This was a very emotional read that I was well prepared for before I dove in. I have had this book for awhile but I knew that I had to be in the right headspace to handle it and I was right. At least I have that option. Lily couldn’t help what happened to her and her family and that realization makes me feel so sick. No matter how much I read about World War II the pure evilness never ceases to amaze me.
As I was reading, I found myself wishing this wasn’t a true story, but every time that thought crossed my mind it made me sicker. Because of Lily I now understand why so many complied with the demands of the Nazi’s and was able to see the war through the eyes of a Hungarian Jew. I felt what Lily felt as she went through horror after horror, day after day. Her strength to endure what she did is unbelievable and honestly, I don’t know if I would have that much will to live if I were put in that same situation.

I read this novel in practically one sitting but there were moments I had to sit the book down, take a deep breath, and gather my thoughts and emotions. It is a page-turner while also being hard to read due to the very heavy subject matter.

I love Dov so much for helping his great-great-grandmother like he has. I have one grandmother still living and because of reading this account I have been asking more questions about her life and have already learned several things I didn’t know before. It also has me thinking about how if these stories aren’t told that time will make them cease to exist. That fact makes me so sad, which is why I have been feeling it in my own heart to tell stories of the past. Whether we realize it or not, they are important.

Lily's Promise, by Lily Ebert along with her great grandson Dov Forman, is an unforgettable memoir of Lily’s story. As a prisoner in Auschwitz, Lily promised herself she would live to tell her story. And what a story she has told. I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this well written, deeply moving, and profound book. You will not be the same after you’ve read it.

I tried to get into this one, but I didn’t like the storytelling style. Unfortunately this one wasn’t for me. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t for others! I DNFed around 30%

As more time passes and more survivors die, the horrors of Auschwitz seem to fade into the problems of today's history. It's so very important for survivors like Lily Ebert to remind us that WWII's concentration camps were a reality that no one ever thought one human could inflict on another. So many people died because they were different than those who thought of themselves as the master race. The harsh reality of the camps should never disappear from our hearts and minds for fear that racial hatred could strike our lives at any time. Lily's story will stir every emotion you have. You'll wonder at the strength she had to survive while so many did not. Read this book and share with the generations in your family so they never forget either.

Despite this novel being written by a survivor of the Holocaust, it is very timely to today. Lily writes: "We mustn't live under any illusions. We must always be vigilant about intolerance. Its starts with words and thoughts. But that's just the beginning. You don't know where it might end." Throughout the world intolerance is still killing people. And I solely agree that sharing stories, like Lily's is a productive way to push bigotry aside and accept people who might be a little different from you. At the end of the day we are all human. The only thing that slightly disappointed me was the lack of awareness for Palestinians. Even later when she list human rights issues similar to the Holocaust, there's no mention of the apartheid in Israel.

However, I enjoyed the fact that this memoir didn't just end at liberation as most Holocaust books do. It was different to see how the trauma and impact didn't just end in 1945 - it continued through generations, continents, and decades after.

Overall, this book isn't the most sophisticated writing you'll read, but that's exactly what I think the point was. The author has TALKED to thousands of peoples over the years conveying her experience during the Holocaust. It read very conversationally to the point where you can picture having a chat with her. With that, I do wish there had been pictures that were mentioned in the book. Considering this book started with a picture and memorabilia from that time, it would have been nice to put pictures to the faces.

Thank you, NetGalley, for an e-ARC of Lily's Promise by Lily Ebert Dov Forman.
This is Lily's biography. A non-fiction memoir detailing a life of strength and resilience. A story written by Lily and her grandson, Dov. A story of hope and heartbreak.

I think it goes without saying that every one of these stories, especially when they are written as first hand accounts, are always freshly heartbreaking. This one is written by 97 year old Lily Ebert, and her Great Grandson. Can I just say how incredible it is for Lily to not only to have survived the Nazi hell of Aushwitz, but also for her to have lived now to be almost 100 years old! Quite remarkable! This story is a little different in that maybe only about 40 percent of the book is written about that time in Aushwitz. A good chunk of this novel covers Lily’s life after leaving Aushwitz, and the life she began to build in the years following her release. In spite of her challenges, Lily goes on to define the resilience of the human spirit as she rebuilds her life again and again as she marries, changes countries, has children, and finally becomes a sort of megaphone for those that had experienced this awful tragedy. This is a novel not only of remembrance for those that didn’t make it, but also a story of hope for those that lived. As Lily proves that the Nazis never succeeded in their Final Solution. Thank you to Netgalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review.

Born and raised in Hungary, during WWII Lily and her family are sent to Auschwitz. Her mother and two younger siblings are immediately sent to the gas showers and crematoria. Left with two of her sisters, Lily does everything that she can to make sure that they survive. At 98, Lily shares her story with her great grandchild, who begins posting her story in social media. Before long, Lily is a TikTok sensation.

Lily is a strong, determined, and courageous woman. Her story is extremely admirable and heartwarming. I could have done without the modern day story with her great grandson. That could have been covered in an epilogue. I really wanted to focus on Lily, not the present. Despite this criticism, I highly recommend this book.

A first hand account of surviving the Holocaust is always fascinating. Lily and her grandson give a detailed account of how Lily and her sisters survived, a horrifying time in the history of the world. This should be a reminder that the events were real and severe.

Based on the true story of the life of Lily Ebert, a Holocaust survivor. She vowed to share her experiences with the world if she survived, but then fear and emotional self-preservation kept her silent for many years.

When Lily was liberated in 1945, she was given a bank note with a message of hope from a a Jewish-American soldier. Decades later, her grandson, Dov, decided to use social media to see if he could find this mystery soldier. at 96 years old, Lily became an internet sensation. Now was her chance to tell her story to the world.

What a heart-wrenching story to walk through. I think these stories need to continue to be told so we don't forget and we can strive to live better lives. I was able to look the family up after reading this and I loved getting to know them a little better through stories and videos. Definitely recommend doing that after reading this!

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillon for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

LILY'S PROMISE;HOLDING ON TO HOPE THROUGH AUSCHWITZ-Lily Ebert

Received this free from Net Galley for the purpose of review.

Lily is a true story of Lily Ebert as collaborated with her great-grandson Dov Forman......Lily having been taken from her home, Hungary, with her two sisters determined to stay alive so others could know the truth. She was first sent to Auschwitz, the place we hear so much about as having existed. Auschwitz was a terrible place full of soldiers who were evil and cruel. Upon arriving in Auschwitz she and her two sisters were first stripped naked and shaved in front of soldiers and anyone else who was there. Humiliating, right? Then led to barracks with straw bedding and three to a single bunk bed. Their crime, they were Jewish.

There are things in this book that will break your heart and but also give renewed hope. Lily tells all the stories in appropriate verbiage but you get the idea. Lily managed to live thru starvation, dehydration, freezing cold temperatures without warm clothing. Well, if someone came in with a nice coat that was confiscated or a lady died in your barracks, you may get a a better one.

The girls were hard workers and made it their business to help others stay alive. As the war ended and camps were evacuated Lily and sisters were sent first to Israel and later London. In London Lily married, had children and this great grandson helped not only get the details but also located some of the other ladies who had been at Auschwitz.

I was struck with the determination and loyalty Lily had for her family. The follow-thru to tell and relive some quite heartbreaking stories was for us to have solid lessons in determination and loyalty as well as faith.

#NetGalley. #Lily's Promise. #Goodreads

#LilysPromise is a heartbreaking memoir beautifully written. The love that her grandson Dov has for her is beyond words. The atrocities that she live though during the Holocaust are hard to read. The fact that she is able to tell them is worth reading.

What a brave, heart-breaking, much need story. EVERYONE needs to read this book to understand the plight of the Jews during WW2. Not only during the war but the trials of finding a way back home after the war. Where did they go? Many were orphans. Please

Lily’s Promise is a powerful yet heartbreaking story. Truly demonstrates Power of love strength and hope.

I got an ARC of this book.

The book switches between Lily and her grandson. It was interesting to see the story from two perspectives, but I didn't need the grandson's perspective. It didn't really add more information or do anything but be a different voice suddenly. It didn't even seem to happen at a natural break in the story.

Honestly, all of my complaints about this book are that Ebert is generally not an amazing writer or there were weird choices, like her grandson having chapters. The story itself stands out as different than other memoirs as it seems evenly split between before the war, during the war, and the rest of Ebert's life. It gave an impressive story of someone's whole life, some that survived something unimaginable and kept surviving every day since.

I am so thankful for Ebert for telling her story.

Lily's Promise: How I Survived Auschwitz and Found the Strength to Live was a great book to read. I really enjoyed it. Five stars.

When I first heard of Lily Ebert and Dov Forman, the world was at an all time low. The pandemic was raging and our President was a hateful man whose propaganda campaign was reminiscent of that of Adolf Hitler. Worst yet, antisemitism was at an all-time high and Holocaust deniers seemed to be everywhere. Hope seemed to be a rarity at that time. And then Good Morning America featured a piece on a survivor who was getting her message about the Holocaust out to millions of people, thanks to some social media help from her great-grandson. Lily Ebert had survived Auschwitz and she had vowed to tell others what had happened to her and her people. Dov Forman helped her spread those words to more people than she could have ever imagined. They had recently published a book and I couldn't wait to get my hands on it.
Lily’s promise began on the high holy day of Yom Kippur, when Lily Ebert was a young woman struggling to survive in Auschwitz after the Nazis killed her mother and young brother and sister: she would survive and tell the world what happened to her and her family. Together with her two sisters, Lily did somehow survive. She even was able to find another brother who had been sent to a work camp before she and her family were taken and placed in cattle cars on their long journey to the concentration camp. She moved to Israel, married and had children, but she still hadn’t made good on her promise.
Why? Simply because the world wasn’t ready to hear it. Those who hadn’t suffered in the camps were not very receptive to hear about that suffering. Those who had experienced it really didn’t want to talk about it anymore. And Lily was suffering from PTSD, often unable to relive the horrific experiences she witnessed in the camps. Thus, she went years before she discussed losing her home in Hungary, her family, her friends, her hair, everything that made her innocent, until she moved to London with her ailing husband and found a survivors’ support group.
By now, many people wanted to know about the Holocaust and not just a polished overview, but what really happened in those concentration camps. And now, at last, Lily was finally able to tell her story. She was horrified at those who would deny what happened at the hands of the Nazis and she was determined to educate everyone by talking about her own experience. She traveled to schools and memorials, even to Auschwitz itself, to tell her tale. But the pandemic put a damper on her travels and she could only get the message to so many people this way.
Then her eighteen-year-old great-grandson Dov had a wonderful idea, creating social media pages for his safta and making Lily a TikTok sensation. Now, Lily could reach millions more people than she ever could on the road, at a time when spreading the word about what happened during the Holocaust was more important than ever. With many survivors having passed away, Lily, no spring chicken herself, didn’t want the horrors of those years to be lost on the living.
Lily’s Promise tells us the tale of a determined young woman who somehow managed to survive such horrors many people today could not even fathom, each day, wondering if it would be her turn to die or if she might have to watch her surviving sisters be led off to die as she had her mother and two youngest siblings. It tells us the tale of the woman who, once freed, still had trials to endure and a constant reminder of her ordeal in the visible form of a tattooed number on her arm and the less visible emotional strife that befalls survivors of great tragedies. But it also tells of a woman who was courageous enough to rise up and tell her story in the face of some great skepticism and antisemitism so that others should know the truth, hoping to prevent such genocide from ever happening again. Hers is a lofty goal, one not easily met in these days of denial and hate.
In my opinion, Lily’s Promise may be the most important book you read all year. When you do get the chance to read this incredibly captivating story of survival and perseverance (and my hope is you don’t wait), I challenge you not to just put it down when you’re done. Instead, gain inspiration from the story as I did and tell others about it. Spreading the word about the Holocaust and the genocide committed by the Nazis is the only way we can prevent history from being lost. Without the knowledge of what has happened in the past, history will be doomed to repeat itself.

A memoir that kicked me in the gut about what Lily Ebert, a Jew from Hungary endured during WW II and the sad events that continued throughout her long life - the death of her husband and eldest daughter, having to start a new life numerous times in different cities.
Lily is resilient and driven to see that no one forgets what millions endured during the Nazi Regime, a behavior that continues to this day through the genocides and invasions the continue to occur in this world.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57666919-lily-s-promise

I wish I had the words to let the world know exactly how heart wrenchingly good this book was! The concept of the book is very well done. I did honestly cry through a lot of it, it was that emotional and touching. If we all could read and appreciate what happened during this time, the world would be a better place. We can only hope to continue to educate and learn. Much love Lily!!

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by NetGalley.

o many of our children, do not truly, understand the horror and the human dental of the holocaust. I know when Miss Grace was had it in school it was more of a gloss over. When I had her from home schooling for Middle School we went in depth and she couldn't understand why it was so emotional for me. But I explained that when you listen to Holocaust survivors and see their faces and see the numbers on them you truly understand history is not in a book it is about the human cost