Izzy's Fire: Finding Humanity in the Holocaust [Englisch] [Taschenbuch]

In all honesty, I had never read a book about holocaust survivors. Sure, I learned about the brutal, senseless mass murder of millions of Jews and seen those horrid, deplorable images of dead bodies of Jews lying around strewn while German soldiers looked on in glee in History class. But NEVER have I read a personal account, and it was far more devastating to my sense of humanity than I could ever imagine.

From the first pages of Izzy's Fire, by Nancy Wright Beasley, I was enthralled with Izzy Ipson and his family's story as well as those of their friends and family. Ms. Beasley did an awesome job of bringing their story to life for me, but more so making their story, their journey through hell, mine. I connected with these people because I am a wife and mother. I thought and later asked myself after I had read the story, would we have survived something like this? Would my husband have risked his life day in and day out, like Izzy, to save my son, and me and to provide safety and food for us? Would my son have endured as Jay did?

Edna lost two babies, one during the roundup in Lithuania and one after their escape to the United States. How did she keep her sanity? Was she made of steel? No! Ms. Beasley brilliantly displayed Edna's moments of fear, happiness, and extreme stress, like when her step-father, mother, her sister Minnie and their sons Fievel and Chaim were put on board the truck heading for certain death. It was only the knowing that Izzy would surely not live without them that made Edna not board that train with her son, and of course, Jay's stubborn desire to live to see his father. No one was without pain in this story; not even the reader.

I left the reading knowing the Ipson's persevered because of their faith and strength in God and one another. Even when faced with the knowledge that their families were executed, they still had one another to get them through, and that's what they needed. Not even hiding out in a make-shift shelter in a potato patch with 7 other people could break their spirit and resolve.

I cannot tell you exactly how many heroes are in this story. From the German and Jewish Ghetto soldiers who risked their lives to give information and ways to escape to not only Izzy but to others as well to the Gentiles (non-Jews) who risked their lives to hide their fellow human beings. In short, Ms. Beasley is by far one of the most powerful and genuine storytellers whose best gift, I believe, is letting the voice of the characters tell their own story. In no way does her voice intrude upon the essence of Izzy's story.

I recommend Izzy's Fire without abandon to anyone who wants to read about real people, real life, and real issues. It should be required reading in the public schools across America to help not only put a face and name to the horror's of the evil that man can do, but to also demonstrate the resilience of man to overcome when the odds are stacked against him. This book sent me running to the Holocaust Museum; it brought History alive for me, and it will do the same to you.

Rebeccasreads highly recommends IZZY'S FIRE as a compelling account of how a Lithuanian Jewish couple & their son survived the Nazi occupation, & hide for 3 years in a Catholic farmer's root cellar. & then surviving the Communist "liberation" of their homeland.

Beasley draws from personal interviews, research & numerous memoirs, including those from Israel "Izzy" Ipson, who helped his family escape from Kovno Ghetto, one of the most notorious killing fields for Jews in Lithuania. The Ipps, as they were known then, relocated to Richmond following their liberation and later changed their name to Ipson. Their story has been re-created at the Virginia Holocaust Museum in Richmond, Virginia.

IZZY'S FIRE is Eta's answer to those who say the Holocaust never happened, & is a tribute to personal bravery & the unquenchable resources of compassion, quick-wittedness & sheer determination to live, with a lot of luck thrown in.

Complete with maps & photos, IZZY'S FIRE is a story for all time.

I could not put this book down. This book was very well written. One can never EVER belittle the horrors the Jewish people had to endure during this horrible time in our history. This book celebrates the families that literally went through hell and survived. When you get to the end you have a feeling of "yes, they made it!". There are the losses as well, which the author does honor to in a special way. Although this is a book about 5 surviving families of Holocaust, it also involves Christian and Catholic families as well. My 11 year old was able to read this, but would not recommend younger children. This story needs to be read and reread so no one ever forgets!