I have lived a thousand years : growing up in the Holocaust

cover image

Where to find it

Information & Library Science Library — Juvenile

Call Number
J Bitton-Jackson
Status
Available

Authors, etc.

Names:

Summary

What is death all about? What is life all about?

So wonders thirteen-year-old Elli Friedmann as she fights for her life in a Nazi concentration camp. A remarkable memoir, I Have Lived a Thousand Years is a story of cruelty and suffering, but at the same time a story of hope, faith, perseverance, and love.

It wasn't long ago that Elli led a normal life that included family, friends, school, and thoughts about boys. A life in which Elli could lie and daydream for hours that she was a beautiful and elegant celebrated poet.

But these adolescent daydreams quickly darken in March 1944, when the Nazis invade Hungary. First Elli can no longer attend school, have possessions, or talk to her neighbors. Then she and her family are forced to leave their house behind to move into a crowded ghetto, where privacy becomes a luxury of the past and food becomes a scarcity. Her strong will and faith allow Elli to manage and adjust, but what she doesn't know is that this is only the beginning. The worst is yet to come...

Contents

  • Foreword p. 8
  • The City of My Dreams p. 12
  • "Hey, Jew Girl, Jew Girl" p. 22
  • The Tale of the Yellow Bicycle p. 25
  • The Tale of the Yellow Star p. 29
  • Farewell, Old Mr. Stern p. 36
  • The Ghetto p. 41
  • A Miracle p. 49
  • Daddy, How Could You Leave Me? p. 53
  • Can I Keep My Poems Please? p. 57
  • Aunt Serena p. 61
  • Oh, God, I Don't Want to Die! p. 66
  • Auschwitz p. 71
  • Arbeit Macht Frei p. 75
  • Born in the Showers p. 81
  • The Riot p. 91
  • Teen Vanity p. 94
  • The Dawn of New Hope p. 98
  • "Mommy, There's a Worm in Your Soup!" p. 101
  • Alien Heroes p. 104
  • The Uprising p. 108
  • Hitler is Not Dead p. 115
  • Tattoo p. 120
  • The Broken Bed p. 123
  • Is it True About the Smoke? p. 128
  • The Selection p. 134
  • The Transport p. 137
  • A Handkerchief p. 144
  • This Must Be Heaven p. 148
  • Herr Zerkubel p. 153
  • Leah Kohn, Forgive Me p. 157
  • The Bowl of Soup p. 162
  • The Bird of Gold p. 168
  • An Echo in the Fog p. 170
  • To Face the World p. 177
  • The Lost Game p. 183
  • It's an American Plane! p. 191
  • Freedom, at Last p. 200
  • Homecoming p. 206
  • "America, Will You Be My Home?" p. 214
  • The Statue of Liberty p. 222
  • Appendix A  p. 224
  • Appendix B  p. 228
  • Glossary of Terms p. 232

Other details