Long Journey Home: A Young Girl's Memoir of Surviving the Holocaust - Softcover

Lipiner, Lucy

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1936840707 ISBN 13: 9781936840700

Publisher: Usher Publishing, 2013

Synopsis

The summer of 1939 turned out to be the last summer of author Lucy Lipiner’s childhood. On September 1, when she was six years old, her parents roused Lucy and her older sister from their beds, and with other relatives in tow fled their town of Sucha and the invasion by Nazi Germany . Their journey of survival was not easy, and in Long Journey Home: A Young Girl’s Memoir of Surviving the Holocaust, from the perspective of that young girl, Lucy (Lusia) narrates her family’s story. From her sheltered life in a small town at the foothills of Tatra Mountains to her time as a barefoot and hungry little girl in Siberia and Tajikistan in central Asia, and finally her arrival in America, this memoir shares the emotional details and the physical struggles of a ten-year flight to freedom. An extraordinary story of resilience, Long Journey Home is a detailed, historical account of a little known and rarely discussed group of Holocaust survivors.

About this title

From the Author:

I began writing my story shortly after visiting my old home in Sucha Beskidzka, Poland. I remembered so much from my early childhood - I was only six years old when Nazi Germany invaded Poland.

I wrote my story mainly for my children and the future generations. My children rarely ask questions about the war and what had happened to us during those years. I didn't want to leave my children with unanswered questions. My story is also dedicated to my father. For me, as a child he was a giant. But more than anything he was a true hero. Papa saved the lives of 15 people.

My book is dedicated to my mother as well. She lost her entire family in the Holocaust, it was a wound that never healed. Mama lived a long life, she reached the age of 101. Her mind was intact until the very end. For that reason her psyche, her mental suffering over her loss went on forever. She rarely spoke of her sisters and brothers. Her pain was evident when she read in the press about those who deny the Holocaust. So where are my sisters and brothers if there was no Holocaust, she'd say and tears would moisten her face. So I wrote my story for Mama too. I knew I would write about WW II, what it did to our lives and the loss of our entire family. I hoped that by telling my story, perhaps I would be putting a dent into the false theories of that small select group of people who deny the Holocaust.

From the Back Cover:

Suddenly, out of nowhere came a loud buzzing sound. Big black, angry birds appeared on the horizon. Within moments, the black birds became a uniform squadron of flying machines.

Pandemonium erupted around us, "German planes! German planes!" people shouted. Some began running, pushing, elbowing their way out of the crowds. Some were trampled on the ground. Some just stood and stared into the sky. In the midst of the turmoil, the sound of children sobbing was heard everywhere.

In spite of the noise around me, I heard Papa calling, "Raisil! Raisil! Run! Get away from the road! Run quick!" Mama stood a distance away. She just stood there. I'm not sure she heard him. Suddenly, I felt my hand being pulled. Papa was pushing against the crowds, dragging Frydzia and me away from the road into an open field....

We ran, and in an instant, we reached a tree thick with foliage.

Papa threw us to the ground and threw himself on top of us. It felt like a ton of bricks had fallen on top of me. I felt a chocking sensation in my throat. But very soon, Papa's strong arms gave a sense of being in a safe haven.

About this edition

• Publisher: Usher Publishing
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 1936840707
• ISBN 13: 9781936840700
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 211