Rating: 
Summary: An inspiring story
Review: This story is unbelievable one. At first i kept thinking to myself "what story this, what a brave girl" and then i kept on telling myself this really happened. This is a story of a girl that sacrificed her own life to save others. Being Jewish this story meant even more to me and i believe that anyone that reads this will be touched by it.
Rating: 
Summary: In My Hands
Review: 5 stars is an understatement for this true-life page-turner. How "just a girl" mustered up the courage to fly in the face of monstrous evil, when mere survival was a full-time job, is an amazing story unusual in these character-free times. The words the author uses are simple, but the pictures she paints with them are vivid and unforgettable. You can't put this book down. It will fascinate all who read it.
Rating:
Summary: A Heroic Tale
Review: After hearing Irene Gut Opdyke interviewed on National Public Radio in 1999, I resolved to read her book. I was surprised to find it in the "juvenile" section of the library, because it deserves to take a space on the shelf next to any wartime memoir. Her story left me with my mouth hanging open, as first one and then another close call resulted in her finding ever more courage and resourcefulness. Her story also illustrates the absurdities and complexities of war, making this a book I could scarcely put down until the last page.
Rating:
Summary: Opdyke: In My Hands
Review: An excellent book that gives you some idea of the horrible living conditions of the victims of WW II. I hope that they will make a movie from this wonderful book. If you haven't read it, please do! It is a MUST.
Rating:
Summary: True Hero
Review: Books like this need to replace the trash (i.e. textbooks)which now serve as educational material. Nor will Aristotle's or Shakespeare's or other traditional writings change the chaotic violent future we face; personal accounts like those of Irene Gut Opdyke can.
Rating:
Summary: Hope for a Cynical World
Review: Engrossing! I read this book in one sitting, because I could not bear to put it down. I'm not easily moved, but Ms. Opdyke's story of life as a young woman in Nazi occupied Poland moved me. I don't easily cry, but I shamelessly cried several times while reading this book.This is an inspiring tale of courage and resistence in the face of unambiguous evil. It is also the hope-filled story of grace found among the most surprising of individuals: two Soviet physicians consipring to help a young prisoner of war to escape; a Wehrmacht Officer's Club manager blithely feeding slave laborers with luxuries intended for the "master race;" a simple Ukranian priest openly preaching resistence; a Nazi officer sheltering Jews in the basement of his villa! Above all, this is a story of choices: a story of ordinary people immersed in a living hell, who chose to keep faith with each other, their ideals, their country, and their God. In a time when too many among us seek to avoid responsibility, here we find the story of a young woman who willingly took responsibility for herself and dozens of others. In a time when politicians conveniently twist "values education" to their own advantage, here we find the story of a woman whose religious and ethical heritage repeatedly demanded the best of her, even under the most dangerous of circumstances. Here we find a heroine on the order of Oscar Schindler or Raul Wallenburg. This life-affirming tale demonstrates that even under the most extreme circumstances, one righteous person can still change the world for the better. For that reason alone, this book is worth reading. If you have been wounded too often, and have become just a little too cynical about the world, read this book. If you enjoy a thrilling adventure story, laced with romance, read this book. If you want to inspire a child (especially a girl) to greater moral courage, read this book with her. If you wish to remember that glimmers of light shone through the darkness that engulfed the world from 1939 to 1945, read this book. Read this book.
Rating:
Summary: Into My Hands went into my heart!
Review: I am an avid reader of all books about the Holocaust. I try to get my hands on every single good book out there about this topic. When this book came into my library, I was stoked! Irene is an incredible lady who survived rape, sexual advances from her female boss, becoming a mistress, and through all that and more managed to be a fabulous provider for the more than 12 Jews in her hands. To think of the life she lived, what she gave up, how precious life must have been, knowing that she could be caught at any moment. And Irene Gut Opdyke did all of this before she was 23. I rest my case. Read this and her other book "Into the Fire". You'll LOVE them and her by the first chapters!
Rating:
Summary: A True "Profile of Courage"
Review: I am so grateful for having read this book. It was deeply moving. I am a seventeen year old girl, as Irene was when the war began, and I cannot even imagine having to experience all of things she did....being raped, a mistress, etc. I admire this woman so much, her courage and determination are one in a billion. It's incomprehensible to know what she went through during those dreadful years, yet through it all her faith is what helped her to survive. I will never forget this book for as long as live...I've read so many books, and I have to admit that I think this one has truly moved me the most. I've read many Holocaust stories as well, but this had a profound effect on me. Please read this book--you'll gain not only a better insight of World War II and the Holocaust, but also how to appreciate life more and realize how much you take for granted.
Rating:
Summary: Well written!
Review: I could see the people and places, smell the stench of the ghettos, and feel the fear of Irene Gut as she struggled to save both herself, her family and her Jewish friends and neighbors in WWII Poland. Under extreme conditions, the human spirit prevails.
Rating:
Summary: Irene Guts Memories of the Holocaust
Review: I enjoyed this book very much. It gave me a better understanding of what the Holocaust was really all about. I couldn't believe some of the scenes that she described about what was happeing to the Jews. The courage of what Irene did to protect people that she didnt even know amazed me. She never gave up on herself and believed that one person could make a difference. I was touched by the way Germans could treat such innocent people and was amazed at the scenes that she described in the book. Irene knew what she was doing was right and the more she saw such behavior the more determined she became to fight. One of the things I did not like about this book was that they focused more on what was happening to her and the people she was protecting then all the Jews in general and what was really happening in the concentration camps. Also it was hard trying to follow up on what was happing in the war. I got confused on when they were being helped out by other forces or when Germany was in complete power. I also would have liked to hear more about Hitler and the evil that he aroused. Over all I believed this was a very good book to others interested in the Holocaust.
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