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All But My Life

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All But My Life

By: Gerda Weissmann Klein
Narrated by: Grace Conlin
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A classic of Holocaust literature, Gerda Weissmann Klein's celebrated memoir tells the moving story of a young woman's 3 frightful years as a slave laborer of the Nazis and her miraculous liberation. All But My Life stands as the ultimate lesson in humanity, hope, and friendship. Klein's memoir is the basis for the HBO Academy Award-winning best documentary short, One Survivor Remembers.©1995 by Gerda Weissmann Klein; (P)1997 by Blackstone Audiobooks 20th Century Adventurers, Explorers & Survival Historical Military Modern Women Inspiring Heartfelt
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Critic reviews

"Soul-searching and human...A moving personal testament to courage." (The New York Times)
"...as sensitive and 'disturbing' a story as The Diary of Anne Frank." (Library Journal)
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Absolutely couldn't stop listening. Amazingly true to such an awful time in history. Bravery knows no bounds of this author.

Devastatingly excellent, unbelievably sad.

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Fascinating book with a great insight into how people can treat other people with no regard for life.

Fantastic read

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I wished I'd read this..opposed to listened to it via Audible. The woman narrating has the most awful robotic monotone voice ever. She truly is awful. The tone and lilt in her voice are all wrong. You have to hear her to believe it though. If you can overcome her voice, the book itself is horrifying but at the same time awe-inspiring, a first had account of what happened to millions of Jews during WWII. A story that should never be forgotten.

Let down by narrator.

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Gerda Weissman Klein’s memoir of her life during World War II is harrowing to say the least. Separated from her loved ones, surrounded by fear and tragedy, Gerda’s life is turned upside down overnight and she faces years of anguish, pain and grief. Despite it all she retains an immense sense of what is right and fair, often putting the needs of others above her own and often putting her own life at risk in order to stand up for her principles.

Although the details given in Gerda’s account do not feel watered down by any means, you can’t help but think that even though her recollections are horrific, there’s much more that she has chosen not to share and can only be stunned by her bravery and determination. She loses everything – all but her life and her spirit.

One of the most remarkable aspects of the story is the advice Gerda is given by her father to wear her winter walking boots one day: advice that will prove to be lifesaving. If it had been a novel, it would have seemed like one of those quaint coincidences that ties a book together but knowing that this is an autobiographical tale actually makes this incredibly poignant. Even though I finished the book a couple of weeks ago, every time I think about it I remember those boots and how her father’s last piece of advice would be, literally, life-saving.

It is impossible for me to give All But My Life anything other than five stars. This is a beautifully related memoir: despite the overwhelming sense of tragedy and pain, Gerda’s will to survive and determination to keep not only herself going but others as well is utterly heart-wrenching. Although I have never been a huge fan of autobiographies, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this. It is a story that must be told and it is a time that we must never, ever forget.

A beautifully related memoir

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I am sitting in silence and the tears won't stop.

I have no words for how this has made me feel tonight, but I am very glad I listened.

Very emotional

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