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Born Survivors

Three Young Mothers and Their Extraordinary Story of Courage, Defiance, and Hope

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About this listen

Eastern Europe, 1944: Three women believe they are pregnant, but are torn from their husbands before they can be certain. Rachel is sent to Auschwitz, unaware that her husband has been shot. Priska and her husband travel there together, but are immediately separated. Also at Auschwitz, Anka hopes in vain to be reunited with her husband. With the rest of their families gassed, these young wives are determined to hold on to all they have left-their lives, and those of their unborn babies. Having concealed their condition from infamous Nazi doctor Josef Mengele, they are forced to work and almost starved to death, living in daily fear of their pregnancies being detected by the SS.

In April 1945, Priska gives birth. She and her baby, along with Anka, Rachel, and the remaining inmates, are sent to Mauthausen concentration camp on a hellish train journey. Rachel gives birth on the train; Anka at the camp gates. All believe they will die-then a miracle occurs. The gas chamber runs out of Zyklon-B, and as the Allied troops near, the SS flee. Against all odds, the three mothers and their newborns survive their treacherous journey to freedom.

©2015 Wendy Holden (P)2017 Tantor
20th Century Europe Historical Judaism Military Modern Wars & Conflicts Women Marriage War Survival Imperialism Pregnancy Middle East Holocaust Historical Nonfiction

What the critics say

"An astonishing and deeply moving work." ( Booklist, Starred Review)
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The story began like any holocaust story but the narrator kept you interested, as the storyline progressed you understood the sacrifices of these women, by the ending you wanted more. Thoroughly enjoyed.

Narrator was Excellent

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It's rare that I would get tears to my eyes, but this book.

i don't know if it is because I lived in Israel or not, but the narrative is heartbreaking. I wish books like that were mandatory in school, so that the future generations knew where we came from and where we should never end up !

Tears to my eyes

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I found this book very sad and a little too long.The performances of the girls were very good. I would highly recommend it to someone interested in the Second World War and the history of the Jewish people.

War is Hell for Women

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This is a book well worth listening to. It’s hard to imagine how great the suffering was in world war #2.
How a human being can be so cruel and hard. Very heartbreaking.

Incredible testimony of war

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The narrator was wonderful at making each character come alive with her change of voices/accents.

What a touching story of survival

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