Escape in Time

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.

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.

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.

Although sad, I liked reading this story of the survival of a Jewish family in Hungry dusting WWII. The illustrations are very sweet & really add to the feel of the story. Thank you for my advance copy, Netgalley.

A truly remarkable story.

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.

I've read a lot of stories about World War Two and the Holocaust. It was a particular area of interest to me when I was doing history in school. This story was a haunting tale of one family's amazing survival through that dreadful time.

The Eneman family were Jews in Hungary when the Nazi regime came into power and their lives were turned upside down. Through reading her grandmother's memoir, Nessya discovers the horrific truth that her grandmother has kept hidden for so many years.

I found this story to be utterly entrancing. After reading many accounts of survivors from the war, it still shocks me every time when you read about the brutality of the time, the anti-Semitic ways of the Germans and others... I still can't get my head around it.

The Eneman's were an incredibly resourceful family and through the memoir, and some letters that were sent to family members, we, along with Nessya, discover the terrible ordeals that each member had to go through in order to survive.

The illustrations are beautifully done. Really striking and capturing the moments described in the story.

For anyone who has an interest in true accounts from the war time, an interest in the history from that particular period that isn't set in France, Germany, or the UK... I would definitely recommend this read.

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.

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.

I loved reading this book. It is about a girl learning about her family's role in the Holocaust and getting closer to her Grandmother in the process. The story is really interesting and remarkable. Reading stories about the Holocaust ensure we will always remember it and learn from our mistakes so that it never happens again. I truly think that most kids should be reading books like this and they should be better educated. I have a better review on my blog with the link below. Thank you for my review copy!

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

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.

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.

Fantastic book for young and old readers alike! A touching and informative story about Jews and the Holocaust, told from the Hungarian/Czech experiences. I feel little is taught of the struggles and history of WW II on the eastern front in regular US History classes in school. This gave me a better understanding of that history and time period, as well as evidence of modern day miracles and the bonds of family ties. A must read!

'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.

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.