Description:
For thirteen-year-old Sarah Waldman, life in the Polish town of Olkusz is grounded in her family and their Jewish traditions. But as the Nazis come to power, will Sarah be forever haunted by the memories of what she lost?
Brief description: Melissa W. Hunter is an author and blogger from Cincinnati, Ohio. She studied creative writing and journalism at the University of Cincinnati, receiving a BA in English literature and a minor in Judaic studies. She received the English Department's Undergraduate Essay Award and Undergraduate Fiction Award over two consecutive years. In her senior year, she received a grant to study and write about the Holocaust at the United States Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC. Her articles have been published on Kveller.com and LiteraryMama.com, and her short stories have appeared in the Jewish Literary Journal. She is a contributing blogger to the Today Show parenting community, and her novella Through a Mirror Clear was published as a serial installment on TheSame.blog, an online literary journal written for women by women. Her novel What She Lost is inspired by her grandmother's life as a Holocaust survivor. When not writing, Melissa loves spending family time with her husband and two beautiful daughters.
Review Quotes:
The author succeeds in bringing her grandmother's world to life; it's hard to emerge from this reading experience unaffected. Told with unflinching honesty, the book is simultaneously engrossing and painful to read because of the tragedies experienced by the family during the Holocaust. But rather than being all about darkness and tragedy, ultimately this is a book about resiliency and the ability to heal from a life replete with loss.
Hilary Daninhirsch, Historical Novel Society
An inherently fascinating and deftly crafted novel that is based on real events and people, What She Lost is an extraordinary read and one that will linger in the mind and memory long after the book itself has been finished and set back upon the shelf.
Midwest Book Review
What She Lost, through the penmanship of author Melissa W. Hunter, keeps you captivated from the first word to the final period of the last chapter. As the son of a Holocaust survivor, I know the importance of keeping their memories alive. Melissa's grandmother can rest in peace knowing that her granddaughter did just that in this powerful book. I personally recommend What She Lost to anyone wanting to learn about the Holocaust and the impact it had on those who survived.
Thomas Biebers, Producer and Director of the award-winning docuseries Generation to Generation
What She Lost is a beautifully written, loving tribute to Melissa Hunter's grandmother, Sala (Waldman) Werthaiser. Based on Sala's experiences growing up in Olkusz, a small town in Poland, prior to and during the Holocaust, Hunter gives voice to her grandmother's life. Hunter bases the story on her grandmother's memories shared with her over the years. It is a moving work of historical fiction and memoir that draws you in on the very first page, creating a connection between the reader and Sara (Sala). Hunter individualizes the Holocaust and leaves the reader wanting to learn more about this important history.
Jodi Elowitz, Director of Education & Engagement, Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
What She Lost, by Melissa Hunter, is a beautifully written book that tells the story of how the author's grandmother survived the Holocaust. From the beginning, the imagery and descriptive writing make you feel personally connected to the characters and invested in what happens next. The main character, Sarah, is just a child when the book begins, and we get to know her and her family through her eyes. Even knowing what is about to happen, at the beginning, you hope that something will change and this vivacious girl won't have to experience what she does. Through the book, you get to watch Sarah grow up through unimaginable circumstances, yet she still holds on to hope. Hunter's book is a unique contribution to keeping the memory of the Holocaust alive. She has done a great honor to her family to ensure the story is preserved for years to come.
Aviva Gat, author of My Family's Survival