We Were the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter

“It is the spring of 1939 and three generations of the Kurc family are doing their best to live normal lives, even as the shadow of war grows closer. The talk around the family Seder table is of new babies and budding romance, not of the increasing hardships threatening Jews in their hometown of Radom, Poland. But soon the horrors overtaking Europe will become inescapable and the Kurcs will be flung to the far corners of the world, each desperately trying to navigate his or her own path to safety. As one sibling is forced into exile, another attempts to flee the continent, while others struggle to escape certain death, either by working grueling hours on empty stomachs in the factories of the ghetto or by hiding as gentiles in plain sight. Driven by an unwavering will to survive and by the fear that they may never see one another again, the Kurcs must rely o hope, ingenuity, and inner strength to persevere. An extraordinary, propulsive novel, We Were the Lucky Ones demonstrates how in the face of the twentieth century’s darkest moment, the human spirit can endure and even thrive.”

The description of the book above really drew me in. The events of World War II always fascinated me. I never understood how an event could ever happen, let alone get as bad as it did. Growing up, we learned about the events that happened in the United States from 1941 until 1945. I never really knew much about the beginning of the war, let alone what happened in Poland. This book really opened my eyes and helped made me understand all the awful things that happened. The Kurc family were just a normal Jewish family in Poland celebrating the normal days of life. What came to them next, they were not ready for. They would get separated and thrown across the entire world. One ended up in Africa and then South America. One was sent to Siberia to work for the Russians. Others were made to work hard conditions. There were some scenes in the book that were so descriptive, it felt like I was there. I would definitely recommend having a tissue next to you. Some parts were harder to read then others. I would have to take a break and watch something happy to help make sure I did not feel depressed. I would recommend this book to anyone. Besides all of the bad in the book, there are some happy moments. The family never lost hope, even with all the bad that happened to them. That is something I feel like we all need to have, hope. Hope that there is always a better option and that we will be better for it. Georgia Hunter had such a wonderful way of writing her grandfather’s story. I think it is a wonderful thing to get these life stories before they are too late. After all, they are our history as well. How else will we be able to try and learn from it?