Clara's war : a young girl's true story of miraculous survival under the Nazis

Polish-born Kramer, president of the Holocaust Resource Foundation at Kean University, recounts her life as a frightened, hungry teenager during the Holocaust who, along with her family, was rescued by righteous gentiles.

User reviews

LibraryThing member Caspettee

Clara's War is the story of Clara Kramer (nee Schwarz) and her family's survival during WWII Nazi occupation of Northern Poland. We are told the story through the eyes of Clara as the Russian's flee Zolkiew leaving the citizens to defend themselves against the advancing Germans and the subsequent

occupation. Clara's family as well as two others seek refuge in a small dug out bunker under the house owned by the Melmans. Above them the Beck family protect them from discovery from the SS and Blue Coats.

While the three Jewish families hide in the bunker all around them friends and relatives are being transported, detained or killed. As the war draws out the risks that the Beck's, Schwarz's, Melman's and Patrontasch's increase daily as the slaughter and persecution of Jewish people escalates. they have to contend with cramped living conditions as their number swell from 11 to 18, German SS and trainmen residing in the Beck's house, Mr Beck's womanising and drunken behaviour, and threat of starvation and illness.

This is an amazing story of survival which is told with care and respect. While I am sure the whole story was not told here the events included are enough to give the reader no illusions of how the families lived and the horrors they experienced during this period.

The saddest part of the book for me was when Clara told the story about how two young boys (around 13) turned in a Jewish girl knowing what would happen to her all for 5 litres of vodka followed by the courage of the young Jewish girl. There is of course more to the story which made it sadder but I will not reveal that here and let you discover it for yourself. One of the most up lifting moments is when, after the town is liberated by the Russians and the families are picking up the pieces, a man who before the war had wanted to help the Schwarz's and couldn't turned up and returned the gift they had given him at the start.

To me reading these books is vitally important to remind us of the worst and best humanity can be and remind us we should never allow something like that happen ever again. While this book is sad in it's subject matter the story will leave you having your faith restored in people. This book was also very educational while I am aware like most people of what happened and Auschwitz my knowledge was limited and I did end up jumping on the net and reading up on various things mentioned in the book and learnt a lot more about my WWII history. It is great to see more of these stories being recorded before they are lost.

Thank you Clara Kramer for sharing your story.

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LibraryThing member shsb

I try to read as much Holocaust literature as I can, especially diaries and first-person accounts of those alive at the time, so I looked forward to this book immensely. I was not disappointed. This is the story of Clara Schwarz, a Polish Jew, one of 5000 Jews in the town of Zolkiew at the time of

the Nazi invasion of Poland. Clara was hidden by a Polish couple in a bunker with 17 other Jews, and because of their bravery she lived to tell her story.

What I enjoyed most was seeing how the families that were hidden together and the family that hid them truly became bonded to each other not only during the Holocaust but throughout the remainder of their lives. I enjoyed Clara's portrayal of Beck, the man who not only hid 18 Jews, but remained behind in Zolkiew at great risk to his family's safety rather than abandon these 18 Jews. Clara idolizes beck, but even as a young teen is able to distinguish that while he is an amazing and generous man as a rescuer, he is a far different person as a husband and father.

I found this story especially touching because the author familiarizes the reader with the names of so many loved ones who perished in the Holocaust. While many tomes refer to the 6 million, or in this case, the 5000 Jews in Zolkiew, Clara talks about her Aunts, Uncles, neighbors, and others who are killed. And as in every Holocaust memoir, the brutality and hatred displayed by both German soldiers and citizens alike is hard to understand and endure. When Clara describes hearing a german policeman describe with pride how many Jews he had killed, not knowing that 18 Jews were hidden under the floor beneath him, my stomach clenched for Clara and all Jews in Poland at the time.

I highly recommend this book to all interested in Holocaust memoirs and literature. Clara's diary, which she wrote while in hiding, is part of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum now, and my only regret about this book is that it did not include many more excerpts from her diary.

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LibraryThing member watertiger

Clara's War: One Girl's Story of Survival left me absolutely humbled.

Once in a great while you come upon a book that will completely change your perspective on life. This book certainly taught me how much in life is taken for granted.

With the skilled writing of Stephen Glantz, Clara Kramer shares

her story with simplicity and humility.

I could not put this book down... and I continue to think and talk about Clara's story. I do not want to give anything away.

Suffice it to say... this book needs to be on every person's Must Read list.

note: I read the hc edition which included photographs from the past, as well as, current photos of Clara and some survivors.

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LibraryThing member BrokenSpines

This book was completely off my radar but the jacket caught my eye: .."one girl's story of survival." Actually it's practically her whole family's story of survival and what a harrowing story it is. It reads like a thriller. Clara Schwarz's story illustrates how good luck, good preparation and good

people can make all the difference when one is forced to live among cruel people. The story's appeal comes from the straightforward manner in which it is told.

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LibraryThing member creighley

Moving narrative of a young Polish girl in the wealthy Jewish town of Zolkiew, Poland, Clara Kramer, and her family and friends who were rescued from the Nazis during WWII. Eighteen people were hidden beneath a trap door....llittle food, little water, enduring excruciating heat and cold for two

years. Originally when going into hiding, they planned for two weeks.

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LibraryThing member abbylibrarian

When World War II came to their small Polish town, Clara's family was taken in by a Catholic family and hidden in a dug-out bunker underneath the house. Eventually, the bunker came to hold 18 Jews in total and they lived in squalid conditions, praying that they would survive to see the end of the

war. Using details from her diary, Clara relates this gruesome tale of her family's determination to survive and the kindness and generosity of the family that risked their own lives to hide them for so many years. Although the writing is sometimes repetitive, any survivor's story is a precious resource and it's wonderful that Clara Kramer and Stephen Glantz have preserved this account. I particularly appreciated the chapter on celebrating Yom Kippur, the Jewish day of atonement, while in the bunker. It's evident how much their faith helped Clara's family hold on.

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LibraryThing member bazzafr

A riveting tale of hardship and endurance under desperate conditions during WW11. In this modern age it is difficult to imagine how Clara and most of her immediate family survived against all the odds. As a gentile, I found the constant references to Jewish religious practices quite irritating but

was impressed by their desire to persevere with their traditions and beliefs. The names of individuals were hard to remember and the family tree was a useful checklist to refresh one's memory.
Considering the publisher, I was amazed at the number of typo and grammar errors. On the whole, I found the book interesting but not one that I would ever read again.

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LibraryThing member the_nice_bookworm

Many books have been written about the Holocaust, but few so touching and unbelievable as Clara's War. This book is a must for anyone interested and fascinated by war history. This is Anne Frank's story with a happy ending.

LibraryThing member billsearth

The grim setting of most of this true story allows the characters deepest and strongest beliefs and personality traits to show through. The reader learns what is fundamental, what is most important, and how close the good of human nature is to the bad of human nature in the real world. A few of

these books should be read by late high school to college age people so they are aware of the full breadth of human nature, and the consequences of cultural division and war and the value of cultural diversity and peace.

The author follows her story with the later lives of many of the characters who survived. This too is well worth reading, especially by our young people who may not sense the long lasting affects of earlier mistakes or successes.

Unlike fiction, this story shows real events, real mistakes, and real long lasting outcomes. This is what happens when cultural differences are turned to fear and hate instead of embraced. Good reading for the period 2017 to 2018 in America.

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LibraryThing member Lisa2013

I loved this book. It was an amazing account of this woman, her family, her community, and what happened during the Holocaust in her area.

At the beginning of the book is a family free and a floor plan of the hiding place. Both were very helpful and I frequently referred to both of them. There were

a few pages in a bunch more toward the back of the book than the front of black and white photos of Clara, and some of the people important in her life. I wish there had been more but appreciated the ones included.

This story worked so well. It was the best kind of collaboration, written by a man, but using a girl’s diary and the story that grown woman relates to him. He used her input and often her words, and it works beautifully.

The immediacy of the story makes things feel so clear and so incredibly suspenseful. It might be the best non-fiction account I’ve read about Jews hiding from the Nazis.

While the family tree informs the reader of who lives and who dies during the Nazi occupation, I felt great tension not knowing details of what would happen and how re the lives/deaths of non-family members too.

Every single one of the people in this book is fascinating and it made reading Clara’s story completely riveting. Even without the Holocaust or other extreme times, this would have been an interesting looks into this family and their community.

It was such a grueling read that I was very glad there was some humor at times.

I did envy the extremely close extended families and the close neighbors/community, while it lasted.

I love how much Clara loved books and reading so much.

I was impressed that even the youngest children knew what was going on and what grave danger they were in.

I thought it was amazing that these people had such a strong will to survive. I guess I can understand it because of some of them having children to try to protect, but honestly the conditions and uncertainty were so terrible, I don’t think it would have been worth it to me sans children, and the strong family ties and community ties and their faith did help.

I had to read yet another moldy musty library copy but it was worth it.

Highly recommended to any reader interested in reading this type of book.

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LibraryThing member ThoughtsofJoyLibrary

As always, when I read a book from a foreign country that contains unfamiliar names and places, I am temporarily thrown off, and it takes some time to get adjusted. Unfortunately with Clara's War, I experienced the same uneasiness. Thankfully it didn't last long, and I was drawn in.

Every Holocaust

survivor story, even though they have their similarities, are totally unique. Clara's story shows the depth in which one will reach to remain alive and even amongst the horrors of war, the depth of humanity. The deplorable conditions, lack of food, and the entrapment of the bunker didn't kill the spirit of Clara and the group. However, their survival could not have been accomplished without the help of the German family. It was remarkable to see (and vicariously feel) the love and compassion of this family when it would have been easier and to their benefit to not harbor Jews (understatement, of course).

I was bothered by a variety of errors in this ARC. Hopefully, it has been tweaked and polished up for the final publication. I would hate for the strength of this book to be diminished due to editing errors. I'm curious as to whether there are pictures in the published version. I need to check that out!

Originally posted on: Thoughts of Joy

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