Description
"From Heather Morris, the New York Times bestselling author of the multi-million copy bestseller The Tattooist of Auschwitz and Cilka's Journey: a story of family, courage, and resilience, inspired by a true story. Against all odds, three Slovakian sisters have survived years of imprisonment in the most notorious death camp in Nazi Germany: Auschwitz. Livia, Magda, and Cibi have clung together, nearly died from starvation and overwork, and the brutal whims of the guards in this place of horror. But now, the allies are closing in and the sisters have one last hurdle to face: the death march from Auschwitz, as the Nazis try to erase any evidence of the prisoners held there. Due to a last minute stroke of luck, the three of them are able to escape formation and hide in the woods for days before being rescued. And this is where the story begins. From there, the three sisters travel to Israel, to their new home, but the battle for freedom takes on new forms. Livia, Magda, and Cibi must face the ghosts of their past--and some secrets that they have kept from each other--to find true peace and happiness. Inspired by a true story, and with events that overlap with those of Lale, Gita, and Cilka, The Three Sisters will hold a place in readers' hearts and minds as they experience what true courage really is"--… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member alekee
Three young sisters, Livia, Magda, and Cibi, make a promise to their fathers that resonates for the rest of their lives, they will always be there for one another. Never realizing at the time how much that pledge would impact their lives.
The author does an amazing job of bringing this true story to
Travel with these sisters from Slovakia to Auschwitz, on the death march, and finally to the Promise Land of Israel, and the aftermath that affected their lives.
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher St. Martin’s Press, and was not required to give a positive review.
The author does an amazing job of bringing this true story to
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life, and we are along on the journey. Not an easy road, and you might want the tissues handy, but we are aware of the horrors that happened in Europe during the reign of terror that engulfed this horrible time in history.Travel with these sisters from Slovakia to Auschwitz, on the death march, and finally to the Promise Land of Israel, and the aftermath that affected their lives.
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher St. Martin’s Press, and was not required to give a positive review.
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LibraryThing member CassiesBooksReader
Three Sisters by Heather Morris is a Historical Novel Nazi prison camps in World War II. This book is based on the true survival story of three sisters in Nazi Germany.
Heather Morris' characters come alive as she weaves the story of their lives. I especially enjoyed that each sister’s life was
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. I appreciate the opportunity and thank the author and publisher for allowing me to read, enjoy and review this book. 5 Stars
Heather Morris' characters come alive as she weaves the story of their lives. I especially enjoyed that each sister’s life was
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told from youth to old age. A true story isn’t complete without knowing the entire story. Heather Morris tells their heartbreaking but inspiring memoir with feeling.I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. I appreciate the opportunity and thank the author and publisher for allowing me to read, enjoy and review this book. 5 Stars
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LibraryThing member SilversReviews
The sisters promised their father that they would always stay together, but can that happen when WWII begins and one of the sisters is summoned by the Germans?
Livi is ordered to report to the train station and to Auschwitz. Her sister Cibi can’t let her go alone so she reports too.
Their sister
The two sisters endure the horrors and hardships of the camp together and welcome their sister even though it isn't a pleasant reunion.
All three do not leave each other’s side and endure together.
As the war ends and the prisoners are on a march, the sisters and other women run and escape.
Heartwrenching, heartbreaking, and well written with hope being what gets them through it all.
We then follow the sisters as they leave their country for Israel but never have the horror of their concentration camp ordeals out of their minds.
This is a true story told to Heather Morris by two of the three sisters who are still living in Israel with their extended family.
The acknowledgements by the children will bring tears to your eyes.
Another well-done, well-researched book by Ms. Morris. 5/5
This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Livi is ordered to report to the train station and to Auschwitz. Her sister Cibi can’t let her go alone so she reports too.
Their sister
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Magda was in the hospital so at this time was not required to report. She does have to hide, but to no avail. Magda is sent to the camp too a few years later.The two sisters endure the horrors and hardships of the camp together and welcome their sister even though it isn't a pleasant reunion.
All three do not leave each other’s side and endure together.
As the war ends and the prisoners are on a march, the sisters and other women run and escape.
Heartwrenching, heartbreaking, and well written with hope being what gets them through it all.
We then follow the sisters as they leave their country for Israel but never have the horror of their concentration camp ordeals out of their minds.
This is a true story told to Heather Morris by two of the three sisters who are still living in Israel with their extended family.
The acknowledgements by the children will bring tears to your eyes.
Another well-done, well-researched book by Ms. Morris. 5/5
This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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LibraryThing member LoriKBoyd
4.5 Stars rounded up to 5
An ailing father extracts a promise from three young sisters, Cibi, Magda, and Livi, to always stay together, no matter what. Little do they realize that this will be the most challenging promise of their lives. This is a story of love, resilience and dedication to family.
This is the third book in the Tattooist of Auschwitz series, but definitely can be read as a stand-alone. I have yet to read The Tattooist, but have read Cilka’s Journey, and have had no issues following the storyline. As in the previous book, you will find how these prisoners will do whatever they need to do to survive, without judging any others.
I would have loved to have learned more about their lives in Israel, since I knew very little about this part of the history. Make sure you read the Afterwords, and learn how this book came about and the women behind it. To say I loved a book about this horrendous time in history, sounds harsh, but I enjoyed reading this from teenager/early 20s point of view, and each story brings in new insight. Well written and researched. You take every step with these sisters as they fight to stay together, find family and seek out happiness and love.
Thanks to Ms. Morris, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone.
An ailing father extracts a promise from three young sisters, Cibi, Magda, and Livi, to always stay together, no matter what. Little do they realize that this will be the most challenging promise of their lives. This is a story of love, resilience and dedication to family.
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Your heart will break, as in any story of this kind, for what these young girls will have to endure, what they will witness, and the strength of their will, character and heart. From the death camps to returning home to making a new home in a new country. These sisters will show what it takes to keep a promise. This is the third book in the Tattooist of Auschwitz series, but definitely can be read as a stand-alone. I have yet to read The Tattooist, but have read Cilka’s Journey, and have had no issues following the storyline. As in the previous book, you will find how these prisoners will do whatever they need to do to survive, without judging any others.
I would have loved to have learned more about their lives in Israel, since I knew very little about this part of the history. Make sure you read the Afterwords, and learn how this book came about and the women behind it. To say I loved a book about this horrendous time in history, sounds harsh, but I enjoyed reading this from teenager/early 20s point of view, and each story brings in new insight. Well written and researched. You take every step with these sisters as they fight to stay together, find family and seek out happiness and love.
Thanks to Ms. Morris, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone.
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LibraryThing member fredreeca
Before their father passed away, he made his three daughters make a promise. Livia, Magda, and Cibi must do everything in their power to stay together. They each take this promise, and they do stay together, for the most part. Then WWII happens and the three are separated. Two are able to stay
This story is heart wrenching in so many places. How these three survived is an amazing tale. They survived because of kindness of others or just by chance and sheer luck. And their tale does not stop after Auschwitz. They continue to live not far from each other and share in their trials and tribulations.
Heather Morris has done it again. I am amazed at the research which went into this novel. And the narrator, Finty Williams did an excellent job, perfect inflection and voices. She really brought the story to life!
Need a dang good novel that you will think about for days after…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
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together in a concentration camp. But the third is saved from their fate because of a Christian doctor. However, after a few years, they all three end up together in Auschwitz. The horrors they have seen and experienced live with them throughout the years to come.This story is heart wrenching in so many places. How these three survived is an amazing tale. They survived because of kindness of others or just by chance and sheer luck. And their tale does not stop after Auschwitz. They continue to live not far from each other and share in their trials and tribulations.
Heather Morris has done it again. I am amazed at the research which went into this novel. And the narrator, Finty Williams did an excellent job, perfect inflection and voices. She really brought the story to life!
Need a dang good novel that you will think about for days after…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
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LibraryThing member thewanderingjew
Three Sisters, Heather Morris, author; Finty Williams, narrator
On the eve of an operation which might take his life, a father asked his three little girls, age 3, 5 and 7, to make a promise to him as his wife watched with tear filled eyes. Each of them, even the youngest, agreed to always stick
In the third book of the series, Livia, Magda and Cibi, listed in order of age, from younger to older, struggle to keep their promise to their father during the time of the Holocaust, and after. Each of the young Jewish women possesses a different strength of character, but each had character. They came from a loving observant family. Their path from Slovakia to Israel was fraught with danger, caprice, misfortune, and serendipity. The survival of Jews was dependent on luck, time and place, rare kindness and compassion. The existence of resentment and hatred toward innocent people because of one’s own personal failure and greed was rampant in Germany. The silence of the world in the face of that hate and barbarism was even more prevalent and incomprehensible.
The detailed descriptions of the lives of those who lived through that bloody stain on history’s doorstep is intense and broad. In every book in this series there is something to learn about that hateful period of time, and those hateful people who pursued and participated in Hitler’s effort to create the Third Reich, their dream, which was truly a nightmare for its victims. Those who survived, carried the scars and memories with them for the rest of their lives, and this book, along with the first two, highlight not only their courage, but their continued ability to find a scrap of hope and even optimism, in the face of the most horrible of circumstances, and that was what helped some of them to make it through with barely a spark of life left within their bodies. The guilt of the survivor’s is palpable, however. Who can know why some survived and some didn’t, some were able to hide and some were caught, some went meekly and unsuspectingly to their deaths and some fought back to little or no avail. Some behaved reprehensibly. Eventually, though, David slew Goliath, but it was a long time coming.
In every book about the Holocaust, I learn something new about the Hellish time. I had never heard of the punishment they were subjected to called The Hole, nor had I ever read about the difference between the number of numbers tattooed on the arms of those in Auschwitz and how it affected the life or death of the victims. To tell more of this story would rob future readers of the unique learning experience achieved from reading the three novels in this series. Because they are written as novels, they are easier to take, but the reality is that the barbarism described actually did occur. The book’s importance is in the need to remember that such evil exists so we are never as complacent again, so that we never stand by silently while others are abused because it advantages us over them. Sadly, we may be witnessing such apathy, once again, today, in our own backyards. During the war, their own kind turned on them in order to survive, some were depraved, some never knew the depths to which they would descend in order to survive, some showed supreme courage and some did not, but all were victims of the depravity of others. No one was totally innocent, except the victims who had no choice; the perpetrators and complicit certainly did. The existence of G-d was often questioned, and I imagine, still is today, but Israel raised generations of soldiers who will never be lambs led to the slaughter again.
So, the book examines “survivor’s guilt”, belief in G-d, and man’s inhumanity to man thoroughly, because even after the war ended, it continued without pause, but it ends with hope and optimism for a better and kinder future. The books in the series tell the complete story of days that will live in infamy, and of days whose memory will hopefully prevent a recurrence, for evil personified was and is not imaginary.
On the eve of an operation which might take his life, a father asked his three little girls, age 3, 5 and 7, to make a promise to him as his wife watched with tear filled eyes. Each of them, even the youngest, agreed to always stick
Show More
together and take care of each other. With what awaited them, their promise was put to the test. Would they be able to keep it? Only time would tell. In the third book of the series, Livia, Magda and Cibi, listed in order of age, from younger to older, struggle to keep their promise to their father during the time of the Holocaust, and after. Each of the young Jewish women possesses a different strength of character, but each had character. They came from a loving observant family. Their path from Slovakia to Israel was fraught with danger, caprice, misfortune, and serendipity. The survival of Jews was dependent on luck, time and place, rare kindness and compassion. The existence of resentment and hatred toward innocent people because of one’s own personal failure and greed was rampant in Germany. The silence of the world in the face of that hate and barbarism was even more prevalent and incomprehensible.
The detailed descriptions of the lives of those who lived through that bloody stain on history’s doorstep is intense and broad. In every book in this series there is something to learn about that hateful period of time, and those hateful people who pursued and participated in Hitler’s effort to create the Third Reich, their dream, which was truly a nightmare for its victims. Those who survived, carried the scars and memories with them for the rest of their lives, and this book, along with the first two, highlight not only their courage, but their continued ability to find a scrap of hope and even optimism, in the face of the most horrible of circumstances, and that was what helped some of them to make it through with barely a spark of life left within their bodies. The guilt of the survivor’s is palpable, however. Who can know why some survived and some didn’t, some were able to hide and some were caught, some went meekly and unsuspectingly to their deaths and some fought back to little or no avail. Some behaved reprehensibly. Eventually, though, David slew Goliath, but it was a long time coming.
In every book about the Holocaust, I learn something new about the Hellish time. I had never heard of the punishment they were subjected to called The Hole, nor had I ever read about the difference between the number of numbers tattooed on the arms of those in Auschwitz and how it affected the life or death of the victims. To tell more of this story would rob future readers of the unique learning experience achieved from reading the three novels in this series. Because they are written as novels, they are easier to take, but the reality is that the barbarism described actually did occur. The book’s importance is in the need to remember that such evil exists so we are never as complacent again, so that we never stand by silently while others are abused because it advantages us over them. Sadly, we may be witnessing such apathy, once again, today, in our own backyards. During the war, their own kind turned on them in order to survive, some were depraved, some never knew the depths to which they would descend in order to survive, some showed supreme courage and some did not, but all were victims of the depravity of others. No one was totally innocent, except the victims who had no choice; the perpetrators and complicit certainly did. The existence of G-d was often questioned, and I imagine, still is today, but Israel raised generations of soldiers who will never be lambs led to the slaughter again.
So, the book examines “survivor’s guilt”, belief in G-d, and man’s inhumanity to man thoroughly, because even after the war ended, it continued without pause, but it ends with hope and optimism for a better and kinder future. The books in the series tell the complete story of days that will live in infamy, and of days whose memory will hopefully prevent a recurrence, for evil personified was and is not imaginary.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Eamace
It will take more than the soil of a new earth under their fingernails to feel safe again.
What is in a promise? For Cibi, Magda and Livi it was the will to survive unspeakable horrors, grief, guilt and more. So much has been written about Auschwitz, Birkenau and other concentration camps but to
This amazing tale of wits and courage was received through St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley. These impressions are my own and were in no way solicited.
What is in a promise? For Cibi, Magda and Livi it was the will to survive unspeakable horrors, grief, guilt and more. So much has been written about Auschwitz, Birkenau and other concentration camps but to
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hear the details from those that experienced it and survived is almost surreal. The author did not try to sugarcoat the details. It certainly made me want to hold those dear to me very close. Join this family as they relate what it was like to be Jewish during WW2.This amazing tale of wits and courage was received through St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley. These impressions are my own and were in no way solicited.
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LibraryThing member JHSColloquium
Three Sisters by Heather Morris is the harrowing but inspiring tale of Cibi, Magda and Livi, who grew up in Slovakia. Their father was wounded during World War I and, twelve years later, will undergo surgery to remove a bullet lodged in his neck. Before the procedure, he asks his three young
Thirteen years later, in 1942, the girls begin to comprehend the importance and ramifications of the promise they made to their father. Rumors are rampant in their village that the Nazsi are forcing Jewish boys and girls sixteen years old and older to work for them. Seventeen-year-old Magda is ill so the doctor hospitalizes her in order for her to remain safe for the time being. Livi is fifteen and the eldest, Cibi, has gone away to a training program that provides young people the necessary skills to begin a new life in Palestine, but soon returns home to find that Livi has indeed been ordered to report to the synagogue. From there, she will be transported to an undisclosed location, allegedly to work for the Germans. Cibi assures her mother that she will accompany Livi. As their mother sobs in the doorway, the two girls bravely proceed to the synagogue where they, along with many others, are herded into a classroom. After a long night there, they are marched down the streets to the train station. As Cibi and Livi pass by, they are stunned to discover that "their former friends and neighbors are hurling rotten fruit and stale bread at their heads, yelling their joy that the Jews are finally living." They can't understand what has happened to the people who shopped in their mother's store and sought her counsel. It is only the beginning of the girls' long nightmare.
Morris details the girls' unimaginable experiences. They are forced into cattle wagons at the end of a train and transported to Auschwitz where "shaven-headed, hollow-cheeked men . . . swarm the train. In blue and white striped shirts and trousers, they move like rats fleeing a sinking ship as they clamber in to the wagons and begin to throw the girls' suitcases onto the platform." Their few belongings are confiscated and Cibi tells Livi, "We will eat stones, nails, and whatever we can get our hands on, but we must survive this place."
The girls quickly learn that they must keep working in order to survive, as rumors swirl of a bunker below ground where prisoners enter alive and are carried out dead. They watch vindictive guards kill prisoners who don't work fast or hard enough, or otherwise displease them, and are forced to carry the bodies of other girls back to Auschwitz at the end of a grueling day of work. Cibi watches over Livi as she grows thinner, and memories of home and family seem like just a dream.
Five months after their arrival, they are told they are being transferred to Birkenau, a camp for women. But a fellow prisoner warns them not to get into a truck. "You must walk -- understand?" The only way to stay alive is to show the Germans that they are strong and can keep working, no matter how horrendous the conditions. The SS make selections during the morning rollcall, marking those who appear sick or weak for extermination. Even as typhus sweeps through the camp, every girl knows that if she remains in her bunk in the morning, she will be dead by the time the other prisoners return that night. So when Cibi has a raging fever, the other prisoners half carry her to and from Auschwitz where they are assigned to work each day. Every time they pass through the gates, they must walk unaided past the guards., and they are forced to stand naked to be inspected for injuries or sores that will immediately consign them to death. They are given a brief reprieve on Christmas Day because the guards are celebrating. But Cibi refuses to offer any more nightly prayers, telling Livi, "No one is listening to us."
Meanwhile, Magda remains at home with Chaya and Yitzchak, hiding in a neighbor's house or the forest when the Nazis search the houses every Friday night. Magda questions the point of hiding, telling Chaya, "They will get me sooner or later, and maybe this way, I can join Cibi and Livi." But Chaya is determined not to let the Nazis take her remaining daughter, selling what few belongings she has left in order to buy food.
But eventually, of course, the Nazis are not satisfied to simply enslave the young. Uncle Ivan has learned they "are coming for all of us," as they remove every Jew from Slovakia. In 1944, they are forced from their home, and Magda is separated from Chaya and Yitzchak. She is first taken to Ilava prison, and then transported to Birkenau where, miraculously, she is reunited with her sisters. But not for long. Soon Cibi and Livi are transferred back to Auschwitz, leaving Magda despondent and abandoned.
By late 1944, planes are flying overhead and the girls hear missiles being dropped. They are given yet another miracle by Elisabeth Volkenrath, a beautiful young SS officer who oversees Cibi's work in the post office. She facilitates a second reunion of the three sisters.
But even as the war comes to an end, the sisters must survive a grueling death march with a multitude of other female prisoners in order to make their way to real freedom.
Morris, author of The Tattooist of Auschwitz and Cilka's Journey, has penned another powerful account of perseverance and survival during a period of history that must never be forgotten. Morris writes in an appropriately straight-forward manner about a subject that needs no embellishment. As with those two prior books, Morris conducted extensive research to ensure accuracy. She was fortunate to meet with Livi and many members of the family, and credibly conveys their emotions. Key events are depicted in the book exactly as they happened, including the heartbreaking moment when Cibi begs a Nazi commander to spare the lives of their mother and grandfather. Chaya's last words to Cibi were, "Look after your sisters, my darling," as she was taken to her death.
A good portion of the book is devoted to the sisters' lives after World War II when they questioned the decisions they made during the war and wrestled with survivor's guilt, questioning whether they deserved to love and be happy again. Even though the war was over, the world was still not a welcoming place for Jews and when they returned to Slovakia they encountered "everyday acts[s] of racism." Morris details the fraught journey Magda and Livi make to a new home, "desperate to believe the memories which haunt them will magically disappear once they set foot in Israel." It is not that simple, of course, but they gradually learn to "embrace the future with an open heart" after enduring so much suffering.
Morris compellingly chronicles how the three sisters' promise became a part of them and, by living up to it, they saved themselves and each other. The Three Sisters is the remarkable story of three young women who refused to give in or give up, and thrived because of their steadfastness. They survived unspeakable atrocities so they could pass their stories from generation to generation. Livi told her growing children, "You are my victory. My family is my victory." Three Sisters is the lovingly-crafted documentation of that victory. -- a must-read for students of history.
Thanks to NetGalley for an Advanced Reader's Copy of the book.
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daughters to make a promise to him and each other that they will "always be there for one another, no matter what. That you will not allow anything to take you away from each other." The next day he dies on the operating table, and their maternal grandfather, Yitzchak, moves into their small cottage to assist their mother, Chaya. Their uncle, Ivan, lives across the street with his family and provides support, as well.Thirteen years later, in 1942, the girls begin to comprehend the importance and ramifications of the promise they made to their father. Rumors are rampant in their village that the Nazsi are forcing Jewish boys and girls sixteen years old and older to work for them. Seventeen-year-old Magda is ill so the doctor hospitalizes her in order for her to remain safe for the time being. Livi is fifteen and the eldest, Cibi, has gone away to a training program that provides young people the necessary skills to begin a new life in Palestine, but soon returns home to find that Livi has indeed been ordered to report to the synagogue. From there, she will be transported to an undisclosed location, allegedly to work for the Germans. Cibi assures her mother that she will accompany Livi. As their mother sobs in the doorway, the two girls bravely proceed to the synagogue where they, along with many others, are herded into a classroom. After a long night there, they are marched down the streets to the train station. As Cibi and Livi pass by, they are stunned to discover that "their former friends and neighbors are hurling rotten fruit and stale bread at their heads, yelling their joy that the Jews are finally living." They can't understand what has happened to the people who shopped in their mother's store and sought her counsel. It is only the beginning of the girls' long nightmare.
Morris details the girls' unimaginable experiences. They are forced into cattle wagons at the end of a train and transported to Auschwitz where "shaven-headed, hollow-cheeked men . . . swarm the train. In blue and white striped shirts and trousers, they move like rats fleeing a sinking ship as they clamber in to the wagons and begin to throw the girls' suitcases onto the platform." Their few belongings are confiscated and Cibi tells Livi, "We will eat stones, nails, and whatever we can get our hands on, but we must survive this place."
The girls quickly learn that they must keep working in order to survive, as rumors swirl of a bunker below ground where prisoners enter alive and are carried out dead. They watch vindictive guards kill prisoners who don't work fast or hard enough, or otherwise displease them, and are forced to carry the bodies of other girls back to Auschwitz at the end of a grueling day of work. Cibi watches over Livi as she grows thinner, and memories of home and family seem like just a dream.
Five months after their arrival, they are told they are being transferred to Birkenau, a camp for women. But a fellow prisoner warns them not to get into a truck. "You must walk -- understand?" The only way to stay alive is to show the Germans that they are strong and can keep working, no matter how horrendous the conditions. The SS make selections during the morning rollcall, marking those who appear sick or weak for extermination. Even as typhus sweeps through the camp, every girl knows that if she remains in her bunk in the morning, she will be dead by the time the other prisoners return that night. So when Cibi has a raging fever, the other prisoners half carry her to and from Auschwitz where they are assigned to work each day. Every time they pass through the gates, they must walk unaided past the guards., and they are forced to stand naked to be inspected for injuries or sores that will immediately consign them to death. They are given a brief reprieve on Christmas Day because the guards are celebrating. But Cibi refuses to offer any more nightly prayers, telling Livi, "No one is listening to us."
Meanwhile, Magda remains at home with Chaya and Yitzchak, hiding in a neighbor's house or the forest when the Nazis search the houses every Friday night. Magda questions the point of hiding, telling Chaya, "They will get me sooner or later, and maybe this way, I can join Cibi and Livi." But Chaya is determined not to let the Nazis take her remaining daughter, selling what few belongings she has left in order to buy food.
But eventually, of course, the Nazis are not satisfied to simply enslave the young. Uncle Ivan has learned they "are coming for all of us," as they remove every Jew from Slovakia. In 1944, they are forced from their home, and Magda is separated from Chaya and Yitzchak. She is first taken to Ilava prison, and then transported to Birkenau where, miraculously, she is reunited with her sisters. But not for long. Soon Cibi and Livi are transferred back to Auschwitz, leaving Magda despondent and abandoned.
By late 1944, planes are flying overhead and the girls hear missiles being dropped. They are given yet another miracle by Elisabeth Volkenrath, a beautiful young SS officer who oversees Cibi's work in the post office. She facilitates a second reunion of the three sisters.
But even as the war comes to an end, the sisters must survive a grueling death march with a multitude of other female prisoners in order to make their way to real freedom.
Morris, author of The Tattooist of Auschwitz and Cilka's Journey, has penned another powerful account of perseverance and survival during a period of history that must never be forgotten. Morris writes in an appropriately straight-forward manner about a subject that needs no embellishment. As with those two prior books, Morris conducted extensive research to ensure accuracy. She was fortunate to meet with Livi and many members of the family, and credibly conveys their emotions. Key events are depicted in the book exactly as they happened, including the heartbreaking moment when Cibi begs a Nazi commander to spare the lives of their mother and grandfather. Chaya's last words to Cibi were, "Look after your sisters, my darling," as she was taken to her death.
A good portion of the book is devoted to the sisters' lives after World War II when they questioned the decisions they made during the war and wrestled with survivor's guilt, questioning whether they deserved to love and be happy again. Even though the war was over, the world was still not a welcoming place for Jews and when they returned to Slovakia they encountered "everyday acts[s] of racism." Morris details the fraught journey Magda and Livi make to a new home, "desperate to believe the memories which haunt them will magically disappear once they set foot in Israel." It is not that simple, of course, but they gradually learn to "embrace the future with an open heart" after enduring so much suffering.
Morris compellingly chronicles how the three sisters' promise became a part of them and, by living up to it, they saved themselves and each other. The Three Sisters is the remarkable story of three young women who refused to give in or give up, and thrived because of their steadfastness. They survived unspeakable atrocities so they could pass their stories from generation to generation. Livi told her growing children, "You are my victory. My family is my victory." Three Sisters is the lovingly-crafted documentation of that victory. -- a must-read for students of history.
Thanks to NetGalley for an Advanced Reader's Copy of the book.
Show Less
LibraryThing member BettyTaylor56
I have now read and enjoyed all three of the books in this series by Heather Morris. However, each book can be read as a standalone.
Cibi, Magda, and Livi grew up in Slovakia. When the Jews began being persecuted, their father made them promise to stay together and to always protect each other. Cibi
The strength and bravery shown by these three young ladies was astonishing. Their love and devotion for each other got them through the worst of times. Morris tells of the final death march the girls took and how they escaped. They returned to Slovakia and then on to Israel.
I enjoy Morris’ style of writing – straightforward and mostly non-emotional.
Cibi, Magda, and Livi grew up in Slovakia. When the Jews began being persecuted, their father made them promise to stay together and to always protect each other. Cibi
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and Livi are taken from their parents in March 1942. Two years later Magda is captured and joins her sisters in Auschwitz.The strength and bravery shown by these three young ladies was astonishing. Their love and devotion for each other got them through the worst of times. Morris tells of the final death march the girls took and how they escaped. They returned to Slovakia and then on to Israel.
I enjoy Morris’ style of writing – straightforward and mostly non-emotional.
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LibraryThing member Micareads
Thanks to Netgalley, Heather Morris, and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to receive an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Livia, Magda, and Cibi are as close as sisters can be. They have made a promise to their father before his death that they would always stay
While Magda is hospitalized to try to keep her safe from the Nazis, the youngest sister Livi is ordered to "work for the Nazis" and Cibi goes with her, keeping her promise to her father. Their trip finds them at Auschwitz where they deal with the horrors of watching people die and learning how to get through the day-to-day of a concentration camp. Two years later, the sisters are reunited in Auschwitz and have each other to lean on during the worst times. As the Germans face a certain defeat, prisoners are taken on a death march where they escape before the Nazis can kill them.
After World War II has ended, the sisters are settled in Slovakia. They restart their lives there until Livi decides that she want to head to Israel to set up a new home. Magda makes the trip with her with Cibi and her family following shortly. The sisters end up married and raising their children in Israel. The epilogue shows all the sisters and their families in America and having a celebration where they remember their promise to their father knowing that they have kept it.
I have read Morris' other books in this series, The Tattooist of Auschwitz and Cilka's Journey. While Lale, the tattooist, is noted briefly in this story he does not play a large part. This is a historical fiction with a touch of biography as the author is relaying actual events in the sister's lives. Heather Morris takes the time to devote a section to the book to let us know where the characters in the story ended up.
Livia, Magda, and Cibi are as close as sisters can be. They have made a promise to their father before his death that they would always stay
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together and look after each other. That promise will be tested sooner than they know.While Magda is hospitalized to try to keep her safe from the Nazis, the youngest sister Livi is ordered to "work for the Nazis" and Cibi goes with her, keeping her promise to her father. Their trip finds them at Auschwitz where they deal with the horrors of watching people die and learning how to get through the day-to-day of a concentration camp. Two years later, the sisters are reunited in Auschwitz and have each other to lean on during the worst times. As the Germans face a certain defeat, prisoners are taken on a death march where they escape before the Nazis can kill them.
After World War II has ended, the sisters are settled in Slovakia. They restart their lives there until Livi decides that she want to head to Israel to set up a new home. Magda makes the trip with her with Cibi and her family following shortly. The sisters end up married and raising their children in Israel. The epilogue shows all the sisters and their families in America and having a celebration where they remember their promise to their father knowing that they have kept it.
I have read Morris' other books in this series, The Tattooist of Auschwitz and Cilka's Journey. While Lale, the tattooist, is noted briefly in this story he does not play a large part. This is a historical fiction with a touch of biography as the author is relaying actual events in the sister's lives. Heather Morris takes the time to devote a section to the book to let us know where the characters in the story ended up.
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LibraryThing member marquis784
Thank you to NetGalley and St.Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this novel. My voluntary review is my honest and unbiased opinion.
In Vranov nad Topl’ou, Slovakia Menachem and Chaya Meller raise their three daughters, Cibi (7yo), Magda (5 yo), and Livi (3 yo).
It’s June of 1929,
The overlaps in places where they get tattooed by Lale Sokolov and see Gita who were characters in book one.this is a heart felt historical account of three real sisters who survived the unthinkable. The author includes notes at the end of the book regarding the real people on which the characters were based. The author also has the opportunity to meet the women and hear their remarkable life story.
In Vranov nad Topl’ou, Slovakia Menachem and Chaya Meller raise their three daughters, Cibi (7yo), Magda (5 yo), and Livi (3 yo).
It’s June of 1929,
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Menachem had been living with a bullet that was lodged in his neck for the past 12 years since the Great War. He decides to have the surgery although he was told it was an extremely risky procedure. Before he has surgery he asks that his daughters all take care of each other. Unfortunately, Menachem dies on the operating room table leaving Chaya to raise the 3 daughters with the help of Yitzchak, Chaya’s father and Ivan, Chaya’s brother. In March 1942, Chaya has to make a difficult decision when Magda, now 17 yo, develops a fever and needs to be hospitalized. Cibi, who is 19 yo, has gone off to join the Hachshara which was a training program for young people to teach them survival skills. The ultimate goal was to escape and start a new life in Palestine. Because she is away she is unaware that her sister is sick until she returns home for a visit. It’s during her visit that she learns the unfortunate news that Magda is in the hospital and the Glinka Guards for Hitler announce that they are taking Livi to the camp even though she was only 15 years old. Cibi decides that she must honor her fathers wishes by going with Livi to the camp to protect her since Cibi had learned a lot living in the forest. Magda is kept in the hospital to protect her from the Germans until she realizes that both of her sisters are away in camp. Magda fights to join them in the camp as she felt her father would want them together. The overlaps in places where they get tattooed by Lale Sokolov and see Gita who were characters in book one.this is a heart felt historical account of three real sisters who survived the unthinkable. The author includes notes at the end of the book regarding the real people on which the characters were based. The author also has the opportunity to meet the women and hear their remarkable life story.
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LibraryThing member Jacsun
This is a heart-wrenching story based on actual events. Three very young Jewish sisters made a life-time promise to their father that they would always be there for each other no matter what. This promise followed them through an excruciating journey of beatings, starvation and abusive acts from
Just like the other two previous books in the series -- Tattooist of Auschwitz and Cilka's Journey -- this is another incredibly emotional WWII story with the characters holding on tight to love, hope and strength. While all of these books are excellent in a series, each one can be read independently.
This story is about three sisters. Civi and Livi were teenagers when they were taken from their mother and grandfather's home in Slovakia to be transported to Auschwitz otherwise known as the "Gates of Hell" in Poland. They quickly learned how to survive in the bitter cold with little or no food or clothes and lots of fleas in their beds. Everyone in the camp knew of the unthinkable - that thousands of Jews each day were brought there to be gassed and murdered.
When they first arrived, they weren't sure what happened to their middle sister, Magda. They were hoping she was still safe at home with their mother. But they were desperate to find out her status knowing that they would be stronger together if she was taken to one of the prison camps. They were prohibited from receiving any messages or hearing the news from the outside areas.
The girls were careful with their words and actions knowing that, "everything was designed to keep the prisoners in a perpetual state of fear." With their numbers tattooed to their arms, they understood their jobs and did the best they could to keep their heads up high with these unbearable conditions. Yet, there were times when they felt like they were not sure if they would wake up to another day.
The book was very well written as it shows the true strength of family and survival with clear images of the sisters and surroundings. Some will want to read it at a slow pace as there is a a great deal to devour. The story leaves the reader with a powerful message that this can never happen again. Yet, with all the evil, cruelty, brutal killings and crimes, there were tiny pieces of kind acts during the war. At the end, the author gives the reader the birth and death dates of the sisters and their family members along with some special notes.
My thanks to Heather Morris, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read this advanced copy with an expected release date of October 5, 2021.
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the Nazis during WWII. Yet, the sisters had the endurance to support each other with great determination.Just like the other two previous books in the series -- Tattooist of Auschwitz and Cilka's Journey -- this is another incredibly emotional WWII story with the characters holding on tight to love, hope and strength. While all of these books are excellent in a series, each one can be read independently.
This story is about three sisters. Civi and Livi were teenagers when they were taken from their mother and grandfather's home in Slovakia to be transported to Auschwitz otherwise known as the "Gates of Hell" in Poland. They quickly learned how to survive in the bitter cold with little or no food or clothes and lots of fleas in their beds. Everyone in the camp knew of the unthinkable - that thousands of Jews each day were brought there to be gassed and murdered.
When they first arrived, they weren't sure what happened to their middle sister, Magda. They were hoping she was still safe at home with their mother. But they were desperate to find out her status knowing that they would be stronger together if she was taken to one of the prison camps. They were prohibited from receiving any messages or hearing the news from the outside areas.
The girls were careful with their words and actions knowing that, "everything was designed to keep the prisoners in a perpetual state of fear." With their numbers tattooed to their arms, they understood their jobs and did the best they could to keep their heads up high with these unbearable conditions. Yet, there were times when they felt like they were not sure if they would wake up to another day.
The book was very well written as it shows the true strength of family and survival with clear images of the sisters and surroundings. Some will want to read it at a slow pace as there is a a great deal to devour. The story leaves the reader with a powerful message that this can never happen again. Yet, with all the evil, cruelty, brutal killings and crimes, there were tiny pieces of kind acts during the war. At the end, the author gives the reader the birth and death dates of the sisters and their family members along with some special notes.
My thanks to Heather Morris, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read this advanced copy with an expected release date of October 5, 2021.
Show Less
LibraryThing member srms.reads
4.5/5
We are introduced to the three sisters of the Meller family Cibi, Magda and Livi ages seven, five and three respectively in June, 1929 in their home in Vranov nad Topl’ou in Slovakia . A day prior to a critical surgery their father makes them promise that they would always stay together and
Fast forward to WW2 Europe when in 1942 Livi is instructed to travel to “work” for the Germans. Cibi decides to accompany her so as to look out for her . Magda , who is unwell, is hidden under the care of Dr. Kisely in a hospital to keep her safe. The sisters are sent to Auschwitz and like the hundreds of thousands of Jewish prisoners in the concentration camps they are make to work and live in the most dire of conditions with a constant threat death from illness, starvation torture or simply on the whims of their Nazi jailors. Cibi tells her sister ,“We will eat stones, nails, and whatever we can get our hands on, but we must survive this place. Do you understand?”.
Cibi's bravery and intelligence and ability to create a rapport with the 'kapos' manages to save the sisters on multiple occasions from imminent danger , multiple bouts of illness and death. Livi, following in her sister's example also learns to take care of herself and her sister in the face of uncertainty and the horrific conditions in the concentration camps . In 1944 Magda is also sent to Auschwitz-Birkenau and the three sisters are reunited .When their mother and grandfather are killed in the camp they are left with only each other to turn to .Towards the end of WW2 with the Allies winning th ewar and the Russian Army advancing , the Nazis take a last stand and while on a death march the sisters escape and eventually after Germany is defeated find their way home only to find their family home forcefully occupied by another family. Disillusioned by the events of the last few years , they decide to move on from their hometown and work towards building a new life for themselves .
Any story based on the holocaust is difficult to read. Heather Morris’s Three Sisters takes us through the brutality of life in concentration camps and the aftermath of WW2 as experienced by the survivors of those camps. The author follows the sisters’ stories through the following years as they leave for Israel, get married and have families of their own and touches on themes of post traumatic anxiety and survivors’ guilt and how shared trauma impacts the lives of not only those who experience it first-hand but how it shapes the lives of the generations to come.
“The sisters share a hug that is about so much more than physical comfort. It is a bond which crosses time and space, which hurdles their pain and dulls their suffering. They each implicitly understand that mere distance will not break their bond.”
Poignant , emotional and heartbreaking Three Sisters is not simply a holocaust novel but is also a story of love and devotion between siblings and the power of love and family that carries one through the darkest of times . It is a story of survival and hope and finding a place for oneself in a world that has not been kind to you .The pictures and the notes towards the end of the book brings these characters to life for us and the testimonials from their descendants will make you smile through your tears. I was moved by The Tattooist of Auschwitz and Cilkas's Journey by the same author and Three Sisters did not disappoint.
We are introduced to the three sisters of the Meller family Cibi, Magda and Livi ages seven, five and three respectively in June, 1929 in their home in Vranov nad Topl’ou in Slovakia . A day prior to a critical surgery their father makes them promise that they would always stay together and
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look out for one another.Fast forward to WW2 Europe when in 1942 Livi is instructed to travel to “work” for the Germans. Cibi decides to accompany her so as to look out for her . Magda , who is unwell, is hidden under the care of Dr. Kisely in a hospital to keep her safe. The sisters are sent to Auschwitz and like the hundreds of thousands of Jewish prisoners in the concentration camps they are make to work and live in the most dire of conditions with a constant threat death from illness, starvation torture or simply on the whims of their Nazi jailors. Cibi tells her sister ,“We will eat stones, nails, and whatever we can get our hands on, but we must survive this place. Do you understand?”.
Cibi's bravery and intelligence and ability to create a rapport with the 'kapos' manages to save the sisters on multiple occasions from imminent danger , multiple bouts of illness and death. Livi, following in her sister's example also learns to take care of herself and her sister in the face of uncertainty and the horrific conditions in the concentration camps . In 1944 Magda is also sent to Auschwitz-Birkenau and the three sisters are reunited .When their mother and grandfather are killed in the camp they are left with only each other to turn to .Towards the end of WW2 with the Allies winning th ewar and the Russian Army advancing , the Nazis take a last stand and while on a death march the sisters escape and eventually after Germany is defeated find their way home only to find their family home forcefully occupied by another family. Disillusioned by the events of the last few years , they decide to move on from their hometown and work towards building a new life for themselves .
Any story based on the holocaust is difficult to read. Heather Morris’s Three Sisters takes us through the brutality of life in concentration camps and the aftermath of WW2 as experienced by the survivors of those camps. The author follows the sisters’ stories through the following years as they leave for Israel, get married and have families of their own and touches on themes of post traumatic anxiety and survivors’ guilt and how shared trauma impacts the lives of not only those who experience it first-hand but how it shapes the lives of the generations to come.
“The sisters share a hug that is about so much more than physical comfort. It is a bond which crosses time and space, which hurdles their pain and dulls their suffering. They each implicitly understand that mere distance will not break their bond.”
Poignant , emotional and heartbreaking Three Sisters is not simply a holocaust novel but is also a story of love and devotion between siblings and the power of love and family that carries one through the darkest of times . It is a story of survival and hope and finding a place for oneself in a world that has not been kind to you .The pictures and the notes towards the end of the book brings these characters to life for us and the testimonials from their descendants will make you smile through your tears. I was moved by The Tattooist of Auschwitz and Cilkas's Journey by the same author and Three Sisters did not disappoint.
Show Less
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2021
Physical description
9.17 inches
ISBN
1838775501 / 9781838775506