What She Lost
by Melissa W. Hunter
Description
For thirteen-year-old Sarah Waldman, life in the small Polish town of Olkusz is idyllic, grounded in her loving, close-knit family and the traditions of their Jewish faith.
But in 1939, as the Nazis come to power, a storm is gathering—a relentless, unforgiving storm that will sweep Sarah and her family into years of turmoil in the ghetto and concentration camps, tearing them apart. Will Sarah’s strong will and determination be enough for her to survive when everything she loves is taken from her?
Is it possible to resurrect a life—and find love—from the ruins? Or will Sarah be forever haunted by the memories of what she lost?
Part memoir, part fiction, What She Lost is the re-imagined true-life story of the author’s grandmother growing into a woman amid the anguish of the Holocaust. It is a tale of resilience, of rebuilding a life, and of rediscovering love.
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Rights Information
World
Marketing Information
2021 Readers' Favorite Silver Medal Winner, Young Adult - Coming of Age
Reviews
'The author succeeds in bringing her grandmother’s world to life; it’s hard to emerge from this reading experience unaffected. Told with unflinching honesty, the book is simultaneously engrossing and painful to read because of the tragedies experienced by the family during the Holocaust. But rather than being all about darkness and tragedy, ultimately this is a book about resiliency and the ability to heal from a life replete with loss.' - Hilary Daninhirsch, Historical Novel Society
'An inherently fascinating and deftly crafted novel that is based on real events and people, What She Lost is an extraordinary read and one that will linger in the mind and memory long after the book itself has been finished and set back upon the shelf.' - Midwest Book Review
'What She Lost, through the penmanship of author Melissa W. Hunter, keeps you captivated from the first word to the final period of the last chapter. As the son of a Holocaust survivor, I know the importance of keeping their memories alive. Melissa's grandmother can rest in peace knowing that her granddaughter did just that in this powerful book. I personally recommend What She Lost to anyone wanting to learn about the Holocaust and the impact it had on those who survived.' - Thomas Biebers, Producer and Director of the award-winning docuseries Generation to Generation
'What She Lost is a beautifully written, loving tribute to Melissa Hunter's grandmother, Sala (Waldman) Werthaiser. Based on Sala's experiences growing up in Olkusz, a small town in Poland, prior to and during the Holocaust, Hunter gives voice to her grandmother's life. It is a moving work of historical fiction and memoir that draws you in on the very first page.' - Jodi Elowitz, Director of Education & Engagement, Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
Author Biography
Melissa W. Hunter, author of What She Lost (2019), is an author and blogger from Cincinnati, Ohio. She studied creative writing and journalism at the University of Cincinnati, receiving a BA in English literature and a minor in Judaic studies. She received the English Department’s Undergraduate Essay Award and Undergraduate Fiction Award over two consecutive years. In her senior year, she received a grant to study and write about the Holocaust at the United States Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC.
Her articles have been published on Kveller.com and LiteraryMama.com, and her short stories have appeared in the Jewish Literary Journal. She is a contributing blogger to the Today Show parenting community, and her novella Through a Mirror Clear was published as a serial installment on TheSame.blog, an online literary journal written for women by women. Her novel What She Lost is inspired by her grandmother’s life as a Holocaust survivor. When not writing, Melissa loves spending family time with her husband and two beautiful daughters.
Blackbird Literary Agency
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View all titlesBibliographic Information
- Publisher Cynren Press
- Orginal LanguageEnglish
- ISBN/Identifier 9781947976153
- Publication Country or regionUnited States
- FormatPaperback
- Pages319
- ReadershipGeneral
- Publish StatusPublished
- Original Language AuthorsEnglish
- Copyright Year2019
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