The Journal of Hélène Berr (~)

I've finished another book! The Journal of Hélène Berr. It's a true story, of a Jewish woman, in Paris during WWII. It's similar to The Diary of Anne Frank, only, Hélène is 22 years old and is a university student. It really allows a person who has not lived through the war to grasp how horrible Jews were treated. I liked the book because of this perspective, BUT I didn't like it because it was very poetic (she was an English literature major) and sometimes hard to follow. It also differs from The Diary of Anne Frank in that Hélène wasn't hiding from the Gestapo, while Anne and her family were. 

I must say that Hélène should be an inspiration to anyone. She was a strong woman, she cared so much for everyone, especially the little children who became orphans because their parents were deported and (probably) killed. She dealt with being mocked and criticized for being Jewish. I'm not doing her justice here, but all I can say really is that she was an amazing woman, and if she had survived the war, she would've been an amazing mother and grandmother. She would've taught her children compassion, which is what the world needs more of at the moment.

Anyway, I definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about the suffering of the Jews during WWII.

Until next time! Happy reading!