Escape in Time

Miri's riveting tale of her family's survival during World War II

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Pub Date 21 Apr 2015 | Archive Date 04 Jun 2015
MB Publishing, LLC | Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Titles

Description

Nessya’s grandmother, Miri Eneman Malz, has friends, a loving family—and a secret: she is a Holocaust survivor. When twelve-year-old Nessya learns the truth, she wants to know what happened. After decades of silence, Grandma Miri decides it’s time to tell her story.

It all begins one terrible day in the spring of 1944, when Germany crosses Hungary’s border and soldiers arrive in Miri’s hometown of Munkács. Suddenly, the Jews are trapped and in danger.

Surrounded by war and unimaginable hatred, the family makes a daring escape. But that is only the beginning, and over the course of the year new threats continually confront them. Incredibly, despite numerous close calls, they defy the odds and live.

Based upon actual memoirs, this is the story of the Eneman family . . . of their remarkable ingenuity, astonishing luck, boundless courage, and unending love.

Nessya’s grandmother, Miri Eneman Malz, has friends, a loving family—and a secret: she is a Holocaust survivor. When twelve-year-old Nessya learns the truth, she wants to know what happened. After...


A Note From the Publisher

Illustrated by Laurie McGaw​. Also available in the following formats: epub, 978-0-9908430-4-7; mobi, 978-0-9908430-5-4.

Illustrated by Laurie McGaw​. Also available in the following formats: epub, 978-0-9908430-4-7; mobi, 978-0-9908430-5-4.


Advance Praise

Reviewed By Marnie Wilson for Readers’ Favorite
5 stars


Escape in Time by Ronit Lowenstein-Malz is a historical novel based on actual events that happened to a Jewish family in the small country town of Munkacs, Czechoslovakia (later Hungary), and in the capital city of Budapest, Hungary, during World War II and the Holocaust. Unimaginable and horrifying events for the Eneman family began in earnest in the spring of 1944 in Munkacs, which up until that time was relatively untouched by the atrocities of the war being raged elsewhere in Europe. Very quickly the realities of Hitler’s Nazi regime began infiltrating the town, upending the world of its Jewish inhabitants. Forced to consider the options and likely outcomes, patriarch father Naftuli made dangerous, but thankfully, life-saving decisions. The youngest family member, daughter Miri, lived through the terrifying ordeal and later became grandmother Miri to 12-year-old Nessya. Escape in Time is told through the eyes of Naftuli’s great-granddaughter Nessya, and through the letters and memories of which grandmother Miri became steward, and preserved for her family’s descendants.

Escape in Time is a beautifully and intriguingly written re-telling of an awful period of time from a Hungarian Jewish family’s life that few of us can even begin to comprehend some 70 years later. Books like this that recount a time in human history so exceedingly reprehensible are important contributions to future generations to help ensure history does not repeat itself. I’m not sure we could ever hear enough stories about the Holocaust to truly imagine what life was like then. Escape in Time comes from an interesting vantage point, that of Hungarian Jews who managed to escape and hide, which I’ve never heard about before, thus making it a compelling read. Originally written in Hebrew for an Israeli audience, it has been translated into English very appropriately for a North American audience.

The illustrations by Laurie McGaw are breathtaking. Although I can’t claim to have read hundreds of young adult books, these are some of the most beautiful, captivating human depictions I’ve ever seen in any book. The medium chosen for the portraits is at once historical yet contemporary, a feat which cannot be easy to accomplish. The details the artist chose to include in each illustration are the perfect accompaniments to the major plot points. Each face depicted draws the reader in for contemplation. I found myself hanging back from moving on with the reading to ponder each and every illustration and all its finer points. This is rare for me and a real testament to the artist’s skill and absolute contribution to Escape in Time.

Escape in Time is categorized in the young adult genre, but I would suggest it is entirely appropriate and accessible for children as young as grades four to six. In the past six months I have read to my 11- and 13-year-old both The Diary of Anne Frank and The Hiding Place, and both children were able to understand and appreciate these books of greater length and more graphic details. Escape in Time is shorter than these two books, as well as devoid of grisly particulars of the Holocaust, and I believe it provides an important and gripping introduction to some of the realities of the Holocaust for younger children.


Reviewed By Brenda Casto for Readers’ Favorite
5 stars


Escape In Time by Ronit Lowenstein-Malz is the story of the Eneman family, whose sheer determination, along with plenty of luck, allowed them to survive the Holocaust. What makes this a heartrending story is the fact that it is based on an actual family that lived through this horrible time in history. An emotionally charged story that is often suspenseful, but also provides small bits of humor, makes for a story with real life characters that aren't easy to forget once you finish the final page.

Nessya finds it almost impossible to believe that her grandma Miri is a survivor of the Holocaust, but her best friend Rachel is certain that she is because she overheard a conversation where it was suggested that Miri be invited to speak at the Holocaust Remembrance Day program. Nessi wants to ask her mom because surely she knows the truth, but Rachel reminds her that many families don't like to talk about it. Instead she convinces Nessi that they need to investigate and solve the mystery on their own. When that plan fails, they ask Nessi's mother anyway and she suggests that they talk to Grandma Miri. What will Nessi learn when she talks to her grandmother?

Ronit Lowenstein-Malz's characters literally jump from the pages of Escape In Time. She not only captures the fear and uncertainty that they felt, but also the hope and love that knits this family together. I found myself mesmerized by the telling of this story, so rich in detail that I honestly felt I was witnessing history take place. While we feel the emotions of the characters that survived the ordeal of the Holocaust, we are also allowed to see how the information impacts Nessya as she reads her grandmother's story. Reading the "diary letters" added a unique element to the telling of the tale by providing snippets of the family's daily struggles, showing how fate intervened on more than one occasion to keep them safe. Ms. Malz does a wonderful job of balancing detail and age-appropriate information together to make for an easy to understand, yet informative story that will appeal to young and old alike.


Reviewed By Jack Magnus for Readers’ Favorite
5 stars


Escape in Time: Miri's Riveting Tale of her Family's Survival During World War II is a young adult historical novel written by Ronit Lowenstein-Malz, translated by Leora Frankel and illustrated by Laurie McGaw.

Nessya is a young Israeli whose best friend, Rachel, has given her some unbelievable information: Nessya's grandmother, Miri Malz, has been invited to speak at their school's Holocaust Remembrance Day program. Nessya knew that Rachel's grandparents had been in the Holocaust, but she couldn't believe that her beautiful and successful grandmother was also there. Rachel suggests that they do a search in her grandmother's apartment to look for photos of her from when she was young. If there are no such photos, then, Rachel believes, it must be true: Miri Malz must be a survivor. After some unsuccessful investigating in Miri's apartment, Nessya finally asks her grandmother about the Holocaust. After staying confined to her apartment for two weeks to write down her memories, Miri begins her story about her childhood in Munkacs, Czechoslovakia (later, Hungary). Before she returns to her apartment, Miri gives Nessya the pile of her handwritten pages—her family’s survival story—and a packet of wartime letters. It's Nessya's bat mitzvah gift, and it's a story she will never forget.

Ronit Lowenstein-Malz's young adult historical fiction novel, Escape in Time, presents a unique and compelling insight into the lives of those Jews who survived the Holocaust, particularly those who lived in the small villages of Hungary and in Budapest. I found myself so deeply involved in Miri's story of her far-sighted father, Apu, and his brilliant strategies for keeping his family safe and alive. This story stirs such deep and mixed emotions; there's the triumph of this one resilient family, but also the pain of the loss of so many aunts and uncles, grandmothers and grandfathers, cousins and brothers. Escape in Time is a fictional account, written by the daughter of one of the narrators, Miri Malz; it is based upon actual memoirs of Miri's family members. Seventy years later, Apu's grandchildren and great-grandchildren live on and the world is a far better place for having them be a part of it. Escape in Time is a marvelous historical novel, and it is most highly recommended.


Reviewed by Diane Donovan for Midwest Book Review

Leora Frankel translated this novel from the Hebrew and Laurie McGaw added fine duotone illustrations throughout, so it's evident that Escape in Time, Miri's Riveting Tale of Her Family's Survival During World War II is not a singular effort, but a long cooperative effort to bring this story to English audiences. And, as young readers ages 12 and older will discover, it's one well worth reading.

Miri Malz was in the Holocaust, and a survivor, and is now a cheerful grandmother who has kept the secret of her past from her grandchild. But when Nessya overhears school officials talking about inviting her grandmother to speak as a Holocaust survivor, a whole hidden world opens up - and when she confronts her grandmother, the answers she receives are difficult and strain their relationship.

One might wonder at the need for yet another YA read about a Holocaust survivor - but given the unprecedented nature of genocide and its lasting aftermath, it would seem that new stories should appear every few years as fresh reminders of the lasting impact of events, lest new generations forget, or the classic, widely-distributed writings of such as Anne Frank become overly familiar.

A packet of wartime letters, a young girl's curiosity about her heritage, a grandmother's experiences of ghetto routines, and a child's perspective of the war are supplemented by the gorgeous works of Laurie McGaw throughout (it cannot be emphasized too much that these images are realistic, lovely, and striking embellishments to the story line).

More so than most Holocaust accounts, this presentation examines the concepts of anti-Semitism from a preteen's perspective as she learns about the past's effects on her present world and family's future; and it draws important connections between family relationships and world politics, exposing an atmosphere where even a relationship with a doorman can become important.

How does an entire family survive in a world gone mad? How do they stay together, and how to they weather an increasing climate of hatred? From interacting with peers who develop into advocates of Hitler's anti-Semitic viewpoints to becoming survivors who must swallow their pride and heritage to emerge from Nazi control intact, events are relayed through letters, diary entries, and the perspective of youth.

Little miracles, sadness and delights, and the changing atmosphere of a world at war make for vivid scenes, all enhanced by a personal tone and feel that provide a 'you are there' feel to political and social changes.

In the end, that's what makes Escape in Time such a standout: a blending of the Anne Frank diary format of personal experience with observation of the changing, wider social and political world holds an ability to involve not just characters, but the reader.

Escape in Time is truly riveting, is recommended for ages 12 and older, and is especially recommended as a classroom assignment to pair off quite nicely with Anne Frank's classic Diary. There are miracles here for everyone: the miracle of survival, the lasting impact of change, and lessons for the future that make such accounts not just stories but outlines of inhumanity, hope, and survival.



Reviewed By Marnie Wilson for Readers’ Favorite
5 stars


Escape in Time by Ronit Lowenstein-Malz is a historical novel based on actual events that happened to a Jewish family in the small country town...

Marketing Plan

Nessya’s grandmother, Miri Eneman Malz, has friends, a loving family—and a secret: she is a Holocaust survivor. When twelve-year-old Nessya learns the truth, she wants to know what happened. After decades of silence, Grandma Miri decides it’s time to tell her story.

It all begins one terrible day in the spring of 1944, when Germany crosses Hungary’s border and soldiers arrive in Miri’s hometown of Munkács. Suddenly, the Jews are trapped and in danger.

Surrounded by war and unimaginable hatred, the family makes a daring escape. But that is only the beginning, and over the course of the year new threats continually confront them. Incredibly, despite numerous close calls, they defy the odds and live.

Based upon actual memoirs, this is the story of the Eneman family . . . of their remarkable ingenuity, astonishing luck, boundless courage, and unending love.


Nessya’s grandmother, Miri Eneman Malz, has friends, a loving family—and a secret: she is a Holocaust survivor. When twelve-year-old Nessya learns the truth, she wants to know what happened. After...


Available Editions

EDITION Paperback
ISBN 9780990843030
PRICE $9.99 (USD)

Average rating from 36 members


Featured Reviews

Ronit Lowenstein-Malz's novel Escape in Time is wonderfully translated from Hebrew into English, and illustrated in a beautiful manner by Laurie McGraw. Set to publish April 2015, this young adult novel is based on real life events surrounding a Jewish-Hungarian family and their struggles during World War II.

This wonderful narrative revolves around two main characters, Miri and Nessya. Nessya is a young Jewish girl living in modern day Tel Aviv with an understanding of the Holocaust, but no real connection to it. Miri is her grandmother who lived through the events of World War II as a young girl herself, but has kept this from Nessya. The story unfolds in a vivid and memorable way as Miri's recollections of the war and its horrors are brought to life.

Although marketed to young adults, I believe it would be well suited to all ages as young as 12 and up. Young readers today will have no trouble understanding the events and details of Jewish-Hungarian life as Miri explains them to Nessya. Unlike many Holocaust novels, this one gives just enough detail to show what it was like to live through a war without becoming too morbidly gory and giving nightmares making it better suited as a first introduction to the events for young readers. It also shows the fighting spirit of Miri's family and what can be accomplished even in the darkest of times.

Historical fiction such as this enriches our understanding of the past and helps to give clarity to the future. Encouraging younger generations to better understanding the past is how we can try to ensure that such events to not happen again.

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Nessya discovers that her Grandmother is a holocaust survivor and she is determined to know the whole story. A remarkable tale follows that is all the more amazing because it's true.

Stories of the courage and dignity shown by many people during the unspeakable horror of the holocaust never cease to amaze me. This is an incredible tale of one family's survival during one of the darkest times in human history.

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Escape in Time tells the story of the Eneman family’s survival during the Holocaust. It begins in the present day, when 12-year-old Nessya discovers that her grandmother has a secret – she is a Holocaust survivor. Her grandmother Miri decides to write down her story and we read it with Nessya. Miri lived with her parents and three older sisters in a village in Hungary. However, in 1944, German soldiers enter Hungary and changes their lives forever. Miri’s father was infinitely clever and resourceful and eventually manages to get all six of them to Budapest, where they pose as Christians. The constant threat of exposure and multiple close calls make this book a total page-turner from start to finish.

I loved this book and literally could not put it down. The characters are so real and the emotions so vivid that I was enthralled. I also really liked seeing how the story affects Nessya, and how it impacts her relationship with her grandmother. The book also includes letters and “diary letters”, many of which were written by Miri’s mother; these give more adult view of many of the events (since Miri was a child during the Holocaust).

The story is very rich and detailed and is based on true events. It clearly is geared for kids, probably middle-schoolers on up, and there is nothing inappropriate for kids – nothing too graphic. But it is an excellent introduction to the Holocaust and a book that adults as well as children will enjoy.

I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

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A truly remarkable story.

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What a beautiful and moving piece about a family residing in Hungary during The Holocaust. This work was originally written in Hebrew but I feel that it was translated rather well. There were the occasional Hungarian, German and Yiddish words sprinkled throughout, which I really enjoyed. The illustrations are simple but very beautiful and remind me of antique photographs.

Although this book is marketed for young-adults, I feel that children as young as 11 could enjoy it and read on their own as the language wasn't too difficult nor were the topics very violent or gory. The author managed to convey this painful part of history in such a way that I not only teared up from the pain and sorrow of these events but also from the love that surrounded the entire Eneman family and their perseverance to survive.

Thank you NetGalley and MB Publishing, LLC. for giving me the opportunity to read such a moving story.

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A look at one family's narrow escapes during WWII

"Escape in Time" is an engaging look at one family's narrow escapes during WWII. As a children's book, I think it is suited for mature pre-teens, as the themes can sometimes be difficult; that said, so are the themes of history during this period! The illustrations were well done and the story flows well. Multigenerational and muticultural themes abound. If you enjoy the occasional pre-teen book as an adult, you will find this charming.

Thank you to Netgalley and MB Publishing for the loan of an ecopy to review. The opinions stated are my own.

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This was a very well written and extremely thought provoking book. The subject matter was discussed in terms that is very appropriate for young people and would be a good introduction to the Holocaust. Highly recommended.

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Living a comfortable life in Tel Aviv, Nessya, 12, is stunned to hear that her grandmother, Miri Malz, has been invited to speak at her school's Holocaust Remembrance Day program. Nessya has never heard her happy, smiling grandmother speak being a Holocaust survivor, and besides, she doesn't even have at tattoo AND she has her family's old photo albums - items always destroyed by the Nazis.

When Nessya and her friend Rachel cook up a scheme to get into Grandma Miri's apartment to search for evidence while she is out to look for clues, the plan backfires. But, is Grandma Miri really a survivor? For almost two weeks, Grandma Miri keeps to herself, seeing no one but her husband. When she finally does come to visit, she takes Nessya aside and begins to talk to her about her past.

Living in Munkács, Czechoslovakia, Miri Eneman was part of a large, loving family and life was pretty peaceful. The family thought they were Hungarian and pretty safe from the Nazis, until one night in the spring of 1944 it all changed with a knocking on their door. The family was being rounded up. That night, Miri's father escaped out the back window, leaving everyone to think he had run off and deserted his family. But in reality, that was just the beginning of his fight for their survival.

When she leaves, Grandma Miri gives Nessya a packet of letters written by her family members and tucked into their diaries, all of which her grandmother had spent two weeks translating for her granddaughter and including her own memories of her family during the Holocaust. The story of her family's survival is her gift to Nessya for her upcoming bat mitzvah.

Miri's story is riveting. The Eneman family is often on the run after escaping the Munkács Ghetto, in hiding and living in fear, separated from other family members and never knowing what is happening to them. All the while, Miri's father manages to anticipate what to do and stay one step ahead of Nazi actions, even hiding in plain sight in Budapest. At one point, they find themselves living in and caring for a grand apartment after the owner flees to Switzerland. Here, they lived across the street from the virulent anti-Semitic Hungarian pro-Nazi Arrow Cross Party's headquarters and under the nose to an equally anti-Semitic concierge. But can their collective luck whole out until the end of the war?

Escape in Time is a truly apt name for this novel about one Jewish family's survival during the Holocaust. It is a story of courage, daring, luck and survival doing whatever needs to be done. Lowenstein-Malz based this story on actual memoirs giving it a real sense of authenticity. The book is written in such a way that the reader reads Miri's story right along with Nessya, but there are occasional breaks where we see her reaction to what she is reading (don't be surprised if your reactions are similar to hers).

There aren't many good middle grade books about the fate of Hungarian Jews in WWII so this is a welcome additon to the body of Holocaust literature. For so long, they, like the Eneman family, thought they were safe, but it was just a question of time and politics and it all changed. It is one of the reasons that I found myself so drawn into Miri's memories, and her family's letters and diary entries. This is a slightly different Holocaust story in that, interestingly, no one in Grandma Miri's immediate family spends any time in a concentration camp, though extended family were sent there from the ghetto in 1944. Young readers will not only meet this courageous family, but they will also meet some really good people willing to help the Enemen family as well as some really hateful people who would turn them in in the blink of an eye.

Escape in Time was originally written in Hebrew and I found the translation to be a very smooth one. Having done some translating myself, I know it is often hard to get together all the elements that make a book great, but that wasn't a problem here.

Throughout this novel, there are realistic sepia-toned portrait illustrations that enhance the narration about the Eneman family.

Escape in Time is a well-written book with well drawn, realistic characters for young readers interested in the Holocaust or historical fiction, and since it is a story of survival against great odds, don't be surprised if you shed a few tears along with Nessya. I did.

This book is recommended for readers age 9+
This was an EARC recieved from Net Galley

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This was a fantastic book! My husband lived in Hungary for two years as a missionary and I loved talking about the events and places with him.

When we think about the Holocaust and WWII, we primarily think about Germany, Poland, England, Austria, etc. Very little is said, and, therefore, generally known, about Hungary, but that country has a very interesting history. I loved learning about each member of the family. Naftuli, the father, was such an interesting character. He saw what was brewing and tried to warn others but most people didn't listen to him. I was amazed at his resourcefulness throughout the story. I loved the letters that Hendi, the mother, wrote throughout the book. I felt that it gave great insight into her thoughts and feelings. She didn't always agree with what her husband thought, but she supported him regardless and they were protected because of it. I didn't feel a particular closeness to the daughters Magda and Mara, partly because they were absent during part of the story, but I did like what was included about them. I think my favorite daughter was Kati. I don't like to include any kind of spoilers in my reviews, so I'll just say that her particular experiences were the most interesting to me. Miri, of course, was a great character as well, telling us of their struggles, fears, and successes. I was very touched by her reaction to the sacred prayer shawls being used as skirts by the local girls. I can only imagine how that must have felt for them. I felt that her emotions and reactions to what they lived through were poignant and insightful. I loved Nessya for taking the time to read her grandmother's memoirs and for growing closer to her through that experience.

This book was originally written in Hebrew and I am so glad that it has been translated into English. The illustrations were a great addition and I loved the helpful pronunciation guide at the beginning.

We've all heard the phrase that those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it. It is reading about and understanding times like those described in this book that will help us as a society to prevent such things from happening again. This book is geared toward middle grade and young adult readers, but I would recommend it for young and old alike.

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A n unusual holocaust story told by a grandmother, Miri, to her granddaughter, Nessya. In a written form rather than "speaking" it to her. It is based on Miri's diary and letters that were written at that time. Nessya didn't realize that her grandmother had lived through the holocaust. What makes this story unusual is what Miri's father did that kept them from being captured and sent to the camps. He was a very clever man who was not lured by how the propaganda that the camps were wonderful places for the Jews to live in.

The author focused on how the family lived and survived in Nazi-occupied Hungary. The story does not go into detail about the atrocities but they are mentioned. It is an important story to read regardless of your age. It is exceptionally well written. It is distressing yet inspiring novel.

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'Escape in Time' is an historical novel based on true events. Beautifully written in a style that instantly transports you back in time to the heartbreaking horror of the holocaust, this is a book that will stay with me for some time to come. A captivating 5 stars.

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Told as a story within a story, 12 year old Nessya has learned that her grandmother, Miri, is a Holocaust survivor, and when she asked about it, her grandmother wrote down the story for Nessya to read. Miri tells her family's story of escaping from Czechoslovakia, just in the nick of time before the Jews there were sent to concentration camps. She tells how they had to use false papers and how they moved to Hungary. They tried to warn other Jews about what was happening, but they refused to listen until it was too late. Nessya shares her feelings about her grandmother's bravery during that time. I think this book is a well told story about the Holocaust that is appropriate for middle school age children. I received this book free to review from Netgalley.

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