Alicia: My Story | Teen Ink

Alicia: My Story MAG

By Anonymous

   Alicia: My Story by Alicia Appleman-Jurman

Alicia: My Story poignantly tells of a young girl's journey during World War II.

Alicia's riveting tale begins in a small town in Poland. After trouble arises with the local police because they are Jewish, Alicia, her mother and brothers flee. And so begin the next several frightening years as they try to avoid being caught by the Germans. Throughout the book, Alicia describes what happens to her family and friends as the Nazis capture them one by one. This is a story of survival, true courage and bravery that takes you all over Europe.

The plot is constantly moving and the characters keep changing. I could not put the book down. It amazed me how someone so young could withstand pain that many adults would find hard to handle. The book really made me evaluate my own life and be thankful for the stable and peaceful atmosphere that surrounds me. It is a hidden treasure that I recommend to all. Alicia: My Story will keep you in suspense and haunt you with the terror of war.

As we watch the devastation in Bosnia unfold, we are seeing genocide all over again. During World War II, many people claimed that they did not know what was really going on, but today we can turn on our televisions and see graphic pictures on the news. Perhaps there is another Alicia out there watching and waiting for help. It is sad that we are letting this horror recur. n





Review by A. S., Bedford, NH



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This article has 2 comments.


i love this !

on Nov. 12 2009 at 11:28 pm
In English, my teacher make us read Alicia My Story. I have read this book during this week and just finished it yesterday. I thought it was very sad and interesting. I was sad that she was the only sole survivor in her family and that her mother died to protect her against the Germans. At the beginning of the story, I was sad that the Russians actually trying to brainwash and trick the people. I can't believe they actually send people to a place that's the starting of concentration camps. Like for example, the Russians said that they're sending Moshe and other children to a good school, but it's actually a starting of a concentration camps. They're starving the children and I guess some children died in the school too. I can't believe this! The Russians who tried to convert polish,jews,christians, and everyone else into being a Russians and brainwashing the children the Russians culture. In the end, I guess some young children actually got brainwashed by the Russians. I think this book is pretty interesting, but I cannot accept the fact that the Russians were any better than the Germans. To even think the Russians were/are on the Americans' side! How outrageous! And now it's happening again. I heard from my friends in school while we were having a discussion that in Africa, they are killing(murdering is more likely) African Jews. Why does everyone uses other race that are different than them as scapegoats(to use them as a tool to blame everything on them)? EVERYONE HAVE DIFFERENT PERSONALITY. I THINK THAT PEOPLE SHOULDN'T HATE THE WHOLE RACE JUST BECAUSE THEY HATE THAT ONE PERSON. THIS IS THE QUOTEs THAT I MADE UP: "No matter how much evil one army had done to you, it does not make the whole empire that god had created into this world to reside with the devil. Learn to forget and forgive. That way, you may erase the hatred and anger that was given to you from Satan away from your heart and soul." AND ALSO REMEMBER: "Love thy neighbor, and if you can't, there's plenty of other neighbor around you who's better." EVEN IF YOU WERE TO HATE YOUR NEIGHBOR OR FRIENDS, YOU STILL HAVE OTHERS NEIGHBORS AND FRIENDS TO HELP YOU IN LIFE. "IT DOESN'T MEANS THAT IF ONE SEED IS BAD, THE REST IS ALSO. EVERY SEED IS DIFFERENT. YOU JUST HAVE TO REACH YOUR HAND OUT AND OPEN THEM UP TO UNDERSTAND THEM."