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The Boy on the Wooden Box: How the Impossible Became Possible....on Schindler's List by Leon Leyson
erine's review against another edition
4.0
I'm not sure why there are never enough stories about the Holocaust. Perhaps because it was that horrific, that no matter how similar the experiences, there is always something new, some fresh twist of the depths and heights to which humans can sink and soar. This was one boy's story of his family's experience of the Holocaust, and reinforces that luck and seized opportunities saved many - although not enough - from the death camps. I read this with The Book Thief, and reading the two together gave a rounded picture of how things were for both everyday Germans, and the Jewish population. Horror abounded for everyone.
beckyb16's review against another edition
4.0
Powerful true story of Leon Leyson and his growing up years as a young Jew in Poland. This isn't an easy story to read but it is told in a sincere and honest way that pulls you in and teaches the reader so much about this time. Loved the Schindler ties and how this man saved so many Jews in a time when others refused to acknowledge that anything was happening to this people group. "He did the best of things in the worst of times."
hellohannahk's review against another edition
4.0
Excellent. Not amazing writing (actually more of a narrative than a novel), but the story was compelling. Brought me to tears.
terryansimon's review against another edition
5.0
My school librarian recommended this book to me, on the account that she thinks I've got some interest in Holocaust related literature. Truth be told, I do have an interest in it, and have read [a: Thomas Keneally|6900|Thomas Keneally|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1204666492p2/6900.jpg]'s [b: Schindler's Ark|268302|Schindler's Ark|Thomas Keneally|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1173288252s/268302.jpg|3127624] a while back. When she said that this was about one of the Schindler Jews, I figured I'll give it a go.
What I didn't anticipate was finishing this book in under two days, and having a tinge of sadness come over me. Leon Leyson was merely a child when the atrocities of WWII reared its ugly head. He started out naive, alongside many other Polish Jews who had a) survived Pogroms from the past, and b) had been part of a Germanic occupying force in WWI. How wrong were they when the situation took a very ugly turn for the worse, and what they thought would be over in months, lasted for almost six years.
If anything, this has truly cemented my view on Oskar Schindler. Sure, there are his detractors (womaniser, exploiter, corrupt, etc). But in the words of the Talmud, "whoever saves a life, it is considered as if he saved an entire world." And maybe that's the most important thing here. That lives were saved, even in the bleakest and darkest of nights.
What I didn't anticipate was finishing this book in under two days, and having a tinge of sadness come over me. Leon Leyson was merely a child when the atrocities of WWII reared its ugly head. He started out naive, alongside many other Polish Jews who had a) survived Pogroms from the past, and b) had been part of a Germanic occupying force in WWI. How wrong were they when the situation took a very ugly turn for the worse, and what they thought would be over in months, lasted for almost six years.
If anything, this has truly cemented my view on Oskar Schindler. Sure, there are his detractors (womaniser, exploiter, corrupt, etc). But in the words of the Talmud, "whoever saves a life, it is considered as if he saved an entire world." And maybe that's the most important thing here. That lives were saved, even in the bleakest and darkest of nights.
astonersbookshelf_'s review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
fast-paced
5.0
This book was rough to get through but it was also so interesting. The part that really got me thinking was in the epilogue. He was explaining how once moving to America he got on a bus and when sat in the back was told that only Black people sit back there. So in way, though it wasn’t targeting him he was still surrounded by the thought process that one type of person is better than another.
elisabeth7291's review against another edition
4.0
For those who have loved Night, Boy in the Striped Pajamas or The Book Thief, this is another YA Holocaust survivor's story. What makes it unique is that Leon Leyson was the youngest Jewish child on the famed Oscar Schindler list. Brief, but worth the read for those - like me - who are astonished and inspired by the resilience of the human spirit.
karstenvc's review against another edition
4.5
Heel leuk boek om te lezen en mooi gemaakt! (ENGELS mondeling)