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.

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.