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beccastollsound's review against another edition
5.0
Great oral history of a less typical holocaust story. Read it as quickly as you can to absorb the details fully.
chattynattyreads's review against another edition
5.0
So darn lucky to get this ARC to review- thanks Simon &Schuster- Top Shelf pick. Michael Frank, author, has introduced another WWII/Holocaust story which I never knew. 1,650 Jews from Rhodes (Greek Island very near Turkey) are deported to Auschwitz- the longest distance traveled by any Jews deported during WWII.
This story is written over 6 years time by the author interviewing Stella Levi, one of the few Jews, from Rhodes, who survived the Holocaust.
I really enjoyed the way that this read like an interview. I felt, at times, I was sitting in the room waiting, as the author waited so patiently, for Stella to tell the whole story.
This story is written over 6 years time by the author interviewing Stella Levi, one of the few Jews, from Rhodes, who survived the Holocaust.
I really enjoyed the way that this read like an interview. I felt, at times, I was sitting in the room waiting, as the author waited so patiently, for Stella to tell the whole story.
lisavegan's review against another edition
4.0
I read a hardcover edition and enjoyed reading a “real” book. I’ve been reading a lot of e-editions. I bring only paper books with me when I’m out and about and I like being able to always have a book with me.
This is a good addition to Holocaust literature. I particularly appreciated Stella’s description of how and why women often fared better than men throughout the ordeal.
My favorite parts though were learning about life on Rhodes before the deportation.
There were parts of the story that took place in NYC that I also found fascinating.
The part of the story that is about the camps was relatively brief but for me offered some details new to me, even though I’ve read many Holocaust books.
I applaud the inclusion of all sorts of memories during the various times and settings and how all sorts of emotions were felt, humor included.
Stella annoyed me when she was cryptic and in interviews instead of answering would say that is for another day, something that occurred a lot but I guess it’s the author I’m irked with because he could have just written what she did actually tell him vs. including what she said she wouldn’t tell him or wouldn’t tell him yet.
Stella has had an interesting life and in many ways was a remarkable girl and is a remarkable woman but I think I might have enjoyed this book more if its focus had not been on only/mostly Stella. If it had been written about the Jews of Rhodes and what had happened to all of them perhaps I’d have found the narrative more compelling. That said, hearing this story from one person’s point of view had its advantages.
“I do believe that as we travel through life we become a different person in every situation, or context, or phase.”
A useful selected bibliography is included in the back of the book.
3-1/2 stars
This is a good addition to Holocaust literature. I particularly appreciated Stella’s description of how and why women often fared better than men throughout the ordeal.
My favorite parts though were learning about life on Rhodes before the deportation.
There were parts of the story that took place in NYC that I also found fascinating.
The part of the story that is about the camps was relatively brief but for me offered some details new to me, even though I’ve read many Holocaust books.
I applaud the inclusion of all sorts of memories during the various times and settings and how all sorts of emotions were felt, humor included.
Stella annoyed me when she was cryptic and in interviews instead of answering would say that is for another day, something that occurred a lot but I guess it’s the author I’m irked with because he could have just written what she did actually tell him vs. including what she said she wouldn’t tell him or wouldn’t tell him yet.
Stella has had an interesting life and in many ways was a remarkable girl and is a remarkable woman but I think I might have enjoyed this book more if its focus had not been on only/mostly Stella. If it had been written about the Jews of Rhodes and what had happened to all of them perhaps I’d have found the narrative more compelling. That said, hearing this story from one person’s point of view had its advantages.
“I do believe that as we travel through life we become a different person in every situation, or context, or phase.”
A useful selected bibliography is included in the back of the book.
3-1/2 stars
quinnpmurphy's review against another edition
A really stunning and pertinent account of a place through the eyes of an individual that that place produced. Over the course of the book, I fell in love with Stella and was constantly struck by her candor. By the end of the book, though, I found myself relating to her. That relation only helped me to understand the magnitude of the miscarriage of humanity to which she was subjected. This, in turn, helps me contextualize this contemporary moment. It doesn’t exactly change how I think; though, it certainly adds a lot of shading, dimension, and color.
jessiekaden's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
4.0
jakobitz's review against another edition
4.0
One Hundred Saturdays opens a window on a time, place, and culture largely foreign to our 21st century. Over the course of one hundred Saturdays, author Michael Frank sat down with holocaust survivor Stella Levi and recorded her life story, in a series of interviews spanning six years. Yet, this is more than another holocaust survivor’s tale, but rather a glimpse into the way of life in the Juderia, a Sephardic Jewish neighborhood that existed on the Mediterranean island of Rhodes.
Through these interviews, Stella leads the reader along her journey from adolescence to adulthood, highlighting the island's cultural and religious diversity, and recounting the horrors of a world tumbling into war. Stella’s stories draw the reader in with joy and humor, hooking the reader’s interest in this unique community, and ultimately evoking deep pathos as the island’s way of life implodes. Frank crafts a timeless memorial to the past in such a way that it resonates with our human experience today; we are left to morn for what was lost, but still find hope and joy in what was lived.
One Hundred Saturdays is a great reminder of our shared humanity and how important it is for us to stand up against the horrors that humans perpetuate upon one another. Michael Frank’s book should appeal to readers that enjoy historical memoirs, cultural studies, and the transformative power of storytelling.
Through these interviews, Stella leads the reader along her journey from adolescence to adulthood, highlighting the island's cultural and religious diversity, and recounting the horrors of a world tumbling into war. Stella’s stories draw the reader in with joy and humor, hooking the reader’s interest in this unique community, and ultimately evoking deep pathos as the island’s way of life implodes. Frank crafts a timeless memorial to the past in such a way that it resonates with our human experience today; we are left to morn for what was lost, but still find hope and joy in what was lived.
One Hundred Saturdays is a great reminder of our shared humanity and how important it is for us to stand up against the horrors that humans perpetuate upon one another. Michael Frank’s book should appeal to readers that enjoy historical memoirs, cultural studies, and the transformative power of storytelling.
lexlibris's review
4.5
We’ll never know the full extent of our loses as a human race of cultures, languages, ways of being, etc.
oysterrr's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.5
dtd's review against another edition
5.0
I have read quite a few stories, both true and historical fiction, about ww2. This is the first about what happened in Rhodes. Beyond that, this book also sheds light on the transformation of Rhodes to a more modern culture in the years leading up to the war.
In line at the airport in Athens last summer, I met a family that was on their way to Rhodes to visit historic sites. That was the first it was on my radar. After reading this book, I have added it to my ever growing list of places to visit.
In line at the airport in Athens last summer, I met a family that was on their way to Rhodes to visit historic sites. That was the first it was on my radar. After reading this book, I have added it to my ever growing list of places to visit.