In My Hands: Memories of a Holocaust Rescuer

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Summary: An extremely important work: Read It.
Review: I'm not sure why this book has been aimed primarily at a young audience because it is such a compelling and vitally important book on many levels concerning the subject of WWII and the Holocaust. Any study of WWII in Europe that does not include this book is an incomplete one. I heartily encourage all to pick it up. This book, along with the work of Elie Wiesel, has certainly made a permanent impression on the way I see history from this time period.

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Summary: An inspiring story of one woman's human decency
Review: In a time of horror and ultimate cruelty, a few courageous souls stood up and said, "NO." There are no words to do this book justice. Read it and be inspired - and angered

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Summary: Brave Young Rescuer
Review: In My Hands by Irene Gut Opdyke is the true story of herself as a young Catholic girl who lived in Poland at the time of the Nazi invasion. She learned of the Nazi atrocities to the Polish Jews while working as a waitress in a city controlled by the Germans; from then on, she desperately wanted to help them somehow. At the Jewish ghetto nearby, she began to leave food for the starved Jews. A bigger opportunity to help came when she was hired as a housekeeper for a Nazi major. One day, she sneaked several Jews into the house and hid them in the bathroom until the major left. She then moved them to the basement; there she shielded them from any Nazi hostility. She did eventually have to move them to a rural area out of the city because it became too dangerous. As a young lady, she showed tremendous courage, bravery, and fortitude.
Irene was born into one of the worst times of the century, yet she was able to succeed and help so many people. She exemplifies true bravery and determination.

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Summary: wonderful book!!
Review: In My Hands by Jennifer Armstrong is one of the best WWII books I've ever read! I really felt like I could relate to this book. Irene Gut Opdyke's story is interesting and down to earth. I felt as if she used her femininity to really outwit some smart Nazis's and hid some desperate Jews. She even managed to hide a group of Jews in a Nazis commander's basement! This book is defiantly a page-turner and kept me guessing. In My Hands was filled with emotions everyone can relate to. It not only told a wonderful story of a holocaust survivor but also gave a lot of information about the Nazis, WWII, and how brutal people can be. What I read in this book will stay with me forever!

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Summary: Mind-blowing
Review: In My Hands in one of the best Holocaust books I have read and I have read about 50. The way she describes the events in her life and with such vivid details. I really did feel like I was there. It takes you into the life of girl who had no idea what was going on to this women who was captured and helping people who were being discrimnated against. If you like to read or learn about the Holocaust this book is a must read for everyone.

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Summary: In My Hands- My Favorite Book
Review: In My Hands is probably one of the best books you can find about true heroism during the darkest part of history. Irene Gut Opdyke's struggle to save the lives of over a dozen Jewish friends by giving of herself (being raped, used as a mistress, separation from her family) is dispicted in this fantastic book. As a Jewish young woman, I cannot stop but feel gratitude for this woman, who save part of my people. Here is a book, where good finally triumphs over evil, and makes you proud to have such a person in our species. Thank you to Mrs. Opdyke for all that you have done.

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Summary: Thrilling autobiography!
Review: In My Hands: Memories of a Holocaust Rescuer by Irene Gut Opdyke is a remarkable autobiography about the life of a Polish woman who risked her life in order to save her Jewish friends. When World War II began, Irene was only seventeen years old; she was a devoted nursing student and an innocent Catholic girl. As Germany took over her country Poland, Irene volunteered to accompany the Polish army as part of the Red Cross. Separated from her family, she was forced to endure harsh living conditions while aiding hundreds of wounded soldiers. A few weeks later, she was seized and raped by Russian soldiers who then left her for dead in the snow. Irene would have frozen to death if a kind woman named Dr. Miriam had not found her and nursed her back to health. When Irene had finally regained her strength, she was allowed to return to Poland, now a part of Germany, to be reunited with her family. It was a joyful reunion, but Irene was stunned by the changes in her hometown, Radom. The Jews had been forced to move into ghettos while the Poles had to live by strict rules. Only one week had passed since Irene had come to Poland when she and her sister were captured and transported to Germany to work for the Reich. She became a domestic worker in a Nazi hotel; there, she witnessed the cruel, monstrous acts that were being committed against the Jews in the nearby ghetto. Overwhelmed with horror, Irene began sneaking food and blankets to the ghetto, as well as transporting runaway Jews in a wagon to a nearby forest. She had also befriended the ten Jewish workers she supervised at the hotel. When she was released from her hotel duties to work in a German major's villa as a live-in housekeeper, she found a way to smuggle and hide her Jewish friends in the basement of the villa. When he discovered them, Irene became his mistress in cooperation for his silence; later, she and her friends managed to escape from him during the Germans' retreat. In 1949, through the acquaintance of an old rabbi, Irene was interviewed by a delegate from the United Nations, and she was accepted to be a citizen of the United States, which is where she lives to this day. Irene Gut Opdyke is the courageous hero of this amazing autobiography. She had started out as a seemingly ordinary nursing student, but she had been separated from her family at 17 and forced to work for her enemies. She was determined to do all that she could to help the Jews after she had witnessed the abominable suffering inflicted on the local Jews. Being sensitive to her Jewish friends' needs, she always put their safety ahead of her well being. She demonstrated extraordinary bravery and heroism throughout her life.

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Summary: In My Hands
Review: In reading class, we were required to read a book about the Holocaust. I had read a few before, but I thought that they were boring and uninteresting. I thought that I would have to read another boring, uninteresting book.
This book totally surprised me. It was the first Holocaust book I had read that actually had me feeling the emotions of the main character. This book kept me turning pages until the very last word. This person's true emotions were brought to life throughout this book by colorful language and interesting similes and metaphors.
In My Hands is the story of Irene Gutowna, a Polish, Gentile girl, 17 years of age, who starts to work for a restaurant, which is run by Nazis. She never thought of becoming a resistance fighter. But she started small. The restaurant was located right next to the ghetto. Irene began to hide food under a hole in the fence.
Then she eventually did bigger things, leading up to hiding 10 Jews in the basement of a German sergeant's house. He finds out, but keeps quiet. In return, Irene must be his mistress.
This book was very good, and even made me cry. I think that everyone should read it.

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Summary: In My Hands by Irene Gut Opdyke with Jennifer Armstrong
Review: In reading my class did a unit on the holocaust. The teacher told us that we each had to read our choice of a holocaust book and this is the book i picked. This book is about a girl named Irene. She lived in a jewish family that was as normal as any other family. Until one day when the Germans invaded Poland. Irene was the only one in her family that would pass for a german. She was taking a nursing class and she had recently starte helping out in a hospital. Well, one night when she was at the hospital, planes started flying over and dropping bombs everywhere! When she was running around the hospital trying to help everybody, a doctor grabbed her and they left the hospital. He said that she could come with him, but when a bomb dropped she ran for her life and didn't think about what he said. Irene was the walking through the forest in the winteer with the german army following her! When the germans caught up to her they beat her up. She was left there in the snow unconscious. When the doctor was walking through the woods he found her laying there and he took her in. He sent her on a train to his sisters house so that she could live there and help her treat the wounded soldiers that came in for treatment. Finally one day Irene couldn't satnd not being able to know if her family was alright, and so she decided to take a plane back to Poland to see her family. Since she could pass for a German she had no problem getting into the country. When she found out that her parents weren't to be found, she ended up staying with a Major Rugemur. There she found out how awful the jews were really being treated in concentration camps. Everyday she tried to sneak them food, and she knew that the punishment for helping a jew was death. In the Majors house there was a baseent and an attic. That is where she tried to hide all of her Jewish Friends. She hid some of them in the woods though. One day the major found out anout this and he was very upset, although the major said they could stay if she would give him something in return and she agreed. What happens at the end of the book is what you'll have to find out, and i strongly suggest you to read this book!

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Summary: In My Hands (Memories of a Holocaust Rescuer): Irene Gut Opd
Review: Irene Gut, a 17 year old student nurse and Catholic Pole, had taken many chances during World War Two to help Jews from certain death. Irene joined the Red Cross and when it got dangerous fled to the forest. Throughout the story Irene had to deal with being raped, serving for a German major, and much more. Irene protected 10 Jews in the basement of the major's villa and traveled back and forth to Janowka, a forest where refugees were plentiful. Irene risks her life numerous times through the story to help the Jews she was hiding and protecting. This is a courageous tale of bravery and morality, and I suggest, if you read any book, you read this one.