The Light of Days Young Readers' Edition: The Untold Story of Women Resistance Fighters in Hitler's Ghettos

by Judy Batalion

Overview

This young readers’ edition of the blockbuster New York Times bestseller is the remarkable untold story of the young Jewish women who became resistance fighters against the Nazis during World War II. It has already been optioned by Steven Spielberg for a major motion picture.

As their communities were being destroyed, groups of Jewish women and teenage girls across Poland began transforming Jewish youth groups into resistance factions. These “ghetto girls” helped build systems of underground bunkers, paid off the Gestapo, and bombed German train lines.

At the center of the book is eighteen-year-old Renia Kukielka, who traveled across her war-torn country as a weapons smuggler and messenger. Other women who joined the cause served as armed fighters, spies, and saboteurs, all risking their lives for their missions.

Never before chronicled in full, this is the incredible account of the strong Jewish women who fought back against the seemingly unstoppable Nazi regime. It follows the women through arrests, internment, and for a lucky few, into the late 20th century and beyond.

It also includes an eight-page insert of black-and-white photos, so that readers can see firsthand the extraordinary women who bravely fought for their freedom in the face of overwhelming odds.

* A Mighty Girl's Book of the Year * A Sydney Taylor Notable Book *

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780063037694
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	04/06/2021
Pages:	288
Sales rank:	1,043,693
Product dimensions:	5.80(w) x 8.10(h) x 1.40(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Judy Batalion is the New York Times bestselling author of the highly-acclaimed THE LIGHT OF DAYS: The Untold Story of Women Resistance Fighters in Hitler’s Ghettos, published by William Morrow in April 2021. THE LIGHT OF DAYS has been published in a young readers’ edition, will be translated into nineteen languages, and has been optioned by Steven Spielberg for a major motion picture for which Judy is co-writing the screenplay. Judy is also the author of White Walls: A Memoir About Motherhood, Daughterhood and the Mess in Between, optioned by Warner Brothers, and her essays have appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Forward, Vogue, and many other publications. Judy has a BA in the History of Science from Harvard, and a PhD in the History of Art from the Courtauld Institute, University of London, and has worked as a museum curator and university lecturer. Born in Montreal, where she grew up speaking English, French, Hebrew, and Yiddish, she lives in New York with her husband and three children. 

https://www.judybatalion.com/

Table of Contents

Who's Who xi

Map of Poland xiii

Introduction xv

Part 1 Ghetto Girls

Chapter 1 Here, We Stay 1

Chapter 2 No Place to Run 8

Chapter 3 Zivia 12

Chapter 4 Terror in the Ghetto 21

Chapter 5 Education and the Word 28

Chapter 6 Becoming the Jewish Fighting Organization 34

Chapter 7 On the Run 41

Chapter 8 Heart of Stone 51

Chapter 9 A New Way Forward 56

Chapter 10 Fighting Back 65

Chapter 11 Rebellion 73

Part 2 Devils or Goddesses

Chapter 12 "I'll Go" 83

Chapter 13 Inside the Gestapo 93

Chapter 14 The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising 101

Chapter 15 Escape 107

Chapter 16 Arms, Arms, Arms 114

Chapter 17 One Family 119

Chapter 18 Freedom in the Forests 124

Chapter 19 After the Ghettos 134

Chapter 20 Missed Connection 139

Chapter 21 Nothing Left to Lose 143

Part 3 "No Border will Stand in their Way"

Chapter 22 The Bunker and Beyond 149

Chapter 23 The Gestapo Net 158

Chapter 24 The Cuckoo 167

Chapter 25 "Sisters, Revenge!" 176

Chapter 26 The Light of Days 185

Chapter 27 The Great Escape 189

Chapter 28 The Arrival 203

Part 4 The Emotional Legacy

Chapter 29 Fear of Life 215

Chapter 30 Forgotten Strength 226

Epilogue 237

Author's Note: On Research 243

Acknowledgments 246

Glossary 248

Source Notes 249

Further Reading 264

Editorial Reviews

This valuable chronicle fills an important gap in Holocaust literature.” — Kirkus Reviews

"A valuable addition to Holocaust literature.” — Booklist

“Batal­ion offers impor­tant infor­ma­tion and cor­rects mis­per­cep­tions that young read­ers may bring to the sub­ject. Highly recommended.” — Jewish Book Council

From the Publisher

"A valuable addition to Holocaust literature.

Booklist

05/01/2021

Gr 8 Up—Batalion undertakes a huge task in describing the life and work of several unsung heroines among the resistance fighters in Hitler's Polish ghettos, namely Warsaw, Krakow, and Bedzin. These young women, aged in their late teens or early 20s, often served as smugglers or saboteurs, but many served as couriers, especially if they could pass as non-Jews or as Polish Christians. The women were more likely to be successful because young men would have been arrested. Fourteen young women, not all of the same (but cooperating) underground movements, are featured in this text. A list of the women at the beginning of the text is most helpful. In addition to their name, it often contains pronunciation, location, and the name of the underground group with which they were affiliated. The general format describes the life of each woman, how she functioned in her given tasks, and a brief description of her post-war life; some women went to Palestine to live, while others went and chose not to stay there. The text begins with a map of Poland and closes with an epilogue, an author's note, an acknowledgment, a glossary, source notes, and further reading. VERDICT A good selection to add depth to a WWII collection. Previous knowledge of the subject will be a necessity to fully understand this title.—Eldon Younce, Anthony P.L., KS

School Library Journal

2021-01-26
Lost stories of young Jewish female resistance fighters in World War II Poland are brought to light and retold for a new generation.

Young Jewish women played a critical role in resistance movements during World War II, yet they are rarely given due credit, their legacies largely neglected for myriad complex reasons. This book seeks to remedy that omission, highlighting the stories of just over a dozen such young women in Poland, based on primary and secondary sources, many created during wartime or in the immediate postwar era and subsequently lost to the annals of history. These courageous women, many of them active participants in Jewish youth group movements prior to the war, rallied their passions and their networks to build resistance movements within the Jewish ghettos. They gathered intelligence, helped organize uprisings, and participated in acts of sabotage. Those who could pass as non-Jews often served as couriers, smuggling information, goods, and people in and out of the ghettos. Initially it is difficult to keep track of the cast, with various individuals operating out of different locations, and the writing style is less than engaging. However, the pace picks up as readers become more intimately acquainted with a select few figures who especially stand out, such as Renia Kukiełka, a courier whose journey takes terrifying turns.

This valuable chronicle fills an important gap in Holocaust literature. (who's who, map, author's note, glossary, source notes, further reading) (Nonfiction. 11-14)

Kirkus Reviews

Batal­ion offers impor­tant infor­ma­tion and cor­rects mis­per­cep­tions that young read­ers may bring to the sub­ject. Highly recommended.

Jewish Book Council

"A valuable addition to Holocaust literature.

Booklist