Rena's Promise

Rena's Promise by Rena Kornreich Gelissen and Heather Dune Macadam is truly one of my favorite memoirs of all times. I have always been interested in the Holocaust and the many stories of survival. So when I decided to take a course in college about the history of the Holocaust I knew that I would be required to write a report on a memoir.

The requirements where nothing more than the story of a survivor, whether an officer, witness or victim of the horrors. As I scanned the many books available I chose numerous books that could be of good choice, however after talking with a few of my classmates I learned all the individuals being reported on were male. I wanted something different, I wanted something to stand out, thus I stumbled upon Rena's Promise.

What I walked away with was a love and passion for survival stories, particularly those of the holocaust.

Rena's story is one of love, dedication, and triumph in the most difficult situation. Through Rena's eyes you learn about the in's and out's of the work labor camps. How one had to lie, cheat and steal for survival with death being a constant threat. I had a hard time putting this book down and found many nights where I barely slept because I was in need of knowing what would happen next.

The book is as informative as possible with the given information and memories available from Rena. Many individuals may question the accuracy of some of the officers or events mentioned, but you must remember, this is Rena's memory, I don't exactly remember the name of everyone whom I have encountered in my life and I was never in true survival mood while doing so.

Therefore I say with some of the names and information take it with a grain of salt because it's all just a memory, this book was not written to be a history lesson, it was written as a humanitarian lesson. A reminder of those who have suffered, lost and triumphed in the most difficult moment of history.