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A Mother's Promise

My true story of surviving Auschwitz and the horrors of the Holocaust, the Sunday Times bestseller

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A Mother's Promise

By: Renee Salt, Kate Thompson
Narrated by: Kate Thompson, Maria Louis, Rachel Atkins, Renee Salt
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About this listen

 The Sunday Times Bestseller

'Quite simply the most important book you will read this year' Hazel Gaynor
'An extraordinary read' Lorraine Kelly
'Deeply moving' Daily Mail

'Mama, it's me.' I held her hand in mine, hoping it would give her the strength to hold on.
Finally, she spoke, her voice barely above a whisper.
'Do not cry when I die.'

From invasion to liberation, September 1939 to April 1945, as Renee was marched from ghetto to camp, there was one constant. One hand that clutched hers - her mother's. Every day for nearly six years, mother and daughter were bound together in hell. From Auschwitz-Birkenau to Bergen-Belsen, they were a powerful source of solace and hope for one another.

The strength of Sala's love gave them both something fragile yet beautiful to cling to in an ugly, depraved world. It was her mother who hid Renee, lied to the SS, went right when she was directed left - whose small actions had life-saving consequences. Now, for Renee, the need to share has finally overcome the desire to forget.

A Mother's Promise is a love letter to a mother eighty years in the making.

*****

'This book travels to the very heart of existence' Joshua Levine
'This is a story the world needs to know' Madeline Martin
'Will stay with me for a long time... A beautiful account, so movingly told' Anna Stuart
'Powerful, poignant, and deeply important. A must-read' Elizabeth Bellak©2025 Rene Salt and Kate Thompson 20th Century Europe Great Britain Historical Military Modern Inspiring Holocaust
All stars
Most relevant
Extremely well written, fantastic read for an insight to life as a daughter a women / girl in ww2 and how they were treated before during and after . What camp life was like and the lasting effects on a person .

A mothers promise

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Amazing story about amazing women, heartbreaking and incredible, loved the way it was written highly recommend

Amazing woman

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What a remarkable lady and what a story. I enjoyed this book as it gave a real human perspective on the horror of the holocaust and suffering of the Jewish people. The end of the book is full of hope and this is a welcome for the terrible torture suffered at the hands of these brutal people. We must never forget.

Harrowing ordeal

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Very well written and read. What a powerful story, heartbreaking that Renee has had to endure so much. She’s remarkable

Well written & read

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Renee Salt's testimony is incredibly moving. Her stories of pre-war Jewish life in her hometown highlight all that was lost and destroyed. Her memories of her wartime experiences are accompanied by commentary from the writer which help to contextualise events. I particularly enjoyed learning of Renee's post war life. She continues to share her story with people around the world.

Essential listening

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