IN MY HANDS
By: Irene Gut Opdyke
“No matter how many Holocaust stories one has read, this one is a must, for its impact is so powerful.”—School Library Journal
Book Excerpt:
"We did not imagine where it would lead. How could we? To us, Germany had always been a seat of civilization, the home of poets and musicians, philosophers and scientists. We believed it was a rational, cultured country.
"How could we know that Germans did not feel the same about us? How could we know the depth of their scorn for us? Despite our centuries of glorious achievements, despite our Chopins and Copericuses, our cathedrals and our heros and our horses- despite all this, Germany viewed Poland as a land of Slavic brutes, fit only for labor. And also, Hitler wanted to destroy us."
In My Hands is the powerful memoir of author Irene Gut Opdyke, written with help from Jennifer Armstrong. The story starts with a young, 17 year old Opdyke, a Polish woman living during the Holocaust in 1939, the year Germany invades Poland. The political leader at the time was Adolf Hitler. She volunteers to fight with the Poles, and once they are defeated she is exiled along with the other soldiers. She ends up wandering from place to place and being attacked by Russians along the way. After being trapped in a Russian hospital, she makes her way back to Poland to be with her family for a short time. Not long after her arrival, she is assigned to work in the home of a German Army Major. There she serves the Nazis and supervises the working Jews. As time goes by, Opdyke starts to reach out and rescue the Jews. Soon, her relationship with the Major allows her to save the lives of a few people. Still, life for her is a struggle, and she is faced with many more challenges that she must overcome. In My Hands by Irene Gut Opdyke is an exteremely compelling book that captures the reader and opens your mind.
This book has 276 pages and it is available in hardcover and paperback.
Irene Gut Opdyke: 1922-2003
Polish Exterminations Camps
Jews Digging Graves & Auschwitz Concentration Camp
Read What Others Think About the Book and an Excerpt
This site has reviews from the media. The site also has information about the author and you are able to read what is inside the jacket cover of the book.
Student Review
In My Hands by Irene Gut Opdyke is a moving story. It is somewhat easy to read, and is a page turner too, one will always want to know what happens next. People who really like non-fiction books or stories about the Holocaust would love this book. This book is a good read for a wide variety of readers, and many people would enjoy it. Whether you like non-fiction or not, this story is very touching. It is a true testament to the many people affected by the Holocaust. Through a dark time in the world's history, people like Opdyke and other rescuers shed light in the darkness with their bravery, kindness, and humanity.
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