My Child, I’m Abandoning You: Holocaust Memoir

By Ariela Palacz

I Love You My Child, I’m Abandoning You is an exciting, human documentary taking place in France during the Holocaust. Ariela’s story plucks at existential strings and focuses a spotlight on our strong needs and basic rights to belong—to a family, to a tradition, and to the nation.

Ariela Palacz (as Paulette Szenker) shares her life story with the reader, weaving the past and the present together in an authentic and moving journey between France during the Holocaust, and Jerusalem of today.

Little Paulette, an excellent pupil surrounded by a loving family, is forced suddenly to confront the cruel reality of the Holocaust of French Jewry, forcibly separating her from her family and causing her to be abandoned by her father.

Despite the difficult and shocking experience that she copes with as a young girl during the Holocaust she remains optimistic and naïve, with a thirst for life even in her darkest hours.
Ariela’s story honors the memory of French Jews who perished in the Holocaust while simultaneously expressing the will to live, the revival, the optimism, and the bravery that characterize those who survived and the future generations of the Jewish people.

[The grandchildren – Roi, Shirly and Gali Edelstein]

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Author’s Bio

Just a child at the outbreak of WWII, Ariella Palacz was born to a Jewish family in France.

In an attempt to save the children, the family was separated. Ariella’s mother was hospitalized, as she was unable to care for them. The children were sent off to a remote village, hidden under false identities and raised as Christians.

When the war was over, their father came to take them back. He was alone. Ariella’s mother had been killed by the Nazis.

In 1970, Ariella immigrated to Israel together with her husband Eitan and children Yoram and Yael. Her third child – Keren – was born in Israel. She lived in Jerusalem and worked in the Yad VaShem Holocaust museum where she told her story to thousands of visitors from all backgrounds. Ariella was a mother, a grandmother, and a great-grandmother.

Ariella passed away in 2017 backgrounds.

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My Review

5 stars

Paulette is eight years old in France when her parents abandon her and her siblings. Her parents are then taken and killed. Paulette has to make some tough decisions to do whatever it takes to keep her siblings and herself alive in a bleak period. She does things that takes her years to work through but she manages to survive the Holocaust.

Whenever I see a true story about the Holocaust I try to read it. I absolutely hate what happened to the Jews, gypsies, gays, and those unknown that the Nazi’s brutalized, tortured, and killed just for being different. But I read these books to remind myself of the horrors of the world. By reading these books we give credit to those that are gone and keep their memories alive. What better way to honor the dead.

This book gets tough to read at times and will break your heart along the way. I commend Ariela for everything she went through. It was equally hard to follow as Ariela worked through the events she lived. But this goes to show how a strong person gets through life.

This is one of those books I think everyone should read. It should be right up there with Anne Frank’s Diary. It’s very moving and one that you will need a box of tissue to get through but you will be happy that you read it.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.

I would like to thank Ari at Candid Book Reviews for the opportunity to read and share this book.

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The Shield (The Finder – 1) by CJ Bentley

People lose their belongings. That is a fact of life. It can happen by accident, but sometimes it can happen when you put them in a very safe place and forget where that safe place is. Not many people are good at finding them again.

A young, gutsy girl with a kind heart, who’s searching for her own identity growing up in the 1960s, just happens to be very good at finding things. Can she be the one to help return whatever is lost – anywhere and at any time – to its original owner?

With the help of a beautiful yet mysterious wise woman and a chivalrous knight she does just that. She finds and returns his shield, lost in battle, which unbeknown to her holds a secret that is important to his King, the safety of the Kingdom and the life of the daughter of his best friend.

The Shield is the first story in The Finder Series, taking our heroine on extraordinary journeys back in time. Her first adventure takes place in Medieval England in 1340 where she meets King Edward III, his wife Philippa and their son, who will later become the Black Prince.

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Author’s Bio

A wife, mother to three wonderful sons and grandmother to two beautiful grand daughters and a fun loving grandson. Having a love of books since my own childhood I have passed that love of reading down to the last two generations.

Whilst living in the Middle East due to my husbands work I have had time to write children’s books from an idea based on my own childhood experience, when, aged ten and fishing in a local stream, I found a shield in the silt. I chose to put it back. My first story grew from what could have happened if I had kept it. From the initial book the second grew and with the third completed the fourth is underway. I have ideas for them fifth and sixth and who knows how many more. It could be quite an exciting ride taking the main characters to places as yet still in my imagination.

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My Review

5 Stars

We start this story somewhere in Durham in 1340 AD. A knight has been attacked and robbed. He is on an important mission with a secret message hidden in his now missing shield. After not being able to find the shield he decides to heal up then return to keep looking.

Then we meet Peggy, at least that is what she wants to go by this week. She is ten years old and playing in the stream with her four friends when they discover a wooden shield. She then sees a knight although the other don’t. Then Peggy, now being called Eleanor by the knight, travels through time to help him complete his mission.

This is a fantastic story for any age but meant for midgrade readers. You have a delightful child that is about to learn how kids had to be more mature in 1340 AD. I love the adventure she goes on the Sir Kay.

This is a great story that quickly sucked me in and left me up late at night. It is well written for all ages and I can’t wait to see what adventure Eleanor/Peggy goes on next.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.

I would like to thank Authoright for the opportunity to read and share this book. Also for being able to take part in the Clink Street Spring Reading Week 2018.

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