5.0 out of 5 stars Unforgettable book

s.o. · 10 August 2018

(function() { P.when('cr-A', 'ready').execute(function(A) { if(typeof A.toggleExpanderAriaLabel === 'function') { A.toggleExpanderAriaLabel('review_text_read_more', 'Read more of this review', 'Read less of this review'); } }); })(); .review-text-read-more-expander:focus-visible { outline: 2px solid #2162a1; outline-offset: 2px; border-radius: 5px; } Heart wrenching story and full of emotion reading this unimaginable horror this lady and her family lived through. I felt sadness, anger, hate, but by the end of the book I felt nothing but true admiration for how she survived the horrors of the Nazi's and went on to have a fulfilling life.

5.0 out of 5 stars Definitely worth a read

J. · 7 March 2018

I have had the honour of meeting the author and the book is very well written

5.0 out of 5 stars I Light A Candle

E. · 8 April 2011

This is a book which you will find hard to put down. It is written in a very easy descriptive style, setting out the authoress's terrible experiences without malice but rather maintaining a positive attitude throughout. The notions of hope and love prevail throughout the narrative. Although there is a message that future generations should not forget past history, by no means does the book aim to preach. I hope you will be moved by the book's contents and uplifted by reading about the goodness that can and does emanate from certain people.

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent.

L. · 8 May 2019

Arrived when said. Book in good condition. Enjoyable read.

5.0 out of 5 stars Very happy with my purchase

M. · 3 May 2015

A very touching and moving biography. Very happy with my purchase. The paper cover is torn but no great problem bearing in mind the age of the booki

5.0 out of 5 stars Must read book

R. · 10 January 2013

This book should be added to any school curriculum reading list as a lesson to be learnt about the horrors of the Holocaust and how humanity can triumph over evil.

3.0 out of 5 stars Three Stars

T. · 14 August 2018

Welcome addition to my collection but not the best i have read, it's ok.

5.0 out of 5 stars A book to remind us that the times we are not as bad as others suffered before.

M.M.J.J. · 23 November 2020

I like the way it is written.

True story about the Holocaust survivors

b. · 9 September 2019

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Emotional and inspirational Deserves 10 stars

P.B. · 10 April 2021

I Light a Candle is by Gena Turgel. Gena is a Holocaust survivor who now lived in England. After her liberation, she met and married Norman Turgel who was in the liberating force. Her story is one of horror, bravery, love, friendship, and fate. Writing her book has been difficult for her as has her speaking about her struggles in the camps. However, she feels that it is her duty to continue to speak so that those who were born after this tragedy would know that it did happen and that it could happen again. Her memories are a part of her that she cannot forget and cannot ignore. Her book is so compelling that I could not put it down. She and her husband are an inspiration to people who live through tragedies to emulate.Gena was born February 1, 1923 to Samuel and Estera Goldfinger in Cracow (now Kracow), Poland. She was the youngest of nine children, five boys and four girls. They were an affluent middle-class family who ran a small textile business. She wasn’t close to her older siblings because they were so much older. The eldest, Herman was 20 years older than she was. She and her older sister Miriam (a year older) were extremely close and were often mistaken for twins. Her oldest sister Sala, her sister Hela, and their brother Willek were still living at home while the older ones were working and some married when the war broke out.Her parents were very charitable and social. They were both religious and kept a traditional Jewish home; but they were also assimilated to some extent. They had both Jewish and non-Jewish friends and incorporated some Christian holidays into their Jewish ones so as to include those friends. Her father died when she was eight and Mother ran the business and brought up the children. The children’s education was paramount to their mother and they all attended a Protestant “evangelical” grammar school where they learned German and French. Mother also had them speaking German at home since she was of Austrian descent. The older children had a tutor in English when Gena was about 12 and she learned two sentences in English by listening to them. They were “The sky is blue.” And “The sun is shining.” Their paternal grandfather lived in Cracow and ran a bakery. Her maternal grandfather lived in a small town outside Cracow was well-educated and well-thought of in town. He died at the age of 104. She points out that her maternal great-grandfather lived to be 114 and her Mother lived to the age of 99. (She herself was 98 on February 1, 2021).Her life changed drastically when she was 12. The Germans invaded Poland and began their curtailment of Jewish freedoms and their persecution began. They had planned to go to Chicago where their Mother’s cousin, Dr. Thorek, an eminent doctor, lived. However, they waited too long and were caught in the Nazi web. Her brother Janek had been called into the Polish army and eventually was taken as POW. However, he escaped and returned home to his wife and young son. They were all transported to Auschwitz and were killed. Herman and Soul, who lived in another town were not heard of for a long town. Herman and his wife and three children were shot and Soul headed for the Soviet Union where he was sent to a camp where he worked as an accountant. He and his wife were well-treated and allowed to return to Poland after the war. Once there, they emigrated to Israel. Marcus was captured and spent time in a concentration camp; but eventually was reunited with her in England. Her sister Sala tried to run but was captured and sent to a concentration camp where she died. Willek, Hela, Miriam, Gena, and their Mother were placed in the Cracow Ghetto. Willek was killed while helping a friend get something down from the top of a wardrobe. A Nazi fired on him through the window. Miriam’s husband was taken on a roundup and Miriam was granted permission to say goodbye to him. They clung together and were shot. Hela, Gena, and their Mother were eventually sent to Plaszov concentration camp where her true horors began.Her time in Plaszov, Auschwitz, and Bergen-Belsen are all noted and talked about in her book. It is for this reason that the book is so difficult to read. Although I am sure she doesn’t begin to touch on the horrors that happened to her and around her, she tells enough to make the reader need to take a break from reading. I felt guilty about this because she never got a break from any of it. My admiration for her rose as I read each page.The book is well worth reading. Although it isn’t a large book, only 160 pages, it is powerful. Her husband adds a chapter and the epilogue which are insightful as well.

Very good book. Is worth reading it.

M.M. · 4 September 2019

This book is worth reading. Gena was very strong to live until the age of 95 years old. She taught us how to be strong even when facing hardships. There is nothing more important than surviving.I love her book because it had brought me awareness of how lucky I am today and I must live life to the fullest at any circumstances.I would love all my kids to read this book too.

Great book

S. · 21 October 2014

It's amazing that she survived to tell this story. If you want to learn about the holocaust, you will not find a better source that someone who was there.

great books for a great price!

S.A.A. · 23 May 2012

I love reading holocaust memoirs...I was so glad to get this copy of this book at such an awesome price. Thank you for helping me to add another book to my collection.