Rena's Promise: A Story of Sisters in Auschwitz

This was undoubtedly one of the most horrifying, detailed and memorable Holocaust survival books I've ever read, and I've read many. At times throughout the book my tears would not stop - not just for the brutality of it all, but for the fact that despite all the evil surrounding her and committed upon her, Rena continued to live an altruisticly and humanely. Consistently, Rena shared every morsel of food she "organized" with her sister, always dividing it evenly, never willing to take food away from another prisioner - never reducing herself to the Nazi's level. It is incredible to read how she was able to survive despite all the odds and obstacles. She is not only a survivor but a true hero and I am forever changed and better for having known her story; I just wish I could have known her.

I recommend this book to everyone and think it should be required reading for schoolchildren throughout the world. NEVER FORGET!!!

My son sent me this book and I loved it. I have always felt that I was a Jew in the Holocaust and a lot of the dreams and fears I have were shown in this book. If you like this kind of material-please do not miss this one.

"Rena's Promise" is a powerful first-hand account of life and death in the Women's camp at Auschwitz-Birkenau. Rena Kornreich submitted herself to the Germans in 1942 on the assumption she was doing the right thing under the Anti-Jewish laws of the time. Certainly the last thing she expected was the boxcar ride to Auschwitz.
The book is very well written, and kudos are due to Heather Dune MacAdam for her ability to listen to, draw out, and summarize Mrs. Gelissen's memories. I found the footnotes relating events in the narrative to external documentation are very useful. I would have liked more of these, but I think their inclusion would have spoiled the overall flow and the book is better for their absence.
A particularly powerful theme in the book is the sense of monotony that Mrs. Gelissen and others survived: "4 a.m. Raus! Raus!"--this is repeated over and over in each section--followed by hard labor.
After reading "Rena's Promise" I could not imagine how she (and the other survivors) reconstructed their lives after 1945. It is an amazing thing.
I think "Rena's Promise" and Elie Wiesel's "Night" provide excellent personal accounts of Auschwitz-Birkenau. Neither are heavily footnoted historical references (Gutman's "Anatomy of the Auschwitz Death Camp" being an example). I would also recommend "We Were in Auschwitz".

I have read hundreds of Holocaust survivor stories. This is by far one of the very best. You won't want to put it down.

A deeply moving and vivid story of survival! I will think of Rena and Danka on May 2nd of every year and always when I see red and white carnations together! I've read numerous books on the holocaust, from memoirs, bios, etc., this one was so moving! Highly recommend!!!! Let us all NEVER forget!!!!!

Rena's Promise is a most moving and beautifull Holocaust book, and without all the gore, it still shows the atrocity that was hapenning during the holocaust. Rena also manages to stay un-bitter about her past in the Dark War, making this book a classic memoir to the dead. Astonishing and breath taking, you will be held captive by the past, held in this book.

this book is just simply amazing. I loved reading about how friendships could be formed so easily despite the conditions and how they were so resourceful. There always seemed to be a bright side. What I like about this book is that it doesn't just go on about how bad things were, but how good simple pleasures could be and how hope was always there.

I read this book in record time; record time being a few days. I have twin 20 month old sons and a 4 year old, so it typically takes me a LONG time to read anything. However, this book can't help but reel you in and keep you hooked. However, this book is lacking in something very important: it fails to make you realize how very strong and determined Rena was. This is no fault of hers or the author. The reason is because in reading this book, you just can't get a true feeling of what she truly endured and what she was truly risking when she would dare ask a question of the block elder or when she would run to the fence to grab a rock with a note thrown over. You must read other books which describe more in detail how Auschwitz was run and how truly secure it was. Then you would know how close to ending her life she was. And sure, the author could have included it, but I don't think she needed to, nor should she have. It probably would have added too much into the book and taken away from Rena's story. But if you read other books, for example: Auschwitz: A Doctor's Eyewitness Account, you learn that roll call was no small deal. In reading Rena's Promise I was under the impression that roll call took place every day, but that it was probably a 30 minute deal, possibly an hour. Actually, I didn't even put a time frame on it - and maybe she DID state how long it was, but the impression wasn't made on me. But now I know that roll call was a 4 hour process. Every day - four hours beginning at 3:00 am. (In Rena's story she states that roll call began at 4:00 am, but who knows whether her time was off or that the men's roll call began at a different time. I'm not a historian) And even if the women's roll call wasn't as long as the men's, I'm sure it was still no small part of the day. I also think other horrifying details weren't included because Rena herself couldn't have known everything that went on in the "camp." She does speak of prisoners circulating news, but there are very few details of the horrific experiments and exterminations that took place.

Having said all of this, do read the book. It's yet another testament to the human spirit. It is just amazing what one can endure, and Rena is truly one of the strongest individuals God ever put on this earth. She was not only strong enough to keep herself alive, but also her much weaker in spirit sister, Danka. Speaking of God, Rena does elude to having lost her faith in the camp, and it is never answered whether or not it was restored before or after she received her freedom. I would like to know that, and I hope she did. Another aspect that I would like to have answered was how her recovery went. We learn very little in the few pages that discuss her first few weeks of freedom, but I can only imagine the horror and nightmares she endured for years after. I would imagine that she underwent intensive therapy. But whether she did or she didn't, her life, we are left to assume, went on to be comparatively normal to others who didn't endure such an awful experience. Just an amazing story, and definitely worth the read.

This is the second or third time I have read this compelling and interesting story. Rena, was on the first transport of women into Auschwitz and she survived to tell about the three years spent in the camp. Her sister, Danka joined her is Auschwitz a few days later. Together, they managed to survive the brutal conditions, lack of food, unsanitary conditions, hard labor and selections for death. I am amazed at the determination and will to survive that both Rena and Danka exhibited. They continually fought to live, something many holocaust victims were unable to do. I cannot help but admire their strength.

This book was amazing. It took me right to where she was. It was heartbreaking to read what she and everyone went through- but we all need to remember and never forget the horror of it all.